× ELECTION Coverage of Arizona's election with all-day analysis and live results beginning at 8pm.Election CoverageElection Results
  1. Home
 / Modified dec 3, 2018 9:29 a.m.

Minimum Wage Increase, Special Ed Demand Strain Public School Funds

A discussion with Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams.

Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams was named to Superintendent-elect Hoffman's transition team this week. Just prior to the announcement, Williams shared some of the issues he hopes state lawmakers consider as they determine a budget for the next fiscal year. Specifically, Williams explained how minimum wage increases and a growing demand for special education have strained resources in public school districts.

"The cost that it takes to deliver that support for that education and those students is an astronomical number," Williams said. "I have a district school right now with about 20 special needs students in that classroom, and that classroom for that year is going to cost me about half a million dollars."

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
MORE: Arizona 360 Segments, Pima County, Education Funding
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona