If you re able to go above and beyond to help us during this important time, please consider making an additional financial contribution. Click here to contribute.
Preliminary numbers for the fall semester indicate the number of SUSD students failing at least one class has more than doubled over last year.
Superintendent Manny Valenzuela said they evaluated grades of middle and high school students and found that 28 percent are failing at least one class now. Last year at this time, it was 13 percent.
Final numbers won t be available until early January, but failing grades are growing across the state and country.Â
The statewide plunge in K-12 district school enrollment has swamped Gov. Doug Duceyâs promise to limit the damage to school budgets.
As a result, the Payson school board on Tuesday approved a major budget shuffle to cover a loss of some $540,000. The districtâs 2,300 enrollment has dropped by a catastrophic 15% â roughly 345 students.
In addition, about 15% of the districtâs students have continued in distance learning classes, rather than returning to in-person classes.
Fortunately, the district hadnât counted on the state keeping its promise to cut enrollment-based funding by no more than 2%, no matter how many worried parents kept their kids out of school during the pandemic.
Arizona public, charter schools to face budget deficit
December 19, 2020 GMT
PHOENIX (AP) Arizona public and charter schools will face a $266 million budget deficit because the state gives money to remote learning schools at a lower rate than they do to in-person schools.
The state Department of Education has released data that shows how much schools will need to cut their budgets by this school year, the Arizona Republic reported Friday.
Mesa Public Schools, the largest district in Arizona, will lose $16 million. Chandler Unified School will have its budget cut by $12 million. Tucson Unified School District will lose $11.9 million.
Under state law, online schools are funded at a rate 5% lower than in-person schools, per student.
Tucson Unified School District will allow âpassingâ grades
KOLD 10 p.m. show - recurring - clipped version By Shelby Trahan | December 17, 2020 at 5:02 PM MST - Updated December 17 at 11:06 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Tucson Unified School District teachers have the option to substitute B through D letter grades for a passing grade.
The modification is a temporary change in grading practices and policies in an effort to compensate for the learning challenges presented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some believe a âpassingâ grade would alleviate some of the academic pressure for students while also balancing the grading system.
The changes are detailed in a letter sent to teachers and staff.
Levi Wallace donates thousands of dollars worth of food to TUSD families In December, Levi also helped to provide over 460 spiral hams to TUSD families for the Holidays. (Source: F.JES RUVALCABA) By KOLD News 13 Staff | December 17, 2020 at 10:46 AM MST - Updated December 17 at 10:46 AM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Levi Wallace, a Tucson native and Tucson High Magnet School graduate donated thousands of dollars worth of food for hundreds Tucson Unified School District families.
Levi is currently a starting cornerback for the Buffalo Bills.
In November, Levi gave a generous donation to the African American Student Services Department (AASSD) through the Educational Enrichment Foundation to support 100 food boxes along with Walmart gift cards.