The Farm at Mission Montessori Academy in Phoenix has 29 students in grades seventh and eighth, and just finished its second year with all of the eighth-graders scoring at least 20 on the ACT test, with one achieving a perfect score.
According to the Department of Education spreadsheet, the school’s funding cut for next year is about $27,000 — nearly $1,000 per student.
The principal sent a letter to Ducey and legislators, telling them the school depends on the small-school funding: “I, Joslyn Maike, serve as Principal, Lead Teacher, Test Coordinator, Curriculum Director, Testing Data Analyst, Janitor, Office Manager, Grounds Keeper, Budget Manager, Teacher Trainer to name just a few jobs.
“Please try to make a change,” Maike wrote. “Shouldn’t high-performing schools be rewarded?”