Three education-related propositions are included on the Nov. 4 ballot and they include big-picture pay raises, expanding student programs, building repairs, upgrading athletic facilities and improving HVAC systems.
The one override in the Tucson Unified School District and two bonds in the Sunnyside and Flowing Wells Unified School Districts would affect nearly 70,000 K-12 students and almost 10,000 full-time employees.
Remember, overrides and bonds each affect property taxes. But overrides pay for people — teachers, staff, new programs, etc. — and are not paid back. Bonds are loans and pay for capital expenses — building renovations, new construction, security systems, etc. — and are paid back over time with interest.
When voters approve a budget override, they’re agreeing to pay higher property taxes so schools have more money to spend than they would under the state’s regular school budgeting formula. Almost all school districts in Pima County currently have an override in place, some for decades, while others have gone to voters for more money and been denied.
Opposition to funding public schools this time around is low, said Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams. The two bonds had no dissenters, while two voters opposed the TUSD override, within the voter pamphlet.
Here’s what you need to know to participate in this vote-by-mail election.
The override and bond questions each involve a yes-or-no answer. To help make your decision, Arizona Luminaria breaks it down:
Southern Arizona’s largest school district, Tucson Unified School District proposes a 15% maintenance and operations budget override, which would allow the district to increase property taxes.
The override aims to preserve and expand programs like art, music and PE and fund a teacher pay raise, which would help keep and develop teachers, educators say. The district proposes a 4% raise for certified teachers. For example, a current first-year teacher earning the base pay of $37,800 could make $39,312 under the district’s proposal.
If Prop. 414 sounds familiar, it may be because of a ballot proposal with the same number that Tucson voters rejected earlier this year. The city’s Prop. 414 was about increasing the local sales tax, and it was rejected by voters. The school district’s Prop. 414 is unrelated.
A budget override must be approved by school district voters, and the override allows that district to increase property taxes to generate a specific amount of money for a specified amount of time — seven years — to be used for a distinct purpose. Override money cannot be used for capital costs, like buildings or equipment.
Overrides are typically approved for seven years and funded with property taxes. The average TUSD homeowner would pay about $200 a year more on a home valued at $200,000, based on a proposed increase of $1.02 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
The override package equals 15% of the district’s revenue control limit — the maximum budget calculated by state funding formulas. It would generate a maximum of about $45 million a year in the first five years, followed by $30 million in year six and $15 million in year seven. Districts typically go back to voters to renew an override in years four or five, said TUSD Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández.
The package focuses on six areas:
A yes vote: Allows TUSD to adopt a budget that exceeds the legal revenue control limit for the next seven fiscal years, resulting in a property tax rate of $1,018.90 per $100,000 in assessed value.
A no vote: Rejects additional district spending on these projects.
Last time: TUSD’s last successful override bid was over 30 years ago. TUSD passed a $480 million bond in 2023.
The Flowing Wells bond asks taxpayers for $30 million in capital improvements focusing on new building construction, renovation and updates. The bond funds are to be repaid over a maximum of 20 years.
According to Flowing Wells Superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus, proposed improvements include: school safety (such as fencing, remote entry systems, shatter-resistant glass treatments); new construction, mostly to replace prefabricated buildings that have reached their end of life; renovate existing buildings; and provide student transportation vehicles, he said.
The bond would also help build a two-classroom early childhood center for pre-K students on the campus of Richardson Elementary School, at 6901 N. Camino De La Tierra.
The bond focuses on five areas:
A yes vote: Supports issuing $30 million in bonds to fund the construction and renovation of buildings, the purchase of transportation vehicles, and the improvement of school grounds. This means raising property taxes to $72.12 per $100,000 in assessed value to repay the bond.
A no vote: Rejects selling bonds for these projects. Keeps property taxes as they are: They vary year-to-year according to different factors.
Last time: Flowing Wells passed a 13% override in 2023. In 2017, the district passed an almost $24 million bond.
As part of a $120 million bond, the Sunnyside Unified School District aims to repair and upgrade most of its 21 sites across the second-largest district in Southern Arizona. It will be repaid over a maximum of 20 years.
An assessment last school year revealed 15 of Sunnyside’s 21 sites are between poor and fair condition, said Sunnyside superintendent Jose Gastelum.
The bond focuses on six areas:
A yes vote: Issues $120 million in bonds to fund the construction and renovation of buildings, the purchase of transportation vehicles, and the improvement of school grounds. This means raising property taxes to $92.55 per $100,000 in assessed value to repay the bond.
A no vote: Rejects selling bonds for these projects. Keeps property taxes as they are: They vary year-to-year according to different factors.
Last time: Sunnyside passed an 8% override continuation in 2023. Its last successful bond was in 2011.
Construction
Companies
Construction
Site Security
(916) 672-2660
Contact us
Construction Site Camera
sales@mrsecuritycamera.com
(916) 672-2660
