At the May 9th meeting, the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board approved a 15% budget override continuation and bond authorization to be placed on the November 2023 ballot. The district gathered community input prior to making this decision. In-person and virtual community engagement meetings were held to gain insight on the support of parents, staff, and community members to recommend to the Governing Board that they place a budget override continuation and bond authorization on the November 2023 ballot.
About the Bond
Mesa Public Schools has placed a $500 million security and modernization bond on the ballot to help for the purpose of raising monies for classroom modernization, school security, school renovation, and other general capital expenses. These bonds would pay for security and facility improvements that support our children’s ability to learn. The safety and security of our students and staff is our number one priority. These funds will be used for essential projects including:
Air conditioning and other critical repairs
Technology
Security improvements
Classroom modernization
Building renovations
Of the 82 schools in the District, more than 45% of the schools are now more than 40 years old – with the oldest being 74 years old. This bond pays for critical repairs such as air conditioning as well as technology, classroom modernization, and building renovations.
About the Budget Continuation
Mesa Public Schools also placed the continuation of its existing 15% budget override that was most recently passed in 2019 on the ballot. The continuation is NOT a tax increase, it is a continuation of the local funding that has been in place since 1995. The budget continuation is critical staff and programs including:
Retaining and attracting quality teachers
Preparing students for workforce opportunities
Career and technical education, or CTE
Competitive teacher salaries
Increasing school safety and security