This November, several central Phoenix school districts are asking voters to approve bond and override measures to raise funds for school operations.
Educators say if they fail to pass, districts could be forced to make significant cuts.
There are 21 of those measures on ballots across Maricopa County, asking residents to invest in their local schools. Marisol Garcia is president of the Arizona Education Association, the labor union for Arizona public school educators.
“Many of them it’s a tax that’s already on their bill that is just to ask the owners of the homes to continue the funding," Garcia said.
She said union educators and community members have been knocking on doors to get out the vote because they’re concerned about what could be lost if the measures don’t pass.
“Things like full day kindergarten, after school programs, safety concerns that we may have, facilities that have not been taken care of or funded by the state," Garcia said.
Some opponents of the overrides say they put an unfair burden on taxpayers, adding that districts need to reevaluate their spending priorities and improve transparency.
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