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Napolitano Signs Bill on Financially Ailing Districts
May 25th, 2007 @ 1:56pm
by Associated Press
Troubled by several Arizona school districts' financial problems, legislators plan a between-session look at whether to keep on the books a soon-to-expire state law that has already been used to put one district in receivership and soon another.
Gov. Janet Napolitano on Friday signed into law a bill that orders the state Board of Education to immediately put the Saddle Mountain Unified School District in receivership, extends the receivership law's scheduled expiration into mid-2008 and orders creation of a special study committee.
Napolitano acted one day after lawmakers completed action on the emergency bill largely prompted by the 1,200-student Saddle Mountain district's troubles.
``We're talking about a pattern of people seeing things coming and ignoring it,'' said Sen. Robert Blendu, R-Litchfield Park.
The Tonopah-based district has overspent its budget in recent years and would have been unable to meet its payroll without another provision in the newly signed bill (HB2305). The provision changes a school finance law to allow repayment of extra state aid over a longer period, said Vince Yanez, the state board's executive director.
The bill also would give several other school districts more time to repay state aid received as a result of budget miscalculations. Those districts are Cedar Unified, Indian Oasis Unified, Tombstone Unified and Eloy Elementary.
The 2005 receivership law was enacted because of problems at the Colorado City Unified School District in a polygamist enclave in northern Mohave County that remains in receivership.
The law had been set to expire on Dec. 31 but now will be on the books at least through the end of the Legislature's 2008 regular session to give lawmakers time to consider the receivership law further.
State schools Superintendent Tom Horne cited mismanagement by district officials, while Saddle Mountain Superintendent Roxanne Morris blamed inadequate reimbursement from the state when the district formerly sent its high school students to other districts.
Getting the extra time will allow the district to pass a balanced budget next year, Morris said. In fact, she said, the balanced budget is already written, so the state should not put the district into receivership.
``We as a district have done a lot of work,'' Morris said. ``We've got a solid budget for next year, and we want to be afforded the opportunity to continue the work that we've started.''
