Former school superintendents are urging passage. The current mayor and four former mayors have given their blessings. The School Board is obviously in favor…

The final decisions are up to the voters, of course, as they are being asked to decide the fate of two school-related budget overrides.

Early ballots are now being mailed in by voters, and for those who favor the more traditional polling booths, those will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Those who are pushing for their passage, such as Dr. Marian Hermie, a former Fountain Hills school superintendent, and Dwight Johnson, past PTO president, emphasize the override renewals would not add to someone’s tax burden, simply extend current taxation levels.

Proponents say the benefits far outweigh any perceived negatives.

“A minimal decrease in household taxes does not equate to the quality the school district would bring to selling the house on the market,” Hermie has said, who now works as a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University but still resides in Fountain Hills.

While there is no formal or organized opposition to the local initiatives, a smattering of letter writers have argued the time is not right, citing rising costs, high government spending and poor economic times.

Fountain Hills Unified School District officials are seeking the renewals in hopes of keeping some revenues intact – in light of budget cuts imposed by the state and anticipated future revenue blood-letting.

There are two ballot questions – a K-3 override and a maintenance and operations budget override.

The current K-3 override in place was approved in May 2005, and the M&O override was first approved by local voters in 1997.

The failure of the K-3 override would mean increased class sizes and a return of fee-based full-day kindergarten, FHUSD officials have said.

If the M&O item meets with failure, it would result in a reduction in teaching staff as well as a district-wide reduction of salary for all teachers and classified staff.

“With more education cuts from the state anticipated in the January 2010 session, these overrides will be important to maintain present programs, staffing and classroom size,” School Superintendent Dr. Bill Myhr said.

The K-3 budget override allows the district to exceed spending limits on operating budgets by 5 percent to fund smaller class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.

The M&O override allows FHUSD to exceed operating budgets by 10 percent to fund teacher salaries, lower class sizes and purchase classroom supplies.

State law requires voter approval to maintain funding from these overrides and that they appear on the ballot as two separate items.

If not passed, the local district’s budget would be reduced by approximately $383,615 for the M&O override and $114,972 for the K-3 override starting in the 2010-11 school year.

The estimated tax rate for the M&O item, .1892 per $100 assessed valuation, totals approximately $57 annually for a $300,000 home.

At an estimated tax rate of .0567 per $100 AV for the K-3 override, the annual cost would be about $17 for the same home.

These costs have been ongoing for the past five years and would not go up following renewal of either override.