Happy Monday,
As we begin this New Year the State Legislators do as well; I wanted to keep you in the loop as to what was happening in the world of Charter Schools downtown. I plan on sending bi-weekly emails with all sorts of goodies for you to review and research.
However, before I do that, I wanted to say thank you for helping San Tan reach the half way mark on our Tax Credit collections, to date we have raised $47,800. We are very proud of our choice to offer P.E. daily and music multiple times per week here at San Tan. This has been made possible by family and community support of the Arizona State Tax Credit program. We are still collecting for this program as a new tax year has begun.
Here is how you can redirect your tax dollars to benefit your child’s education:
· You may donate up to $200.00 as an individual or a maximum of $400.00 if married and filing jointly. Any amount up to these maximums is eligible for the tax credit.
· A receipt will be mailed to you once your gift has been received and processed.
· When filling out your Arizona tax return, complete the very simple Form 321 and deduct the amount of your gift. Remember to include your charitable contribution on your federal tax return as well.
· As a reminder any amount will help with these programs. If all of our kiddos gave just $5.00 per week we could raise over $20,000 for our special’s program. If you can only afford to give $10, $20, or $30 per month please consider doing that as any amount helps.
Our Growing Brilliance Campaign is going strong as well with donations toping $15,000 on our way to the $50,000 goal. One of the greatest compliments that we get from parents about San Tan is how it feels like a private school without the tuition. This is where the Growing Brilliance campaign comes into play.
The Growing Brilliance Campaign is an opportunity for us as a dynamic school community to show our commitment to making the next generation even better and our appreciation for one of our greatest treasures at San Tan besides our children-our dedicated teachers. This campaign addresses the funding gap between the school’s per student cost for the exceptional learning environment we offer to our students and the state aid funding given per student. As an Arizona public charter school, STLC receives an average of $1,600 less in per student funding than a traditional public school. Our goal is to provide our highly qualified staff with fair and rewarding compensation. If you have not considered participating in this program, please take some time to consider giving back to your child’s teacher today.
Finally, we are still selling Fry’s cards!
You can purchase a $5 reloadable gift card for $5 from San Tan. You then load the card with money at the customer service desk at any Fry’s before you start shopping (any amount up to $500). Once you load it up with the amount you want (with cash, check, debit card or credit card) at the customer service desk, your gift card is ready to use. So, load it as soon as you walk in the store!
The reason you will be buying this $5 gift card originally from San Tan is because it is linked to our school as long as you use it. You can always reload it and every time you do the school will receive 6% of the amount you spend. It is wonderful and exciting that the school will be earning money from your everyday spending! Stop by the front office and request your $5.00 card today.
Governor Proposes Additional K-12 Funding
We Need Your Voice to Ensure Education is Funded
For the first time since FY2008, the Governor’s proposed budget provides some good news for K-12 public education. On Friday, January 13, the Governor Jan Brewer proposed an additional $90 million for district and charter students.
In reaction, the House and Senate Appropriations chairs were skeptical of the Governor’s budget moving forward in its entirety in light of the current and upcoming budget challenges. While the budget proposal continues the additional assistance cuts that charter schools have experienced the last several years, it does include some new investments in school districts and charter schools. The most notable new spending is in two areas:
•A $50 million increase in the A weight for K-8 schools or about $55 per student. These new monies are intended to help address early education and the new requirements of Move on When Reading.
•A $40 million increase in CORL/Additional Assistance funding is proposed which equates to approximately $37 per student.
San Tan students need your voice now since the legislative session will move quickly. The Association strongly encourages parents to meet with your state legislators during School Choice Week (January 22-28), and the charter school association will be happy to do all the work for you in setting up those meetings. Simply click here for a link to our Legislative Meeting Request Help Page and Meeting Request Form. The charter school association will work to set up a time for you to visit with your legislators so you can let them know why choosing a charter school was important for you. Stop by the Association before heading to your meetings for a continental breakfast and pick of some tips and talking points about what to discuss during your visits. Contact Megan Gilbertson at megan@azcharters.org or 602-944-0644 ext 321 for more information.