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Amphi, Flowing Wells teachers minimize budget impact in classrooms

By Jim Becker  bio | email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - While both Amphitheater and Flowing Wells school districts have been able to begin classes with nearly all of the teachers they had last year, representatives from both say the districts are still reeling from state budget cuts earlier in the year.

Gone is 85% of soft capital the districts could use to purchase new textbooks and computers or replace a faulty air conditioner.

"We usually have a contingency to keep class sizes from getting too big," says Dr. Nick Clement, Superintendent of Flowing Wells, "but we can't do that this year, because we don't have a budget."

Part of the problem is until state lawmakers figure out Arizona's budget, school districts are at a loss to figure out how much money they will have to spend and how much they will have to cut back.

In Amphitheater, kindergarten students have the distinction of being the first to attend the new Prince Elementary School building, a facility the district has needed for the past 20 years, according to Todd Jaeger, the district spokesman.

Much of the funding has come from a bond package, passed by voters, so the school could open.

"However, as good as the community support is, it doesn't make up for the lack of new computers or textbooks we've had to cut from the budget," adds Jaeger.