Litchfield Elementary asks voters to continue 15% budget override
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Prop. 437 would continue an override voters most recently approved in 2022. The district has had voter-approved override funding in place for more than 20 years.
Litchfield Elementary School District voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to continue a 15% maintenance and operations budget override expected to generate about $12.7 million for teacher and staff pay, school nurses, student programs and other operating expenses.
Prop. 437 would continue an override voters most recently approved in 2022. The district has had voter-approved override funding in place for more than 20 years.
The district estimates the override would generate $12.68 million in its first year and allow it to continue spending up to 15% above the state-set revenue control limit.
According to the district, 100% of override funding during the 2025-26 school year went toward employee wages and benefits. More than 700 employees received at least a portion of their compensation through the override, district officials said.
The funding supported full positions as well as portions of teacher compensation. Employees supported by the override included school nurses, instructional coaches, reading and math specialists, behavior coaches and special-area teachers in physical education, music, art and STEM. Override dollars also supported employee compensation connected with student athletics.
The district is scheduled to present a detailed accounting of its 2025-26 override spending to the Governing Board Oct. 13.
LESD's current maintenance and operations budget is about $104.6 million. Its proposed M&O budget for fiscal year 2027-28 is about $109.3 million.
What homeowners would pay
The district estimates an override tax rate of $0.6415 per $100 of net limited assessed valuation.
District officials said continuation of the existing override is not expected to result in an increase in the override tax rate based on current and projected property values.
For an owner-occupied home with a property value of $289,630 (which is the average value used in the official voter pamphlet), the estimated annual override tax would be $186.
A home with a limited property value of $144,815 would pay an estimated $93 annually, while one valued at $579,260 would pay about $372.
What the money pays for
District election materials say override dollars are planned for teacher and staff recruitment and retention, employee pay, school safety coordination and a nurse at every school.
The money also supports physical education, music, band and art; athletics; and intervention programs including reading and intervention specialists, instructional coaches, behavior coaches and student advisers.
In an argument submitted for the official voter information pamphlet, members of the LESD governing board said an earlier increase in the override from 10% to 15% came with a commitment to direct the additional money to employees.
“When the additional 5% was approved by voters, our Board committed to allocate the additional funds directly to teacher and staff salaries,” the Litchfield Elementary School District governing board wrote in an argument supporting Prop 437. “We have fulfilled that commitment and will continue to do so.”
The district has had voter-approved override funding for more than 20 years, according to its official election FAQ.
What happens if it fails
If Proposition 437 fails, the district would not lose the entire override immediately. Funding would phase out over three years, beginning in fiscal year 2028-29.
The district estimates a $4.23 million reduction in FY 2028-29, an additional $4.23 million in FY 2029-30 and the remaining $4.23 million in FY 2030-31.
District officials said they have not identified specific positions, programs or services that would automatically be reduced or eliminated first.
“Any future staffing, program or budget decisions would follow the district’s budget process,” the district said in response to questions from Independent Newsmedia.
The override currently supports compensation in areas including school safety, nursing, special-area programs, athletics, intervention and academic support and special education support.
No opposition arguments submitted
Arizona law allows individuals and organizations to submit arguments for or against school override measures for inclusion in the official voter information pamphlet.
Several arguments supporting Proposition 437 were submitted. No arguments opposing the measure were submitted for inclusion in the Litchfield Elementary pamphlet.
A "yes" vote would authorize the district to continue the existing M&O override and resulting property tax.
A "no" vote would not renew that authority, triggering the scheduled phaseout of the existing override.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Early ballots are scheduled to begin mailing Oct. 7.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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