Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Striking teachers from Pima will hold a benefit car wash this Thursday for a student who was injured in an ATV crash last weekend.
By Jon Johnson
PIMA/THATCHER – Teachers from the Pima School District may walkout this Thursday, but they won’t be walking out on their students.
Some of the teachers will hold a benefit car wash at the Tractor Supply Company in Thatcher at 2411 W. U.S. Highway 70 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will help cover medical costs for a Pima student who was injured in an ATV crash over the weekend.
Teachers across Arizona are preparing to go on strike Thursday unless their demands are met. Those demands include:
- Restoration of per-pupil funding to 2008 levels. According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, Arizona spends $924 less per student than it did in 2008 after adjustment for inflation.
- No new tax cuts until said per-pupil funding reaches the national average. A National Education Association report showed Arizona spent $8,080 per pupil in 2016 compared to the national average of $12,682.
- A permanent pay structure where teachers would have guaranteed annual raises.
- Competitive pay for all employees in education.
- A 20-percent wage increase for teachers.
