Maximal Use of Arizona Land for Education

Shirley Dye

Shirley Dye, Governing Board member for Payson Unified School District, has been actively involved in maximizing use of public lands (Federal and State Land Trust) for education. She has met with state legislators, county representatives and numerous others interested in public land reform. Dye and other members of the Trust shared information on what state trust lands are and how this funding is used for education.

According to Dye, State Land Trust funds actually date back to Arizona’s statehood. Arizona used to have plenty of money for education, but she believes federal government overreach has led to a decline in tax proceeds from public land use for education funding.  By acquiring the public lands that were supposed to be transferred to Arizona in 1912 at Statehood, she feels the state would have a lot more land under production. She added that tax revenues from these lands could fund our schools without the use of federal money and all the strings. 

Arizona has only about 14-16 percent private land for a tax base, with large portions of land under control of military bases, tribal lands, state trust lands and federal public lands; none of which are taxable. Arizona and other western states have never had their public lands ceded to them; yet Arizona has a dedicated percentage of state trust lands (not the same as public lands) set aside by the Constitution specifically for education income.  Recently very little of the trust land has been leased to private operations, like cattle grazing and shopping centers, whose lease proceeds go into the school coffers.  The interest income on the trust funds from sold lands has been minimal due to the economic downturn, and the principal cannot be touched. 

According to other panelists, an obvious way to increase the money available for education and other budget items is to get more land placed under production.  How can governing board members help? A first step would be to support Arizona Representative Bob Thorpe’s HB 2700.   

Linda Jeffries

Alhambra Elementary School District