Three things Arizona families should know
- Proposition 320 redirects existing funding.
It provides no new education funding and does not require teacher raises. - The current definition of “instruction” leaves out many disability-related services and supports.
These include speech-language pathology, counseling, social work, school nursing, special education leadership and other student and instructional supports. - Special education law will not change, but getting services could become harder.
Schools would remain responsible for providing services required by a student’s IEP. Encircle Families and Disability Rights Arizona are concerned that added financial pressure on school districts could make IEP discussions about services more difficult and require families to advocate more strongly for the supports their children need.
What would Proposition 320 do?
Proposition 320 is a ballot measure Arizona voters will consider in November. It would require certain school districts to spend at least 60% of their day-to-day operating funds on expenses classified as direct instruction.
The requirement would apply to districts with at least 7,500 students and districts operating a school in a county with at least 500,000 residents, essentially school districts that serve 80-85% of all students attending public schools. It would not apply to charter schools.
Proposition 320 does not provide additional funding to meet that requirement. Districts would have to adjust how they spend their existing operating funds.
Districts that fail to meet the 60% target or make the required annual progress could face financial penalties.
Why does this matter for students with disabilities?
The definition of direct instruction is particularly important for families of students with disabilities.
Under the Arizona Auditor General’s current spending classifications, teachers and instructional aides generally count as direct instruction. Other professionals and services are classified outside the direct instruction category, including speech-language pathologists, counselors, social workers, nurses, special education directors, teacher trainers, librarians and instruction-related technology staff. Transportation also falls outside the direct-instruction category.
A service can be required by a student’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, and still fall outside the instruction category used to calculate instructional spending.
That’s an important distinction. For a student with a disability, services provided by a speech-language pathologist, nurse, counselor or other professional may be integral to the student’s ability to communicate, participate, remain healthy and access education.
Proposition 320 does not direct districts to eliminate any particular service or position. It directs the Arizona Auditor General to define “direct instructional expenses” for purposes of the new requirement.
Encircle Families and Disability Rights Arizona are concerned that added financial pressure on school districts could make IEP discussions about services and supports more difficult, leaving families to advocate even harder for the services their children need.
What doesn’t change?
Proposition 320 would not change students’ rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504.
Schools would continue to be responsible for providing a free appropriate public education to eligible students with disabilities and implementing the services required by their IEPs. Families would retain their rights to participate in IEP decisions, request evaluations, receive written notice of proposed changes and use dispute-resolution options.
Legal requirements, however, operate within the practical realities of school staffing and budgets. How districts respond to the new spending requirement would be determined locally, and the effects could vary considerably among districts.
Why Encircle Families and Disability Rights Arizona are concerned
The Arizona Auditor General reports that although overall student enrollment has declined, the proportion of students requiring special education services has increased. If that trend continues, the Auditor General notes that special education could represent a growing share of classroom spending.
Arizona schools also continue to rely on special education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech-language pathologists, nurses, counselors and other professionals who support students with disabilities.
Proposition 320’s stated goal is to direct a greater share of existing school spending toward instruction.
Encircle Families and Disability Rights Arizona are concerned that a spending formula focused on a particular category of expenses may not fully reflect the role that disability-related services and professionals play in providing students access to education.
For students with disabilities, education involves more than what happens between a teacher and student in a classroom. A range of professionals and services can be essential to a student’s ability to attend school, participate alongside peers and learn.
As Arizona voters consider Proposition 320, understanding how the measure defines instructional spending and how that definition intersects with special education services is an important part of understanding its potential impact on students with disabilities.
Sources
Arizona Secretary of State: Official 2026 ballot language, including Proposition 320
Arizona Legislative Council: Impartial analysis of SCR 1032 / Proposition 320
Arizona Auditor General: How to Calculate the Instructional Spending Percentage
Arizona Auditor General: School District Spending Analysis, FY 2025
