School Budget Overrides (Sun City, Surprise, Sun City West: public school, gated, property tax)

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

What was kind of sad is that most of these bonds affect every homeowner in their respective district, but on average they only had about 30% voter turnout. While this may be considered a good number for a non-major election, it allows for the fringe votes to control the outcome.

If homeowners fail to show up and vote, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

Inaction also has consequences.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by asufan

You lose

I suggest people don't move to Chandler if they don't want well funded schools/construction dollars for new schools in lieu of overcrowding. Try Surprise.

Thanks for the info, asufan.

My wife and I agree with you and Chandler is definitely going on our list of potential retirement cities.

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Not saying she isn't right. But I'd like to see some proof before I am going to believe someone. Even my mom (a lot of people I know have all kinds of misinformation).

Now if she worked on the budget, then that is more qualifying. Still, I'd like to see the budget and see if it was real.

I only remember hearing my parents talking and my mom was so mad because after a bond was passed HER boss got a raise along with the other administrative staff. The teachers got nothing. This was in the 70's!

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by MGS4EVER

I only remember hearing my parents talking and my mom was so mad because after a bond was passed HER boss got a raise along with the other administrative staff. The teachers got nothing. This was in the 70's!

Bond elections are for capital projects, have nothing to do with anybody's salary.

[phlinak]

I think a lot of this complaining about waste, fraud, and "socialist propaganda taught by public schools" is just crap-speak for "WAAAAHHHH, I don't want to pay for government services that I don't need or want!!!!"

Or, put another way, "I got mine, *********."

Please. (Talk to the hand)

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by asufan

I suggest people don't move to Chandler if they don't want well funded schools/construction dollars for new schools in lieu of overcrowding. Try Surprise.

Yup...The only one I think we didn't pass was back a few years and if I remember right it was for something un-needed. This one is $290M for building repairs, some buses and some other things.

I have said this before...if the State isn't going to help us with funding, we'll do it. I only have 2 sticking points with Bonds.

1) Since AZ is Open Enrollment, there is a potential for people that are not paying for the bonds, i.e. non-Chandler residents, to benefit from sending their kids to our schools without paying their fair share.

2) Sometimes the Administration uses the money in the budget freed up with Bond Money for stupid things...like a "Thoughtfulness Center" at Hamilton High...when that money could be used to raise teachers' wages.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Bond elections are for capital projects, have nothing to do with anybody's salary.

True, but if you read some of the "sales" lit from districts, when there is a bond and an override together they conflate the two to try and get to yes on at least one and hopefully both.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by phlinak

I think a lot of this complaining about waste, fraud, and "socialist propaganda taught by public schools" is just crap-speak for "WAAAAHHHH, I don't want to pay for government services that I don't need or want!!!!"

Or, put another way, "I got mine, *********."

Please. (Talk to the hand)

Really? So I got k-12 "schooling" (truancy laws say you have no choice) and I should pay for that WITHOUT QUESTIONS until I'm dead? That's a pretty expensive 12 or 13 years of education.


As for your other comments ..... yeah, you're right the whole system is a bastion of open thought and a free exchange of ideas and different opinions.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Burning Madolf

Really? Somebody is a loser for not just voting for increased taxes with little control? Interesting take.


And dumping on Surprise as underfunded is a false narrative (not to mention that there are other towns in the district). The district gets plenty of money and has increased its take every year since the Bubble burst.


Not wanting to pay for new school buildings so builders can slap up more houses is actually financially prudent for existing homeowners and taxpayers.


Not all bonds are equal.

Yep, he lost. Bigly, as some might say. One of the top 3 things that Chandler is known for, in every publication in which they are ranked, in is the top notch schools. The schools are the thing that brings well educated families to the town, which in turn brings high end employment to the town and the associated shopping and dining. Chandler has a track record of passing these overrides for as long as I can remember, and it is money that is clearly needed in this under-funded state. Along comes the new transplant from out of state that wants to start voting down these overrides as soon as he moves to the city that was likely attractive to him for many if not all of these reasons. I am merely giving a suggestion that this is not the town for him, if he wants to hold onto every last dime at the expense of the public schools, there are better options

Now, I'm not dumping on Surprise, just offering an alternative as they voted down their overrides and seem to share his opinion. Of course, their High Schools rank 4/10 on greatschools.org not 9/10, so clearly a large percentage of the residents are apathetic regarding the schools. I agree with a post above that it is probably the retirees in Sun City Grand that are pinching pennies and vote these things down (maybe they should have saved a bit more in their working years).

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by asufan

Yep, he lost. Bigly, as some might say. One of the top 3 things that Chandler is known for, in every publication in which they are ranked, in is the top notch schools. The schools are the thing that brings well educated families to the town, which in turn brings high end employment to the town and the associated shopping and dining. Chandler has a track record of passing these overrides for as long as I can remember, and it is money that is clearly needed in this under-funded state. Along comes the new transplant from out of state that wants to start voting down these overrides as soon as he moves to the city that was likely attractive to him for many if not all of these reasons. I am merely giving a suggestion that this is not the town for him, if he wants to hold onto every last dime at the expense of the public schools, there are better options

Now, I'm not dumping on Surprise, just offering an alternative as they voted down their overrides and seem to share his opinion. Of course, their High Schools rank 4/10 on greatschools.org not 9/10, so clearly a large percentage of the residents are apathetic regarding the schools. I agree with a post above that it is probably the retirees in Sun City Grand that are pinching pennies and vote these things down (maybe they should have saved a bit more in their working years).

Fair enough.

About Dysart schools, remember it's not jut Surprise. And the SCG blaming is just ridiculous, they make up like 17k out of 130k and they're not all voters here. If families can't muster the energy to get off their arses and get involved, why should they?