Tucson school board puts $45M funding proposal on November ballot | News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – The Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Board has decided to let voters decide on a significant funding proposal this November.

After a thorough discussion among board and union members, the board voted to include a $45 million budget override on the November ballot.

“MOTION PASSES FOUR TO ZERO, WITH ONE ABSTAINING.”

Board members expressed varying opinions before voting. Natalie Luna Rose, a TUSD board member, said, “This will make us competitive. It will make people want to come to this district with what we have to offer—and I’ll be supporting it this evening.”

Val Romero, another TUSD board member, shared a different perspective. “I understand everything that it’s going to accomplish, but I don’t have the same optimism as my colleagues up here,” Romero said.

If approved by voters, the override would allow the district to exceed Arizona’s school funding limits, resulting in increased property taxes. The additional funds would enhance programs like art, music, and physical education, and provide teacher raises.

Jim Byrne, president of the Tucson Education Association, emphasized the importance of the proposal. “It is so directly close to impacting our schools and folks’ own compensation, salary, and wages. It’s just that much more important, that much more tangible—like, ‘Oh wow, I can have a direct impact on my colleagues, my school, my campus, and this district,’” Byrne said.

For homeowners, district officials say if your home is valued at $200,000, you’d pay an additional $204 a year, based on a proposed increase of $1.02 per $100 of net assessed valuation.

The final decision rests with voters, with the election set for November 4th.