Arizona Voters Block Mandate to Shift School Funds to Instruction
Unofficial results show a 51.9% rejection rate for the measure that would have forced large districts to direct 60% of operational costs to direct instructional expenses.
By Aiko Petrov ·
Arizona voters turned down a plan that would have locked in a higher share of school district budgets for classroom activities. Proposition 320 failed in the election held on Tuesday.
Unofficial tallies indicate that 51.9% of the electorate voted against the proposal while 48.1% supported it. The margin of defeat was narrow but decisive in the final count.
The measure targeted school districts with enrollment over 7,500 students or those located in counties with populations exceeding 500,000. This threshold includes every district in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties. The rule would have taken effect during the 2027-2028 fiscal year.
Under the proposed rules, districts spending less than 60% of their operational funds on direct instructional expenses would have been required to increase that share by at least 0.5 percentage points annually until they hit the target. Proponents argued the change would help boost teacher salaries by prioritizing instructional spending.
Opponents criticized the definition of direct instructional expenses as too vague. They warned that the mandate could force districts to cut other essential services, such as transportation, food service, and student support programs, to meet the new spending floor.
