- Peoria Unified School District
- 2025 Override Election
Bonds & Overrides
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The deadline for submitting arguments for or against the override is August 8, 2025
2025 Maintenance & Operations Override Election
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State statute provides an opportunity for school districts to exceed their revenue control limit, up to 15%, through a voter-approved initiative called a maintenance and operations override (m&o override). An override supports people, positions and programs that would not otherwise be funded by the state of Arizona. Since 1996, the Peoria Unified School District has had support from its community on an override.
This spring, the Peoria Unified Governing Board voted unanimously to order all matters necessary for a 15% maintenance and operations budget override election to be held on November 4, 2025. The current override was approved in 2020 and provides approximately $33 million dollars of funding annually. If approved by voters, the increase to a 15% override would provide approximately $5 million dollars of additional funding that would allow the district to provide enhanced safety and special education programs while continuing to provide:
- Attraction and retention of the best teachers and staff possible
- Reading and gifted programs
- Athletics and extra/co-curricular activities
- PE, band/chorus and art
- Nurses and health services on every campus
- Assistant principals
- All-day Kindergarten
- Maintain current class sizes
An override is in place for seven years. If the override does not pass in the upcoming mail-in ballot Special Election, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, the district will need to reduce its budget by approximately $33 million over a three-year period.
The maintenance and operations override is funded from a levy of ad valorem taxes on all taxable property (limited assessed valuation) within the Peoria Unified School District, (which is different from the value listed on Zillow or Redfin.) If approved, the override will result in an estimated average annual tax of $130 per $100,000 of assessed valuation for residential property owners. The estimated tax rate would be $1.2971 per $100 of limited assessed valuation.
Without an M&O override in place, all staff would see a compensation decrease, the district could no longer maintain health care professionals and assistant principals on all district campuses, putting the district in a safety deficit. In addition, class sizes would increase and the ability to offer programs such as arts, music, physical education and gifted education programs would be threatened. There would also be a charge for full-day kindergarten. Fees related to athletic and extracurricular activities would also significantly increase and these programs would be reduced. If the override does not pass, the school district will begin reducing its budget by approximately $11 million per year beginning in fiscal year 2027.
The deadline for submitting arguments with respect to the election is August 8, 2025.
M&O FAQ
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What is the difference between an override and a bond?
Maintenance and Operations Overrides are used to provide additional funding to support people, positions and programs that normally would not be possible with the funding that is received annually from the state of Arizona. School districts may ask their community to approve an annual funding increase of up to 15 percent of a school district’s revenue control limit by passing an M&O override election. The additional funding is in place for seven years and is supported by local secondary property taxes. The override needs to be continued in its fifth year to maintain the additional funding. If not renewed, the override begins to phase out over three years, with a decrease to the school district’s budget by 1/3 of the additional funding in year six and 2/3rds in year seven, with the the entire override funding being fully eliminated in year eight.
Bonds authorizations are voter approved measures that authorize a school district to sell bonds to investors in incremental amounts up to a voter approved threshold. The proceeds from the bond sales provide funding to purchase capital items and/or make capital improvements to new and existing facilities, such as school building renovations or the purchasing of school buses and technology. The funding can only be used to support projects that have a useful life longer than five years in categories approved by the voters. The bond sales are repaid over a set period of time from local secondary property taxes. There is an annual reporting requirement to the community on how bond dollars are spent, which is also currently detailed on our district’s website. Funds from a bond authorization cannot be used for employee compensation or Maintenance and Operations expenses.
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Does Peoria Unified currently have an override and/or bond in place?
Like most school districts in the state, the Peoria Unified School District has a M&O override in place, which has been approved by voters since 1996. The current override funds employees in our schools such as school nurses, and assistant principals, as well as programs including physical education, arts/music education, reading and gifted programs, free all-day kindergarten, athletics, and extracurricular activities. It is also used to provide teacher and staff compensation and helps maintain class sizes to a standard set forth by our Governing Board.
The last Peoria Unified bond was approved in 2012 and has been fully expended. To learn more about how the district spent its 2012 bond dollars, click here.
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Why is the district asking for 15% Override, an increase from the current 13% Override?
This spring, the Peoria Unified Governing Board voted unanimously to order all matters necessary for a 15% maintenance and operations budget override election to be held on November 4, 2025. The current override was approved in 2020 and provides approximately $33 million dollars of funding annually. If approved by voters, the increase to a 15% override would provide approximately $5 million dollars of additional funding that would allow the district to provide enhanced safety and special education programs while continuing to provide:
- Attraction and retention of the best teachers and staff possible
- Reading and gifted programs
- Athletics and extra/co-curricular activities
- PE, band, chorus and art
- Nurses and health services on every campus
- All-day Kindergarten
- Maintain current class sizes
- Assistant Principals at each campus
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If an override is already in place, why is there an override on the November 4, 2025 ballot?
In November, the district will be in year five of its override (fiscal year 2026). If the override does not pass, the school district will begin reducing its budget by approximately $11 million beginning in fiscal year 2027, with a total reduction of approximately $33 million dollars taking place over three years.
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Why does a bond or override require voter approval?
The state allows school districts to ask for local funding support through bonds and overrides. This requires Governing Board approval to place the initiative on the ballot for community approval by vote in an election.
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What will happen if the override is not renewed?
Without an M&O override in place, it is expected that all of the following will occur. All staff would see a compensation decrease, the district could no longer maintain health care professionals and assistant principals on all district campuses. In addition, class sizes would increase and the ability to offer programs such as arts, music, physical education and gifted education programs would be threatened. There would also be a charge for full-day kindergarten. Fees related to athletic and extracurricular activities would also increase and these programs would be reduced. If the override does not pass, the school district will begin reducing its budget by approximately $33 million dollars over three years beginning in fiscal year 2027.
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When was the last time the community supported an override for the Peoria Unified School District?
Voters continued the current 13% M&O override in November 2020, and it went into effect July 1, 2021. The current override provides funds for additional positions such as assistant principals, school nurses and arts education, music, athletics, physical education, gifted and reading programs as well as extra-curricular activities. It also supports free all-day kindergarten and provides a portion of each employee’s annual compensation and helps the district maintain its class sizes and to attract and retain staff.
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If the increase of the override is approved, how will taxes be affected?
The Maintenance and Operations Override is funded from a levy of ad valorem taxes on all taxable property (limited assessed valuation) within the Peoria Unified School District, (which is different from the value listed on Zillow or Redfin.) If approved, the override will result in an estimated average annual tax of $130 per $100,000 of assessed valuation for residential property owners. The estimated tax rate for a homeowner would be $1.30 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
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How do I vote in this election?
In order to vote, you must be a registered voter in the state of Arizona by October 6, 2025. You will receive your ballot by mail and will need to mail in your ballot no later than Tuesday, Oct. 28. Follow this link to register to vote.
Per A.R.S. 15-511, District employees cannot use district resources to tell individuals how to vote. Employees can only share facts and remind citizens to vote and share how to get ballot and election information.
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How can I calculate my property taxes?
To calculate the estimated tax for the 15% M&O Override for a home in the Peoria Unified School District, a community member needs the assessed property value of their residence. Note: 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.
