Schools statewide could receive additional funding from ballot proposition

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling paves the way for a controversial education initiative to appear on the November ballot.

Proposition 208, the Invest in Education Act, is expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for K-12 education.

Education advocates and business leaders gathered together and came up with this initiative to ensure the money will be spent in the classrooms – where it’s most needed.

So where will the funds come from?

99% of Arizonans like the small business owners or lawyers even doctors will not pay this surcharge.

Only the top 1% of the highest earners will contribute.

According to the campaign for Yes on 208, even with the proposed 3.5% surcharge, Arizona's income taxes on the highest earners will remain lower than 25 other states.

A yes on prop 208 would solve the teacher shortage crisis, lower class sizes, hire aides and counselors, and expand career and technical education.

David Lujan from the Arizona Center for Economic Progress says this would tremendously benefit Yuma’s community.

“It's great for communities like Yuma because in many communities like Yuma, those public schools are one of the largest employers. So when you think about one of the largest employers being able to pay their employees more that's great for the small businesses that are great for the economy in Yuma because it's going to provide a boost, not only and putting more dollars in their pockets, but also for our training and our future workforce,” Lujan said.

This prop almost didn’t make it on the ballot. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge cited a technicality to rule the invest in ed citizen's initiative ineligible for the 2020 ballot.

House Democratic Leader Charlene Fernandez weighed in saying, "our public schools deserve better than this.”