Education tax increase This state will vote on education tax increase

Education tax increase This state will vote on it (Alberta Times) Arizona and four other states will vote on the 6th whether to increase taxes in order to continue to fund public schools...

Education tax increase This state will vote on a referendum (Alberta Times) Arizona and four other states will vote on the 6th whether to increase taxes in order to continue to fund public schools. How government-funded schools are run has sparked heated debate across the country, and votes in some states will reflect voters' underlying views on raising taxes on education. The state, along with Missouri and South Dakota, put tax increases up to voters, California offered voters two options, and Oregon used corporate tax rebates as part of the money it allocates to schools. The National Association of State Legislatures said five states will vote on education tax increases, the most in state elections in the past 20 years. To cover budget deficits, many states have cut funding for schools. Nationwide, the funding received by primary and junior high schools this year on a per-pupil basis is still less than the 2008 level in 35 states. Affected by the shortage of funds, school districts have been forced to take measures such as layoffs, halting some teaching plans, and some even switching to four days a week. From September 2008 to September 2012, public school systems across the country laid off 264,200 employees, leaving about 7.87 million employees today. Opponents of raising taxes to fund education argue that student achievement has not improved even though education funding is now much higher than it was a decade ago. Funding for primary and junior high schools across the country this year is expected to be 518 billion yuan, excluding school infrastructure and debt repayment interest, which averages about 10,434 yuan per student. Ten years ago, the funding for primary and secondary schools across the country was 457 billion yuan, with an average per student of 9,480 yuan. Opponents argue that public schools should undergo fundamental reforms before funding for education is set aside. Since 2008, Arizona’s per-pupil education spending has dropped nearly 22%, the largest decline in the nation. The state's one-cent-per-dollar sales tax policy is set to expire next year. The state government is preparing to make this policy permanent, which can raise about 1 billion yuan in education funds a year.