KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2025 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

20 Maricopa County School Districts Have Overrides, Bonds Up For Vote

Maricopa County ballot
(Photo by Christina Estes - KJZZ)
Maricopa County residents can turn in their early ballots.

There are three types of elections on the ballot for school funding in Arizona this year.

Maintanance and operation (M&O) budget overrides typically go into the schools' operational budgets and salaries. 

Another called capital outlay overrides can go to furniture, technology or vehicles. Overrides are approved for seven years. On a ballot, it would look like "budget increase, yes or no," even if it is a continuation of a past, voter-approved override.

And finally there are school bonds, which usually go toward projects like new schools, building improvements or school buses. 

Below is a comprehensive list of 20 bonds and overrides up for vote in Maricopa County. It does not include school districts in other Arizona counties.


  • Alhambra Elementary School District

      - $9.8 million M&O override

      - Hiring more teachers, full-day kindergarten, tutoring programs


  • Avondale Elementary District

     - $4.8 million M&O override

     - Full-day kindergarten, transportation funding


  • Balsz Elementary District

     - $2 million M&O override

     - Full-day kindergarten, adding school days, help lower class sizes


  • Buckeye Union High School District

     - $2.4 million M&O override

     - Avoid loss of school programs or services


  • Creighton Elementary School District

     - $85 million bond

     - Building maintenance, construction, school-bus replacements


  • Gila Bend Unified School District

     - $21 million bond

     - Construction of new school buidings, technology, energy-efficient replacement systems


  • Laveen Elementary School District

     - $4.9 million M&O override

     - Full-day kindergarten, higher salaries, elective programs


  • Liberty Elementary School District

     - $1.7 million M&O override

     - Maintain class sizes, have competitive teacher salaries, retain elective programs like music and art


  • Madison Elementary School District

     - $2.8 million capital override

     - New curriculum materials, computers, data warehouse and software


  • Murphy Elementary School District

     - $5 million bond

     - Building renovations, student transportation


  • Pendergast Elementary School District

     - $60 million bond

     - New classroom additions in three buildings, 1-to-1 computer intiative for K-5 students, bus replacement


  • Peoria Unified School District

     - $198 million bond

     - School renovations, new buses, land purchase and construction for new school facilities


  • Queen Creek Unified School District

     - $95 million bond

     - Construction and improvements to new and existing schools, technology, furnishings


  • Scottsdale Unified School District

     - $229 million bond

     - Construction projects, renovations, replacing aging buses

     - $8.5 million capital override

     - Furniture, curriculum materials, fine arts and library programs


  • Tempe Elementary School District

     - $165 million bond

     - School renovations, new school buses


  • Tolleson Elementary School District

     - $2.1 million M&O override

     - Full-day kindergarten, art classes, technology


  • Tolleson Union High School District

     - $7.2 million M&O override

     - Maintain academic interventions, smaller classes, extracurriculars


  • Washington Elementary School District

     - $98 million bond

     - School construction projects, technology improvements, remodel administrative facilities


  • Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC)    

     - $141 million bond

     - Construct and renovate facilities, purchase land, construct roadways and sidewalks


  • Wickenburg Unified School District

     - $10 million bond 

     - School renovations and improvements, school buses

Tags
Casey Kuhn was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2015 to 2019.