The Snowflake Unified School District (SUSD) experienced growth and continues to flourish academically this year in spite of the challenge of filling positions. Early last year, the district acted pre-emptively to combat the shortage and increase wages.
“During our budget discussions and meetings in the spring of 2016, we decided to increase our base salary levels for classified employees to $10 an hour. This was in part anticipating a minimum wage increase, but also to simply offer a more competitive salary for those positions,” noted Superintendent Hollis Merrill.
Because of this, the district was not affected mid-school year by the newly mandated minimum wage increase, but the increased operating cost to the district for this year is $98,000 and next year’s increase will cost the district another $85,000.
Funding of $100,000 a year for the next nine years was approved in May 2016 with the passage of Proposition 123, but unfortunately, according to Merrill, it appears that those funds will only temporarily cover the mandated wage increases.
“The annual increases required by Prop. 206, which mandates increases to the minimum wage, will far exceed the additional funds we will receive through Prop. 123. Overall funding for education in Arizona continues to lag far behind previous levels. If we had the same funding levels that existed in 2009, we would have approximately $1.8 million additional in our budget this year,” stated Merrill.
For the second year in a row, the district continues to experience growth following several years of declining enrollment. This year the student body has numbered as many as 2,550, with significant increases seen in the junior high and high school populations. “We hired six new positions for this school year to help accommodate our increased enrollment,” Merrill said.
The Snowflake district, like all districts in Arizona, faced a critical shortage of certified teachers last year. In order to fill vacancies, the state changed certification requirements, allowing anyone with a four-year degree to obtain a one-year emergency certificate.
“We have been fortunate to fill our vacancies in that manner or with others who are in the process of completing their schooling. We have been pleased with their commitment and performance,” said Merrill. “This year we also added a new teacher mentoring program where new teachers are paired with veteran teachers who help them to navigate the challenges associated with the first year of teaching.”
Despite these challenges, Merrill said the district is doing well. “Our school district continues to be a leader in academic achievement. The most recent scores on the AzMERIT tests revealed that our district outperforms schools in our area, the county and our peer districts throughout the state,” he noted.
As tax season approaches, Merrill reminds residents that they can help. “In Arizona you can donate $200 as an individual or $400 for a couple filing jointly to a school or school district, and receive that same amount back as a tax credit on your state taxes. Now you can make those donations through April 1 and still claim them on your taxes for 2016,” he explained.
For taxpayers who owe money on their state return, this type of charitable contribution allows them to donate the money rather than pay the same amount as a tax, and it can be designated to the school, the district or an approved extracurricular activity of the taxpayer’s choice.
