{"id":322667,"date":"2025-10-22T02:10:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/322667\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T02:10:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:10:52","slug":"advocates-push-for-arizona-school-budget-override-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/322667\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocates push for Arizona school budget override funding"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lorenzo Gomez, Cronkite News
October 21, 2025<\/p>\n

PHOENIX \u2014 Nothing says election season like a forest of campaign signs crowding every major street corner. One sign depicting an apple perched on a graduation cap calls\u00a0 voters to \u201cInvest In Schools.\u201d It\u2019s part of a campaign to renew what education advocates say is critical funding for Arizona\u2019s public school districts.<\/p>\n

School districts across several Arizona counties<\/a> are seeking voter approval for budget overrides that provide additional funding for their schools. The overrides are crucial to the quality of learning environments and equitable opportunities for students, said Estaban Flemons, the president of the Phoenix Union Classroom Teachers\u2019 Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to give all of our kids the advantage that everyone else should have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In September, the Journal of Consumer Research ranked Arizona last in the nation<\/a> for school funding. It also called state classrooms as the \u201cmost crowded\u201d \u2013 with an average of 23 students per teacher.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The budget override has historically been vital for Arizona\u2019s public school district, said Lennon Audrain, a research assistant professor at Arizona State University\u2019s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.<\/p>\n

In 1994, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor<\/a> of the Roosevelt Elementary School District that property-rich school districts received far more funding than those in poorer districts. In turn, the Arizona Legislature created an equalized funding formula to reduce disparities. Audrain said this led to strict spending limits.<\/p>\n

Overrides provide a voter-approved opportunity for districts to generate more funding to meet the evolving needs of schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing new costs for things like student well-being \u2014 counselors, support specialists \u2014 and for safety infrastructure, like security cameras and detectors,\u201d Audrain said. \u201cThose are things older generations didn\u2019t have to budget for.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Phoenix Union High School District, the Maintenance and Operations Override and District Additional Assistance Override \u2013 known as M&O and DAA overrides \u2013 are on the ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The M&O override covers salaries and benefits, which make up about 87% of the budget, according to Flemons. Passing it helps keep class sizes down, ensures teacher pay and preserves extracurricular programs, such as student government.<\/p>\n

During the 2019-2020 school year, the Arizona Department of Education reported<\/a> that of the 93,000 certified teachers in Arizona, just over a quarter were not currently teaching. Audrain said that the statistic shows that the salaries are too low to retain qualified teachers.<\/p>\n

\"\"Anastasia Jimenez, president of the Classified Employee Association for Phoenix Union High School District, speaks at a rally on Oct. 18, 2025, in Phoenix. (Photo by Lorenzo Gomez\/Cronkite News)<\/p>\n

Anastasia Jimenez, president of the Classified Employee Association for Phoenix Union High School District, said the M&O overrides help retain some of the school’s most valuable employees.\u00a0 They include staff for safety, food services, transportation services, information technology, educational assistants and custodial services.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the backbone of the district,\u201d Jimenez said, \u201cWe\u2019re the first people to open the gates or to greet children on the bus every day, and oftentimes the last people to see our students off.\u201d<\/p>\n

DAA overrides pay for technology and classroom resources. That funding ensures students have laptops, reliable Wi-Fi and updated materials. Flemons pointed out that money from this override can\u2019t be shifted to staff pay, and M&O dollars can\u2019t be used for technology.<\/p>\n

As a former high school science teacher, Flemons, like many educators, was used to buying his own materials for classrooms. But now, the demand for updated technology like laptops and tablets far exceeds the financial resources of educators. He says the DAA override ensures all students have access to the same classroom resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe student in another district that could afford the laptop is going to be better prepared than us,\u201d Flemons said. \u201cWe want to give all of our kids the advantage that everyone else should have, and a laptop and technology is now just the norm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the Phoenix Union High School District\u2019s website<\/a>, the estimated tax rate associated with the M&O renewal is 45 cents per $100 of homeowner assessed value, equating to $77.00 annually for an average home in the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The rate for DAA renewal is 30 cents per $100 of homeowner assessed values, equating to $51 a year for an average home in the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The district says the taxes will generate an additional $31.8 million and $21 million in funding, respectively.<\/p>\n

Jared Reynolds, who assists with fundraising and marketing for the Yes for Phoenix Union PAC, says communication and transparency are key in its messaging. He wants voters to have the correct information before they vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you break it down, you know, it\u2019s pennies per day to really give these kids the opportunity to have a well-rounded education,\u201d Reynolds said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jimenez says the district is already working with minimal funding, and the override renewals will ensure they do not have to ask their employees to do more with less. Without funding, she said,\u00a0 jobs will be lost and the district will have to turn to privatized services to cover things like food and custodial services. She said she wants voters to think of it as an investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it’s an investment in yourself,\u201d Jimenez said, \u201cIt’s an investment in the future of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2025\/10\/21\/arizona-school-budget-override-funding\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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