Election
Queen Creek Unified School District is one of the fastest-growing districts in Arizona. Enrollment has grown 88 percent from 2017–2023 and is expected to continue growing for the next five years.
Ballot Measure: Override Renewal
Voters will decide whether to continue a 15% maintenance and operations budget override that has been in place since 2015. This override renewal redirects funding for academic support, provides academic programming, maintains reduced class sizes, and supports competitive salaries and instructional strategy training.
The following is a list of collapsible links. After selecting the link, additional content will expand. Arrow down to read the additional content.
Description of Override Renewal Overview flyer
Academic Support
- Instructional assistant in all K–3 classrooms
- Math and reading interventionists for targeted support
- Secondary math labs
- Maintain low student-to-teacher ratio in K–8
QCUSD will enhance academic achievement by offering targeted support and personalized learning experiences. By providing tailored interventions and individualized learning plans, we can address specific needs and accelerate growth, while continuing regular progress monitoring to ensure meaningful progress towards learning goals.
Academic Programs
- Targeted interventions
- Summer Bridge Programs
- Maintain current JROTC, Fine Arts, and CTE programming
QCUSD will implement academic programs to ease transitions in core subjects and provide targeted support. Summer Bridge Programs in math and English can prepare students, assess strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas needing extra help. Personalized plans address individual needs, while small-group instruction offers personalized attention.
Salaries & Instructional Strategy Training
- Maintain competitive salaries to attract/retain teachers and staff
- Math strategies and instructional techniques training for teachers
- Support school security to maintain a safe and secure learning environment
QCUSD will deepen the teacher's understanding of mathematical concepts and improve content knowledge. We will increase effective math strategies, adapt instructional methods to diverse learning needs of students, and deepen conceptual understanding. QCUSD will maintain competitive salaries to attract and retain exceptional staff.
Anyone within QCUSD boundaries can vote in the general election. Register to vote on the ServiceArizona website.
FAQs
The following is a list of collapsible links. After selecting the link, additional content will expand. Arrow down to read the additional content.
How will this impact my property taxes?
This override renewal will not increase property taxes. The override, first approved by voters in 2015, is up for renewal to continue funding and is not an increase.
Why do districts need local taxpayer support?
In Arizona, public school districts are allowed to request additional funds to be added to the maintenance and operations budget to fund initiatives and priorities that the community finds important to have in classrooms. The override has been in place since 2015 and has supported many student programs and competitive salaries throughout the time. If the override does not pass, this funding will be removed from the budget and many student programs will be removed and QCUSD will fall behind in competitive salaries for staff.
How do citizens know that QCUSD will spend the funds wisely and responsibly?
QCUSD has a long history of fiscal responsibility and dedication to the taxpayers and community we serve. Not only does the override come with state-regulated requirements and third-party audits for spending, the district has spent previous override money on exactly what voters approved, which includes maintaining academic programs, maintaining art and music programs, maintaining reduced class sizes, maintaining school security, and maintaining competitive salaries for staff. The district is required to present how these funds are utilized every year in October during a governing board meeting. If approved, the district will reprioritize the funds to meet current community initiatives for students. This includes adding an instructional assistant for all kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, targeted intervention programs while maintaining fine arts and music programs, reduced class sizes, school security personnel and competitive salaries for staff.
Does the availability of these funds have any effect on programs, services, and equipment for students?
The override renewal would enable the district to continue its commitment to low class sizes and to compensate teachers at a competitive rate with the goal of retaining and attracting the best employees. If the override that has been in place since 2015 is removed, the district will see a significant decrease to the annual budget and will need to eliminate some student programming that the override funds. The decrease will be approximately 5 million dollars per year for three years, for a total of approximately 15 million dollars.
Do public school districts impact home values?
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, public school district funding has a direct monetary impact on property values. For every dollar that is spent on public schools, there is a $20 impact on surrounding property values. Proximity and quality of schools is one of the biggest deciding factors for home-buyer selection according to research from the National Association of Realtors. The population growth in Queen Creek and East Mesa in conjunction with QCUSD’s high-ranking schools is indicative of this correlation.
