Arizona schools haven’t been able to use funds already allocated to them because of the state’s Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL), but legislation introduced Monday could change that.

The AEL puts a cap on how much money school districts can spend each year. It requires legislative approval if K-12 spending exceeds a formula established in the law. Democrats have been fighting to get rid of the cap completely.

In the meantime, incoming Republican state Rep. Matt Gress has introduced legislation to waive the AEL for one year. 

That would allow schools to utilize the resources the Legislature appropriated for them last summer. State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle approved the large budget increase. 

Democrats asked then-Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special session to address the spending limit. But it didn’t happen before the end of his term.