Politics
Scottsdale schools face long-term budget shift under Arizona classroom-spending proposal
Scottsdale Unified estimates it would need to redirect about $14.9 million to classroom instruction to meet Proposition 320’s 60% spending target. The measure would phase in the increase, starting with at least $1.25 million a year, as the district grapples with declining enrollment and school closures.
Scottsdale Unified School District says it would need to shift about $14.9 million in spending to direct classroom instruction to comply fully with Proposition 320, a ballot measure Arizona voters are set to consider Nov. 3, 2026.
The proposal would require districts in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, along with districts enrolling more than 7,500 students, to dedicate 60% of their operating budgets to classroom instruction. The Arizona Auditor General would define which expenses qualify.
Scottsdale Unified’s estimate is based on its 2024-25 budget of $250 million. The district reported that 54% of that budget went to classroom instruction, leaving a six-percentage-point gap to the proposed threshold.
The change would be phased in rather than imposed all at once. Districts would have to raise their classroom-spending share by at least 0.5 percentage points annually; for Scottsdale Unified, that would mean redirecting at least $1.25 million a year. The district estimates it would take about 12 years to reach 60% at that pace.
At an Oct. 6 school board meeting, Superintendent Scott Menzel said the proposal’s definition of classroom spending could exclude services and operations that support students and schools. He identified guidance counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, social workers, equipment repairs, building maintenance, custodial services, security, school resource officers and food service as costs that could be affected.
If a district failed to meet the requirements, it could lose 25% of its state-funded classroom site fund. Menzel said that fund covers about 8% of Scottsdale Unified teachers’ base salaries, as well as all performance pay and longevity payments provided under the district’s agreement with teachers. He said performance pay exceeded $4,000 per teacher last year.
Supporters argue that directing a larger share of school budgets to classrooms could boost teacher compensation and curb unnecessary spending. Critics say the measure could put essential services and maintenance at risk and limit local school boards’ control over budgets.
The debate comes as Scottsdale Unified is already responding to falling enrollment and declining funding. Earlier this month, the board voted to close Copper Ridge K-8 School and Laguna Elementary School after the 2026-27 school year, a move projected to save more than $2.5 million. Echo Canyon School and Pima Elementary School closed after the 2025-26 school year.