Two-thirds of district funding proposals win support in 2025 election

By Stacy Mantle
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Tuesday's election marked an important moment for Arizona’s K–12 public schools, where funding decisions lie directly in the hands of local voters.

Measures on the ballot range from teacher salary overrides to facility-improvement bonds, with several districts emphasizing that these funds support day-to-day operations rather than new construction.

“We're trying to send a message to the legislators, to the governor and to everyone in power that our communities care deeply about public schools as the cornerstone of healthy communities,” said Marisol Garcia, president of the Arizona Education Association.

Education advocates note while these elections may draw lower turnout than presidential or midterm contests, their outcomes often determine whether schools can maintain current staffing levels or provide enrichment programs.

“This is the truest expression of democracy. Members of communities getting together, deciding that they're going to have a direct influence on their government and making sure that their taxpayer dollars are spent in the ways they want them to be spent,” said Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in a press release. 

Once the local results are finalized, the focus will shift toward broader 2026 statewide races, including the superintendent of public instruction, where Arizona’s long-term education funding strategies and policy priorities will again take center stage.

“I was raised by public educators down in Nogales, Arizona, and my own mom was right here in the Roosevelt School District," Fontes said. "This is personal. It's personal for the kids in our communities who need these bonds and overrides so they can be educated in the way our founders intended — in dignified spaces by a dignified profession.”

Here are the unofficial early results of education-related ballot measures in Arizona for 2025:

Maricopa County 2025 School Funding Election Results
Unofficial early results, Nov. 4, 2025

Legend: Passing   Failing

Source: Maricopa County Unofficial Summary – Nov. 4, 2025.

Results are still being finalized as ballots dropped off at polling places are counted over the next few days. You can follow along here. 

“This election isn’t just about the ballot — it’s about the soul of our public schools," said Anastasia Jimenez, president of the Phoenix Union Classified Employees Association in a press release.

"Our M&O and District Additional Assistance measures are critical to keeping our schools safe, strong and thriving.  But let's be clear — we are here today because Arizona's public schools have been continuously underfunded for far too long." 

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.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

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.