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Parents and students urge board to reverse proposed funding cuts for Phoenix International School of the Arts
Summary
Multiple parents, students and community leaders asked the board to reconsider staffing-related funding proposals that would reduce Phoenix International School of the Arts’ per-student allotment, arguing cuts would force staff losses and reduce program quality.
Dozens of Phoenix International School of the Arts (Posota) supporters addressed the Board of Education on March 11 to urge the district and board to reconsider proposed per-pupil funding reductions that school leaders say would reduce instructional staffing for the charter middle school.
Phoenix founder and CEO Angelica Jackson asked the board to revisit next year’s proposed staffing allotment after staff warned the school faces significant operational strain if per-student allotments fall. Jackson told the board the school has been recognized for academic success, maintains a waiting list and created local jobs, but that the loss of staff because of funding reductions would disrupt the model that combines academic and in-school arts instruction.
Several current and former Posota students spoke: one said the school ‘‘changed my life’’ and credited Posota with providing music and arts experiences that would not have been available otherwise; another described how the arts classes helped steady academic focus. Parents and community leaders echoed those appeals, urging the board to protect positions essential to music, theater and other arts instruction and to preserve small-group arts offerings.
Assistant superintendent Steve Roberts and other district staff explained the staffing allocation process used to calculate per-student allotments and said school-by-school allotments are derived from district formulas tied to projected enrollment. Jackson said Posota asked for an initial instructional allotment of 16 positions during budget planning; district staff said the formula supported a smaller allotment and agreed to a compromise of 13.5 positions in the first year.
District staff acknowledged that small schools with an arts overlay can face staffing tightness, and Posota leaders reported occasions this year when multiple staff absences required teachers to cover colleagues’ classes. The board’s public comment period included offers of private and faith-based partner support, calls for reconsideration, and an appeal for transparency about future per-student allotment decisions.
Board members asked staff to bring back details about the staffing formula, the school’s enrollment projections and any available adjustments the district can make to reduce disruption. Superintendent Navarro said the district and Posota legal counsel had discussed charter amendments previously and that the item could be placed on a future agenda for further review.
Jackson asked the board to consider the school’s unique model and to seek a funding solution that avoids program cuts and the loss of arts instructors critical to the school’s curriculum.
