EVP Board Meeting

Last Thursday, the Board of Directors of the East Valley Partnership unanimously agreed to support the proposal that would increase the current budget amount for State Universities – included in Governor Ducey’s budget at $8M – to $32M.

 
The East Valley Partnership is a regional coalition of community, business, educational and government leaders, whose primary goal is to provide leadership and support to our community partners in their efforts to encourage economic development and improve the quality of life for our communities and the region.

 
As an organization, we recognize that higher education is a critical factor for the future of economic development in both the East Valley and Arizona. We need to ensure that our state is producing the trained and educated workforce necessary to grow companies and attract new businesses. In Arizona, two-thirds of all job openings in 2018 will require a post-secondary education. It is clear that economic development and a successful higher education system are necessary for Arizona to succeed. It will take an innovative approach and sound investments in our higher education system to see the results we need and our students deserve.

 
East Valley Partnership has also been supportive of increased funding for our K-12 education system and we applaud recent efforts by Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Legislature to direct more dollars into our classrooms and settle the inflation lawsuit. Strategic investments in higher education and K-12 systems can help us provide a world-class education system to our students at the lowest cost possible to Arizona families.

EVP is also on record as supporting the state investment model proposed by the Arizona Board of Regents that will move higher education forward in our state.

 
Given the state’s positive financial condition, we believe it would be reasonable to invest an additional $24M towards the post-secondary education of Arizona’s young people. With those funds added to the governor’s initial proposal of $8M, the state’s share of funding for in-state students would still be relatively low at 36.2 percent. Under the new funding model, this could be a symbolic first step towards a time when the state would fund half of an Arizona undergraduate’s cost of attending our public universities.

 
We urge the Legislature to continue to recognize the valuable role our universities and post-secondary schools play in the future of our state. We believe that investing in higher education is a wise and reasonable move that will pay future dividends for many generations.

Download Copy of the letter sent to the  members of Legislature Here. 

The EVP Board of Directors voted unanimously to support Prop. 123, the May 17 ballot referendum that will provide an extra $3.5 billion in funding to Arizona public schools over the next decade without raising taxes.

“Prop 123 speaks to one of the Partnerships most important priorities — to advocate for strategic investments in K-12 education,” said EVP Interim President and CEO Mike Hutchinson.

EVP Senior Business Advisor, John Lewis who also serves as the mayor of Gilbert, said “Prop 123 is an investment in the schools that help both create our future leaders and attract growth from new businesses that value education.”

Money provided to schools by Prop 123 would come from the state land trust, an underused $5 billion asset that exists to support public education. Prop 123 would begin helping schools almost immediately. Increasing teacher pay is among the top priorities of school district officials.

A recent teacher recruitment and retention report by the Arizona Department of Education found that more than half of surveyed Arizona districts and charters reported losing between 1 and 5 educators who either broke employment contracts or resigned during the 2013-2014 school year.

“Governor Doug Ducey and the Legislature have provided the opportunity to take the first step towards improving public education,” said EVP Board Chairman Brian Campbell. “The state land trust is already there to help public education. Prop 123 allows Arizona to meet its current educational needs while protecting the trust’s ability to provide for future generations.”

East Valley Partnership originated in 1982 as a 501(c)(6) nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, educational and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley of Greater Phoenix. The partnership advocates areas such as economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare, and other important areas. For more information, visit www.evp-az.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

East Valley Partnership
(480) 834-8335
Mike Hutchinson x202
mhutchinson@evp-az.org