Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wants to add $100 million in new K-12 education funding this year as a down-payment on the full restoration of a school capital funding formula that was slashed during the Great Recession.
Ducey called for funding to increase to $371 million in five years. The Republican governor made the announcement Tuesday morning at a Capitol news conference attended by lawmakers, school district superintendents and other education officials.
He called his plan a "permanent and flexible" investment that schools can use how they like, including teacher pay.
The state is being sued by schools for cuts that forced schools to use operations cash for capital costs like building maintenance and computer software.
Ducey says he wants lawsuit settled.
School advocacy groups were "cautiously optimistic" about the proposal.
