The last day to mail back ballots for the Nov. 2 election is Tuesday, Oct. 26. But for those who did not receive a ballot in the mail or who simply wish to vote in person, there are other options.

Local voters are being asked to consider a pair of budget overrides for the Fountain Hills Unified School District, including a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) override and a District Additional Assistance (DAA) override, also known as a capital override. Both of these measures are continuations for existing overrides.

Ballots should have been delivered to local voters earlier this month and can be sent back in the mail by Oct. 26.

To vote in person, the Fountain Hills Unified School District Learning Center will be open from Oct. 25 until Nov. 2. The building will be open during normal business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Election Day, those hours will be from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. If a voter does not make the Oct. 26 mail-back deadline, completed ballots may also be dropped off at the Learning Center during those times, 16000 E. Palisades Blvd.

M&O

Concerning the M&O override, Arizona school districts can increase their maintenance and operations budget by up to 15 percent more, per year, than the per pupil funding level established by the state.

For FHUSD, M&O funds are primarily used for teacher and staff salaries. Other areas bolstered by monies provided by an M&O override include free full-day kindergarten, teacher salary increases, professional development, additional staff for reading literacy support and rewarding staff for exemplary performances. The fact sheet says the M&O override will also “enable the district to maintain its outstanding programs.”

In terms of dollars, the M&O override voters must consider is for $1.3 million annually, which would be funded the first year by an estimated tax rate of $0.23 per $100 of secondary assessed valuation. That’s broken down to about $23 per $100,000 in assessed value of a home. The average cost to Fountain Hills residents is $86 annually.

FHUSD’s last M&O Override was approved in 2017 and must be approved again in the coming years if the district does not want to risk a drop-off in the funds provided.

A non-renewal of the M&O override would require about $1.3 million to be trimmed from FHUSD’s operating budget beginning in 2022. The stated impact of a failure includes reduction or loss of programs, less-competitive salaries for educators and an increase in class sizes.

DAA

While M&O provides for salaries and programs, the DAA override helps provide for the physical needs of FHUSD. As stated in the fact sheet, “capital funds are used almost exclusively for instructional and student materials” including furniture, vehicles, software/hardware, textbooks, online resources and improvement to existing facilities.

Arizona districts are allowed to increase their DAA budgets up to 10 percent or $750,000 of the district’s revenue control limit for capital purchases. As with previous DAA overrides, the one voters are being asked to consider in November would provide funding for seven years.

The DAA override being considered provides approximately $750,000 annually and would be funded by an annual tax rate of $0.1306 per $100 of secondary assessed valuation. That averages about $48 per year for Fountain Hills residents.

If the DAA override meets with failure, the stated impact includes cutting $750,000 from the operating budget starting in 2023. Updated materials within school sites would take a hit, as would facility upkeep.

The last DAA Override for FHUSD took effect in 2014.