March 13, 2015
CSP THE NEWSPAPER OF CACTUS SHADOWS HIGH SCHOOL IN CAVE CREEK, ARIZONA
YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY
HUZZAH! HUZZAH! It is that time of year again, the Renaissance festival is in town. SEE page 5
Smackdown between Menchies, Mojos and Yogurt at Grayhawk SEE page 23
WWW.CACTUSSHADOWSCSPRESS.COM
Vol 9, Number 6
11th hour budget deal rattles district
I
Ryan DENSON staff writer
N the early hours of March 7, the
Arizona State Legislature approved its annual budget sponsored by Governor Doug Ducey. The $9.1 billion budget narrowly passed the Senate 16-13 and the House 32-27, and generated controversy for its deep cuts to K-12 education, community colleges, and state universities. Among the cuts to education were $123 million in K-12 funding after accounting for inflation, $99 million from universities, and all funding for community colleges. “All I can say is it’s a bad day to be an educator and a student,” Erin Wagner, English teacher, said. Overall cuts to education include $352.4 million from the state’s District Additional Assistance, and will make governing boards legally required to hold open meetings about what programs to cut and which positions would be eliminated. CCUSD will lose $3.4 million in funds because Erin Wagner, the budget eliminates English teacher all funding for District Sponsored Charter Schools by fiscal year 2017. CCUSD will lose $1.7 million, half, for fiscal year 2016 and the other half for 2017. Coupled with the cuts is a loss of $300 thousand in performance funding. It is too early and there are too many unknowns for the district to say how the cuts will affect the budget. “Administration and the Governing Board will be discussing options for balancing the budget for future fiscal years,” Dr. Kent Frison, assistant superintendent, said. CCUSD called on parents, students, and other community members to email their legislators and urge them to vote against the budget. Among the nine legislators provided to contact, only two, Senator Steve Pierce and Representative Heather Carter, voted against the budget.
“ALL I CAN SAY IS IT’S A BAD DAY TO BE AN EDUCATOR AND A STUDENT.”
T
COUNCIL RECALL ROILS THE CREEK
his week members of the Cave Creek town council faced a recall vote. At press time, the results of this election were not available. This controversial election has the small town on edge, with vocal members on each side of the slate. In the spring of 2013, the entire seven seat council was up for election. The mayor and two council members were elected outright. Four new members were elected, including Vice Mayor Adam Trenk and Councilmen Mike Durkin, Reg Monachino, and Charles Spitzer. “There was a division in the community on the change because it was a close race in the runoff,” Carrie Dyrek, Cave Creek Town Clerk, said. “There was a big change which just caused some turmoil in the community.” The Town of Cave Creek is run on a council-manager form of government. The council consists of a directly elected mayor and six council members. The position of vice mayor is given through nomination and a vote by the sitting council. see COUNCIL RECALL on page 2
4BILL PAYAR