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Voters Reject Just Over Half Of School Measures

Voting sign
(Photo by Jude Joffe-Block-KJZZ)

Voters in Maricopa County rejected about half of the 36 education funding measures on Tuesday’s ballot. Many voters are still uncomfortable paying higher taxes to support education.   

Many of the failed bonds and budget overrides were rejected by a small margin. In many districts where the measures failed, schools will be forced to make cuts to their operating budget as soon as the next academic year. That means possible teacher layoffs and more crowded classrooms.

Nick Clement is a professor of education at NAU. He says after years of education cuts at the legislature, this election shows how voters and state lawmakers are playing hot potato with the issue.

“The state has kind of forced their hand to go to the communities and the communities are, you know, saying 'why should we increase our taxes when that’s should be something the state does because we’re paying taxes to the state,'” Clement said.

Chandler Unified School District and the Litchfield Elementary School District maintenance and operations budget overrides are among those that passed. Higley Unified School District and Roosevelt Elementary School District failed.

Phoenix Metro Area School Bonds and Overrides 2013 Election

as of Nov. 5, 2013 at 11:29 p.m.

School DistrictType of MeasurePassedPercent
Agua Fria UHSDM&O OverrideYes52.9%
Alhanbra ESDCapital OverrideYes53.3%
Arlington ESDGeneral BondYes55.8%
Arlington ESDM&O OverrideNo51.6%
Avondale ESDGeneral BondYes56.7%
Avondale ESDCapital OverrideNo50.6%
Balsz ESDCapital OverrideNo53.7%
Buckeye ESDM&O OverrideNo50.9%
Buckeye USHDGeneral BondNo52.3%
Chandler USDM&O OverrideYes50.1%
Creighton ESDCapital OverrideNo51.7%
Deer Valley USDGeneral BondYes56.9%
Dysart USDGeneral BondNo56.3%
Fountain Hill USDGeneral BondYes52.2%
Fountain Hill USDM&O OverrideYes51.2%
Gilbert USDM&O OverrideNo53.7%
Glendale ESDM&O OverrideYes52.3%
Higley USDGeneral BondNo50.9%
Higley USDM&O OverrideNo55.4%
Isaac ESDM&O OverrideYes53.8%
Kyrene ESDM&O OverrideYes58.0%
Liberty ESDGeneral BondNo50.3%
Litchfield ESDM&O OverrideYes53.0%
Osborn ESDM&O OverrideYes63.6%
Palo Verde ESDM&O OverrideNo62.8%
Paradise Valley USDM&O OverrideYes50.5%
Phoenix ESDM&O OverrideYes62.0%
Phoenix UHSDM&O Overrideunknown50.0%
Queen Creek USDM&O OverrideNo54.9%
Roosevelt ESDM&O OverrideNo50.5%
Roosevelt ESDCapital OverrideNo51.2%
Saddle Mountain USDGeneral BondNo50.9%
Scottsdale USDM&O OverrideNo52.8%
Tempe UHSDM&O OverrideYes58.5%
Washington ESDM&O OverrideYes52.5%
Washington ESDCapital OverrideNo51.1%
Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez was a reporter at KJZZ from 2008 to 2015.