Yes to Children: SUSD can’t afford a failed override election

On Nov. 5 voters in the Scottsdale Unified School District will have the opportunity to renew the school district’s budget override that will generate millions of dollars for schools over the next five years without increasing their property tax rate.

It will be the first all-mail ballot election ever conducted in the school district, which includes Scottsdale and parts of Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Tempe.

As co-chairs of Yes To Children, the longstanding political action committee committed to working on behalf of SUSD’s students and teachers, we believe there are plenty of good reasons to continue the maintenance and operations budget override:

• It raises approximately $19 million for schools every year through 2025.
• It sustains current class sizes.
• It retains music, arts, world languages, athletic programs and extra curricular activities.
• It continues the emphasis on technology.
• It extends the staff’s professional development programs.
• It continues to provide competitive teacher compensation.

If voters do not approve the much needed budget override, SUSD will automatically start losing $6.5 million a year. That is something the school district cannot afford to have happen, because during the past 10 years the state legislature reduced funding to SUSD by $30 million.

In addition, we do not consider being forced to reduce academic programs and the number of teachers to be an option.

The Scottsdale school district already has one of the lowest tax rates by far of many cities in the Valley. Voting to approve the continuation of the budget override will not change that. Renewing the override will also continue to create quality schools that increase our property values and enhance neighborhoods.

It is critical to continue cultivating a learning environment in which our students grow and excel and where teachers are provided with the tools to help our children succeed.

We hope you will join the hundreds of Yes To Children volunteers, students, teachers and parents who will be working to ensure that the budget override is approved in November.

Please tell your friends and family to vote “YES” for the SUSD Budget Override.

Editor’s Note: Melinda Gulick, a resident of Paradise Valley, is a parent of two SUSD students and Denny Brown, a resident of Scottsdale, is a former member of the SUSD Governing Board. Ms. Gulick and Mr. Brown are co-chairs of Yes to Children.