There are two ballot measures requested by the Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board for the General Election, a $20 million bond and a $750,000 District Additional Assistance Override.

The November general election is quickly approaching, and the deadline to register to vote was yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 11. Mail-in ballots should arrive soon.

Bond

The bond represents funds to be borrowed by FHUSD with an estimated cost of $29,419,623 to be repaid by a tax on all taxable property in the district, with each bond’s maturity not to exceed 20 years. The estimated annual bond tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation is $0.1495.

The tax impact over the term of the bond on an owner-occupied residence valued by the County Assessor at $250,000 is estimated to be $41.90 per year. The tax impact on a commercial property valued at $1 million is estimated to be $268.34 per year.

If taxpayers approve the bond, funds will be used for safety and security upgrades and renovations within FHUSD, site and athletic facility improvements, pupil transport vehicles, school and administrative facility additions and renovations, as well as needed furniture, technology and equipment purchases.

If the bond is not approved, FHUSD would need to move operating funds to capital to pay for critical repairs, renovations, technology and equipment. Cuts in operations could come from increasing class sizes, reducing or eliminating programs, and reducing staff and school supplies.

DAA Override

The DAA Override allows FHUSD to exceed its budget limit by $750,000 for a seven-year period. The estimated tax rate per $100 of net assessed valuation is $0.1243, and the continued cost to the average homeowner for the DAA Override is $48.39.

This vote is basically to continue an override that has been traditionally supported by the community for about two decades, not a new override on top of an existing one.

With approval, the DAA Override would fund safety and security upgrades, building renovations, software and hardware improvements, textbooks, online resources, building improvements for existing sites, transportation vehicles, furniture and equipment in it’s first year alone.

Through these capital plans, FHUSD said school sites will have projects completed that benefit students with an improved learning environment, and also benefit taxpayers through the positive impact that well-maintained schools have on property values.

Failure of the override would require those $750,000 to be stripped from future budgets, as well as many of the items/project they were planned to fund.