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Dysart district calls for budget override election

Measure was badly defeated in November

Posted 6/11/20

The DUSD Governing Board voted June 10 to send another vote to district residents on whether to keep a tax for a 15% override in place or let it phase out.

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Dysart district calls for budget override election

Measure was badly defeated in November

Posted

A year after voters rejected an extension of a budget override, the Dysart Unified School District is going to the well again.

The DUSD Governing Board voted June 10 to send another vote to district residents on whether to keep a tax for a 15% override in place or let it phase out.

It comes at a time with families scrapped for cash and some households looking for work in the time of COVID-19 shutdowns and economic uncertainty.

In April, the board originally discussed putting the matter to voters again this fall, but in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic it agreed to discuss the matter at its final regular meeting of the school year.

The tax is currently $1.51 per $100 of assessed value.

With campuses appear poised to reopen this fall as scheduled — albeit under modified conditions — the board ultimately voted unanimously to put the override on the Nov. 3 ballot.

It comes just months after voters rejected a similar measure 56% to 44%. Voters also said no in the same election to a $125 million bond, but by a closer 51%-49% finish.

“This initiative was defeated in an election seven months ago,” Tom Vanek wrote to the board for the record. “What good are elections if the will of the voters are not recognized? Do we just continue to have elections until the desired result is achieved?”

Less than 30% of Surprise’s 105,000 registered voters turned out last November.

District officials are banking on a higher turnout this year because of a presidential election. Superintendent Quinn Kellis told the board that could give it a better chance of passing this time.

“To not have this [override] pass would mean we would contribute $7 million in unemployment and other losses to the community, and that’s not good for our community, our neighborhoods,” Mr. Kellis said.

Last time an override failed six years ago, a total of 143 teachers were let go. The district is the city’s largest employer, but about 80% of the M&O budget is comprised of salaries for teachers.

A total of $21 million in losses would be phased in over three years if the override isn’t passed during that time.

Beside the teacher losses, the district would see other cuts if another override fails.

There could be the loss of full-day kindergarten, which could lead to higher child care cost for some families. Class sizes may increase during a time of social distancing guidelines. And some arts, sports and P.E. programs are in danger of being cut.

Board member Christine Pritchard said the district needs to do more work than just explaining why it needs the money.

“Not everyone is opposed to the concept of an override,” Ms. Pritchard said. “That’s not necessarily what keeps them from voting ‘yes.’ It’s more the view the district lacks transparency and accountability. And I think we need to care about that.”

Nearly two-dozen public comments that were submitted for the record via e-mail showed about two-thirds in support of the override.

“It’s imperative now more than ever for a good quality education,” Jenifer Preston wrote. “We need to help our students even more.”

Andrea Carter reminded the board that the override “doesn’t just retain highly qualified teachers and staff but also maintains manageable class sizes.”

Those who opposed the override vote on the record had similar sentiments to each other.

“It is insulting to me that you would even consider wasting hundreds of thousands [of dollars] in taxpayers’s money to ask a question that has been answered very clearly,” Michael Hutchinson wrote.

Eric M. Smaltz was more concerned with the current financial impacts with the future unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At this time our business and our family budgets have been trimmed to their minimums and employees have lost their jobs never to return,” Mr. Smaltz wrote. “The future looks bleak as unemployment percentages and business bankruptcies will change the landscape of our tax base. The long-term effects are not known as district taxpayers will be financially impacted for years to come.”

Editor’s Note: Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@newszap.com.