Arizona school district cuts staff amid charter school competition

Arizona’s second-largest school district cuts staff after losing enrollment due to “competition with private schools.”

Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci on Wednesday noted enrollment declines since 2023, a year after lawmakers passed universal school choice that gives parents the option to choose schools other than neighborhood public schools.

Narducci also cited several factors that led to enrollment loss, including “competition with private schools,” rising homeownership costs and falling birth rates.

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CUSD’s board of directors voted Wednesday to reduce nearly 60 positions in administration, deans and coaching roles.

Lana Berry, district treasurer, He said registration numbers had dropped to over 4,000 students since 2022 and is expected to continue declining.

After all staff cuts, CUSD remains Arizona’s second-largest district and the East Valley’s second-largest employer.

“Arizona public school districts are in an unfortunate and critical position due to the state legislature’s historical underfunding of public education,” reported Laurel Miller, president of the Chandler Education Association. he said in an email.

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Miller reportedly allocated nearly $3 billion in taxpayer funds to Arizona’s “fraud-ridden” ESA voucher program, which he claimed “led to unnecessary enrollment declines, forcing districts to make terrible decisions like laying off beloved staff and closing public schools.”

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed into law universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their child’s tuition. Many other states followed; This suggests that parents tend to seek alternatives to traditional public schools.

Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice to all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their child’s tuition. Several more states followed; This suggests that parents tend to seek alternatives to traditional public schools.

According to local outlet KPHOAt a school district meeting Wednesday, a teacher said teachers were spread too thin.

“I think it’s too much for one person to do what they’re going to be asked to do because they’re essentially going to be doing the work of three people at once. And I’m very concerned about the sustainability of that,” the teacher said. “I also worry that some parents will say I want a librarian at my school and leave and go to charter schools.”

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Most states restrict parents to schools within their own zip code or school district, but charter schools allow families to choose alternatives.

Several other states followed Arizona in passing universal school choice; This suggests that parents tend to seek alternatives to traditional public schools.

charter schools Compete with traditional public schools on students and per-student funding. Concerns include the receipt of money. traditional public schools It can be used to increase teachers’ salaries, invest in public school facilities, and hire more teachers.

Charter schools are often criticized by teachers unions for competing with public schools for per-student funding because parents are allowed to leave the public schools in their neighborhoods.

Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, suffered similar losses last year. The district faced financial and enrollment problems after the state adopted universal school choice in 2022.

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CUSD officials did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.