When the funding provided by the state isn’t enough to meet the needs of all students, the state allows school districts to ask for local support through bonds and overrides. This requires Governing Board approval to be placed on a ballot for the community to vote.

 Maintenance and Operations Overrides are used to provide additional funding to support people and programs. School districts may ask for an increase of up to 15 percent of their revenue control limit for a term of seven years. Many districts will ask voters to approve a renewal in year 4 or 5 of an override to maintain a consistent level of funding. If not renewed, the amount decreases by 1/3 in the sixth year, 2/3 in the seventh year, and is fully eliminated in year eight. The Peoria Unified School District has had an override in place since 1996.

 Bonds are similar to loans that are authorized by voters and used to purchase capital items and/or make capital improvements to existing facilities, such as building or renovating a school or purchasing school buses. The funding can only be used to fund projects that have a useful life longer than five years. They are repaid over a set period of time, and the district must provide the community with information on how the dollars are spent. Funds from a bond cannot be used for employee compensation.

To calculate their property taxes, a community member needs the limited property value of their property. This is not the current fair market value of a home that can be found on Zillow or Redfin but rather the Limited Property Value as calculated by the Maricopa County Assessor. This amount can be located on the Property Notice of Valuation that is mailed each year from the Maricopa County Assessor or online by visiting the Maricopa County Assessor website.

This example of a Property Notice of Valuation is for a home that has an approximate fair market value of $450,000 if it were to be listed for sale on the open market.

You can use our Online Tax Calculator to estimate the taxes based on the limited property value listed on your Property Notice of Valuation. 

Voters passed an M&O override in 2020. It currently provides salary increases to Peoria Unified staff and provides funds for additional positions such as assistant principals, school nurses, instructional coaches and programs such as arts education, athletics and extra-curricular activities.

There are 33 surrounding districts in Maricopa County that currently have a 15% override in place, including Dysart, Deer Valley and Paradise Valley Unified School Districts. Peoria Unified only has a 13% override.