Bracke: Urge all to reject $20M bond for Apache Junction Unified School District
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By Gilbert Bracke, Apache Junction resident
Apache Junction Unified School District — or at least three of its board members — wants the property owners of Apache Junction to pay up so they can “maintain” the schools entrusted to their care by the voters over the years. For some unknown reason, they have neglected to maintain these buildings that they are entrusted to keep up.
The state legislature’s funds for the schools do include maintenance to keep the buildings up to date. What have they done with the monies entrusted to them? Any good business owner or property owner knows that maintenance is a major part of any budget. They are just for fun and games.
AJUSD Board members Gilbert Cancio, Dena Kimble and Gail Ross who voted for this can’t wait to harvest the money from the property owners in this community without batting an eye. There are a lot of elderly homeowners who are quite frankly struggling to get by, as well as working families just trying to make ends meet with these high inflationary times.
Many might lose their homes if it gets any worse, which, according to some, will get worse. Not only are property values at all-time highs, which makes the property taxes at an all-time high, but homeowner’s insurance is going through the roof, not to mention gas, food and utilities.
Bill Kell, who is running for AJUSD, states we need the money for new schools — $20 million for new schools. New schools for what? Apache Junction and AJUSD is not growing, but in decline. In 2015 AJUSD had 4,600 students. This year it’s just over 3,000.
We have fewer schools which are closed. I hate to break the news to AJUSD, but Apache Junction’s population has peaked and is now in decline, according to Neilsberg Research, published Aug. 1, 2024.
With AJUSD’s report card of math proficiency at 18% and reading proficiency at 23%, one would think that this was a good thing since less would get harmed by the lackluster teaching of AJUSD.
As a property owner and business owner, I have to remind everyone in Apache Junction, especially those that rent either a house or an apartment to always remember, no businesses ever get taxed. When we are assessed a higher tax, we simply pass it on to the customers. In other words, if they pass this bond measure, your rent will likely go up. I urge one and all to reject this bond.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.