Monday, Jul 1 2013 4:56PM
Rural Arizona schools will receive funding to make up for significant budgetary shortfalls.
Schools in rural Arizona counties - including Navajo and Apache counties - will receive $15 million in funding from the Science Foundation Arizona over the next three years.
The Foundation noted that the funds are crucial to educating the next generation, ensuring they have job opportunities and safeguarding future economic community development.
Citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Republic reports that Arizona experienced an 18.9 percent drop in K-12 public education funding from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2013, and the state spends roughly $7,666 in per-pupil funding, the fourth-lowest in the country.
The funds will go toward purchasing supplies, covering professional development costs for teachers, creating after-school programs for students and helping provide more well-rounded educational programs for rural schools.
"The study exposes a desperate situation that requires attention to ensure an educated workforce pipeline is built," the Foundation said. "Arizona's prosperity and competitiveness depends on its future generation."
For more information, check out this resource: The Science Foundation Arizona, The Republic