Liberty school district prepares $69.5M bond for 2025 vote

By Mary Goldmeer
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 The Liberty Elementary School District is making plans to ask voters in the November 2025 election to approve a bond measure that could provide up to $69.5 million for school improvements. The funds would go toward projects such as new construction, facility upgrades, and safety enhancements.

The LESD Governing Board will discuss the bond proposal as part of an administrative report at its meeting Monday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the Jerry Rovey District Facility, 19871 West Fremont Road, in Buckeye.

The board will review assessed valuations, bond capacity, and lease-purchase considerations for new construction expenditures, a step in determining which scenario to send to voters.

In Arizona, school bonds allow districts to raise money for large-scale projects by issuing debt. Districts propose bond measures to voters, outlining how the funds will be used. If approved, the bonds are sold to investors, who are repaid with interest through property taxes.

School bonds are commonly used for projects like building classrooms, upgrading technology, or repairing infrastructure. The process starts with a proposal from the school board, which is presented to the community. The final decision is made through a public vote.

LESD has proposed two scenarios for the bond:

• Scenario 1: A $69.5 million bond with an average annual tax rate of $0.5216 per $100 of assessed property value.
• Scenario 2: A $50 million bond with a lower tax rate of $0.3693 per $100 of assessed value.

Funds from the bond would support infrastructure improvements, technology upgrades, and safety initiatives.

If voters approve the bond measure, property taxes in the district would increase:

• For a home valued at $250,000, the estimated annual tax increase is $154.17 under Scenario 1 or $108.03 under Scenario 2.
• For commercial property valued at $1 million, the increase would range from $648.73 to $925.60 annually, depending on the scenario.

These estimates are based on the projected average tax rates over the bond’s 23-year repayment period.

The election is set for Nov. 4, 2025. Early voting will begin in October, with voter information pamphlets being mailed to residents by LESD in September.

Community members can attend the Dec. 2 board meeting to learn more about the bond proposal or follow future updates as the district finalizes the details of the measure.

Visit liberty25.org for more information.