About 2,500 homes in the northwest portion of Sun City West, known as the expansion area, are in the Dysart Unified School District and their property tax bill includes payments to the school …
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About 2,500 homes in the northwest portion of Sun City West, known as the expansion area, are in the Dysart Unified School District and their property tax bill includes payments to the school district.
DUSD officials are asking voters to approve a bond issue and budget override. A majority vote of residents is required. In addition to the expansion area, DUSD boundaries include the city of Surprise.
Dr. Quinn Kellis, DUSD superintendent, said several years ago the residences in Sun City and Sun City West de-annexed from the district because residents were opposed to a bond increase. The area known as the Expansion Area in Sun City West didn’t have houses then and was not included.
Bob Miller, Property Owners and Residents Association of Sun City West governing board member, coordinated the public meeting.
The area in question is approximately north of the original Dear Valley Road alignment, which now includes Horseman Lane, Via Montoya and Montego Drive, west of Dusty Trail Boulevard. The homes to the east are part of the Peoria Unified School District.
Approximately 60 residents attended the Oct. 10 presentation.
Both Mr. Miller and Dr. Kellis said the information was being presented in a totally neutral way. Mr. Miller said PORA had no desired outcome in the election.
“We, by law, can’t tell you how to vote. We can just give you the facts,” Dr. Kellis said.
DUSD has a total of 26 schools, four of which are high schools. Dr. Kellis added it has been 13 years since a bond issue was approved by the voters in the district, and one was turned down in 2013.
There are two issues on the ballot sent to residents in the area.
The bond item asks for permission to issue $162 million in bonds. The committee that looked over the needs, made of community members and educators, identified about $320 million in need, Dr. Kellis said.
“There is no way we are going to the voters to ask for a $320 million bond,” he added and asked the committee members to pare down the figure.
The money from the bonds is scheduled to improve school safety, buy additional buses, acquire land for a future high school and construct two elementary schools.
The district estimates the tax increase from the bond issuance to be about $10.88 per month per residence.
The second issue on the ballot is allowing the district to adopt a general maintenance and operation budget that includes an amount of up to 15 percent in excess of the revenue control limit for the Fiscal Year 2020-21.
Some in the audience asked why only one portion of Sun City West community was taxed by the schools and wondered if DUSD was going to try and annex areas.
Dr. Kellis said annexing was not a legal option.
“If an area wants to secede from the district, go for it,” he said.
Residents in attendance were encouraged to look at additional information on the district’s website, Dysart.org/election, to get specific information on how the money would be spent, and the consequences of the measures failing.
The ballots for this election were mailed, along with a postage paid return envelope. Residents should mail the ballot in time to be received by Tuesday, Nov. 5. Residents may drop off their ballots in person at the DUSD offices, 15802 North Parkview Place, Surprise.
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