In Tuesday’s elections, voters considered requests from school districts across metro Phoenix to use local property taxes to increase budgets and fund new construction.
Early returns on Wednesday show mixed results.
School districts seeking to increase their budgets can ask voters to approve overrides that allow them to pay for a variety of costs, from sports and arts programs to teacher pay. Districts can also ask voters for permission to take out bonds to fund capital projects like school buildings and other large investments.
Unofficial early results show more than half of the bond and override elections in districts across Maricopa County are currently leading at the polls.
But measures in a handful of districts in the East and West Valley are currently in line to fail, including ballot measures in areas with a history of voting down those funding requests. That includes the Buckeye Elementary School District, where two measures currently trail, and Dysart Unified School District, where an override is currently passing but a bond is in line to fail.
Kyrene School District
A budget override in the Kyrene School District currently leads at the polls despite lingering questions about the district’s future.
The district asked voters to continue an override that generates a total of $14.6 million per year to fund higher teacher salaries, reduced class sizes, and elective classes like art, music and physical education, according to the district. It also pays for student supports like physical and occupational therapy.
The measure is currently in a position to pass with 59% of votes in favor, according to unofficial early results released Tuesday night.
Budget overrides generate additional funding by assessing property taxes on residents within a school district’s boundaries. The Kyrene override costs property owners an estimated 52 cents per $100 of assessed value, meaning the cost is $52 per year for someone with a home valued at $100,000.
Homeowners can find the assessed value on the Maricopa County Assessor’s website.
Kyrene voters have passed overrides to increase the district’s budget since 1983, but it is currently facing some challenges due to declining enrollment.
The district’s override request comes as it considers closing multiple schools due to those declines and a projected $7 million funding loss.
If the override doesn’t pass, funding would be cut by around $4.8 million per year over the next three years, potentially affecting school resources and services funded by the override.
Tolleson Union High School District
Two measures in the West Valley’s Tolleson Union High School District aren’t faring as well as that district also faces scrutiny over its finances.
The district asked voters to extend a budget override and approve a $125 million bond.
According to the voter pamphlet, the requested bond money would be used to pay for an array of projects, including security enhancements, maintenance, student transportation and new school buildings.
The budget override generates over $16 million annually to fund a range of expenses, including extracurricular activities, athletics, arts programs and increased enrollment in accelerated programs. It also helps manage classroom sizes and retain and recruit teachers, according to the pamphlet.
As of Wednesday morning, the bond measure trailed, with 40% in favor and 60% opposed.
Early returns also showed 58% of voters had voted against the override measure.
The ballot requests come as the Tolleson district has come under fire from lawmakers at the state Capitol for using its funds to bail out the neighboring Isaac School District, which faced a massive budget shortfall, by buying Isaac buildings and agreeing to lease them back.
State Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix) accused Tolleson leadership of engaging in a predatory financial scheme to turn a profit — something Superintendent Jeremy Calles has denied.
Calles has also faced criticism for his plans to build an $80 million football stadium.
Both situations led lawmakers to greenlight a financial audit of the district at a meeting last month.
The Tolleson override costs property owners an estimated 77 cents per $100 of assessed value, meaning the cost is around $113 annually for a person with a home valued at $145,930, the average home value in the district.
The Tolleson bond would cost property owners an estimated 38 cents per $100 of assessed value, meaning the cost is around $55 per year for a person with a home valued at $145,930.
West-MEC
A district that provides career and technical education to Maricopa County students asked voters to approve a $415 million bond and the sale of district-owned land to expand its footprint and invest in programs.
Both measures are currently in line to pass, though unofficial results released Tuesday night show the bond passing by a narrow margin with thousands of votes still left to count.
The Western Maricopa Education Center, which has campuses throughout the West Valley, would use the bond proceeds to build new campuses, upgrade existing buildings, expand programs and improve infrastructure.
It is also asking for voter approval to sell or lease three pieces of property it owns and use the proceeds to build new campuses, purchase student transportation or pay for other capital improvements.
Early returns show that measure leading by a large margin.
West-MEC leaders faced criticism earlier this year after state auditors found the district was holding onto too much money and not paying out enough to partner high schools. Auditors found the district's general fund had about eight times more cash than necessary in July 2023.
The West-MEC bond would cost property owners an estimated 12 cents per $100 of assessed value, meaning the cost is around $12 per year for a person with a home valued at $100,000.
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