On the topic of adding an opportunity weight in the state budget, we, the Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS), wish to support an opportunity index for additional funding for economically disadvantaged students. We also recognize the need for continued desegregation funding for district specific court orders and agreements with the Office of Civil Rights
(OCR). We believe opportunity weight and desegregation funding should be kept as separate school funding sources.
AZALAS recognizes the growing number of students living in poverty and the opportunity gap economically disadvantaged students experience in relation to more affluent students. An opportunity weight would provide additional funding to address education factors that negatively impact student academic success.
In 1985, legislation was enacted to allow districts under federal court orders or OCR agreements to levy property taxes outside of their revenue control limit to address issues of inequities in educational opportunities for ethnically diverse students, English language learners and economically disadvantaged students. Each of the 19 school districts participating uses desegregation funding to address district specific OCR findings.
We, AZALAS acknowledge opportunity weight and desegregation funding may overlap on the necessity for additional funding to address issues of poverty and its impact on student achievement outcomes. We also acknowledge desegregation funding for several districts provides services, supports and programming for English language learners not currently defined or addressed in opportunity weight calculations.