PHOENIX — About 20 Maricopa County school districts are seeking funding for elections this November. Some require a bond, some require an override, and some require both.
When a school district requests a bond, the money goes towards new schools and other buildings, building renovations, capital projects and school safety.
Continuing overrides are money that, in some cases, goes toward staff salaries and student academic funds, such as physical education, music, and full-day kindergarten. The override allows districts to increase their budgets by up to 15%.
Some school districts, like Mesa Public Schools and Queen Creek Unified School District, argue that they need both a bond and a revocation.
“More than half of our schools are over 40 years old, and we need to continue to repair, replace and upgrade these campuses,” said Scott Thompson, Mesa Public Schools Associate Superintendent of Business and Support Services. says.
Queen Creek Unified School District is asking voters for a bond issue for the third year in a row. Voters have rejected bond issues for the past two years. However, this year it is asking for $98 million over five years, which is significantly lower than last year's $198 million.
“We're going to have to delay some construction projects because the amounts have changed and deposits have to be reduced,” said Queen Creek Unified School District Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Samantha Davis.
The population of the Queen Creek area in particular is exploding, and new homes are being built one after another. According to the school district, the number of students has doubled since 2017.
“If a bond doesn't happen, classroom sizes could increase. Things will get a little tougher,” Davis said. “There is a break space in the hallway that is used as a classroom.”
But not all voters want to raise taxes. More signs are popping up across Maricopa County asking people to vote no on school bonds.
Similar to how education is funded in Arizona, school districts can go to voters and ask for additional funding.
“If you don't want these elections, you need to consider increasing state funding. There are only two sources of information on this: at the local or state level. If you want to stop voting on it, I think you need to talk to your legislators at the state level,” Thompson said.
Depending on the school district, bond initiatives may or may not increase taxes. To learn more about how much a particular school district is requesting and whether it will result in a tax increase, visit each school district's website or get more information from the Maricopa County Schools Superintendent. Click here for website.
