26 School District Maricopa County has voting measures in place. Concerning funding, such as additional district support that is bonds, overrides, and/or capital overrides. The total bond amount requested by the 14 school districts is more than $2 billion, according to the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office.

For some school districts, this election is key.

Bonds typically go toward building new schools or renovating campuses, including security features and technology upgrades. Overrides typically help pay for staff salaries and student programs such as full-day kindergarten and elective classes.

Deer Valley Unified School District is seeking both warranty and nullity. Both were rejected in November 2023, with approximately 55% of voters saying no to each bond and nullification, making this the second year the district has requested these two measures.

“Our logic is that the number of voters who came to vote was very low. About 26% of our voters are registered voters, and this is what the community really demonstrated that we believe. Not,” said DVUSD Superintendent Dr. Curtis Finch.

Since the presidential election will be held in November of this year, voter turnout will likely be even higher.

If Deer Valley Unified School District does not pass the override this year, the cuts would begin in the 2025-2026 school year. Finch said cuts must begin by $11 million each year for the next three years, bringing the total to $33 million unless an override is passed.

Finch said the district will face challenges with rapid growth because of the TSMC plant in the district, and a lack of funding could lead to larger class sizes and staff shortages. According to the school district, about 400 new students from Taiwan will enroll in 2023 in just one and a half years.

But some voters, not just Deer Valley Unified, are voting against local school bonds and overrides. Queen Creek Unified School District has had bond failures in the past three November elections. But this year, the district is only looking for an override, not a guarantee.

When asked by ABC15 about the school district not requiring a bond, a school district spokesperson provided the following statement:

“Every five years, Arizona school districts are required to ask voters to reauthorize the M&O override to continue to be fully funded. With 2024-2025 being QCUSD’s fifth year, staff made a recommendation last spring to keep the M&O override on the November ballot, which has been in place since 2015. Staff will make the final decision on how to vote. I can’t speak for the board, but the decision to forego this year’s bond issue and seek a continuation of the override will maintain funding levels that have been in place for nearly a decade.”

William Jones is a parent who lives in the district, but his students attend a charter school. He told ABC15 that he has voted against QCUSD’s previous election initiatives and plans to vote against nullifying the district.

“We have to pay taxes to a school district that our kids don’t attend, and it’s unfair that families have to pay this tax that doesn’t benefit the school district,” he said. .

Jones said other schools that are not public school districts are facing the same problem.

“But they haven’t received any of that money,” he said.

He would like to see the system changed so that families of students attending those districts would only be taxed on deposits or overrides in their respective districts.

But Finch said strong public schools benefit the entire community.

“If we don’t invest in the future, society will decline over time,” he said. “If we don’t support our local school systems, they start to collapse.”

For a list of other districts up for election this November, visit click here.