“For many years, Arizona has been the nationally-recognized leader in school choice. A number of our high schools are consistently ranked near the top of U.S. studies. We were one of the first states to create public charter schools. Our Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) allowing parents to find the best education option for their student are a model being emulated throughout the country. Today, Arizona took the lead in education funding, with a plan to add $3.5 billion to our schools, without raising taxes. It has built-in measures to grow K-12 funding every year, but to also make sure other critical areas of state funding are not negatively impacted by the education increases.

This landmark agreement is a sign of effective leadership in our state. The Governor, Republican legislative leadership and the education community worked together to find the best funding package for our children. Now, voters will have the opportunity to decide if they agree. Today is a day to celebrate passage of this bipartisan agreement. We will continue our work to improve our schools and give our children the finest education possible.”