For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Contact: Morgan Dick, mdick@azdem.org

Arizona Legislature votes to lift the AEL, allowing school districts spend dollars previously allocated for just one year

Democrats urge a permanent solution, half of the Republican caucus votes against funding for school districts

Phoenix –  Today, the Arizona Legislature voted to lift the school funding cap, or Aggregate Expenditure Limit for one year, which allows school districts to spend money previously allocated to them by the legislature and prevent mass school closures and staff layoffs across the state.

“It was beyond disheartening to see 21 members of the Republican legislative caucus vote to defund our schools this year.  With the passage of this legislation, we are going in the right direction to ensure that our students have the resources they need to succeed,” said Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Board Chair Representative Jennifer Longdon. “However, let me be clear, this is not a permanent solution to the school spending cap. In the legislature, Democrats remain committed to our schools and students, consistently championing fixes to our state’s education crisis and providing the crucial votes to lift the school spending cap.” 

“Democrats are ready to buckle down and get to work – but Republicans still want to play petty games that jeopardize the opportunity for our students to succeed,” said Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano. “Our schools need our lawmakers to deliver equitable funding, mental health supports, and resources to make every person on a school campus feel safe – and Democrats are ready to deliver. But now we must also focus on a permanent solution to the decades-old school funding cap so we can get on to addressing the real issues our public schools face.”

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