TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson voters delivered a strong vote of confidence in local public education on November 4 by approving three ballot measures, two bonds and one operating override, that will provide fresh funding for teacher raises, student services and long-deferred facility improvements.
The most significant of the three is Proposition 414, a maintenance & operations (M & O) budget override for the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD).
The measure, approved by district voters for the first time in nearly four decades, authorizes up to a 15% override of the district’s revenue control limit.
It is projected to raise roughly $45 million per year in the first five years, tapering to around $30 million in year six and about $15 million in year seven.
The override will enable a $3,000-per-year raise for teachers over the 7-year duration of the override, along with full coverage of arts/music programs at all elementary schools and increased counseling support where current ratios lag at about one counselor per 500 students.
TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said that schools are one of the few places where kids lives are changed, largely due to having a supportive teacher in the classroom.
“At the center of our efforts to make sure there’s a qualified and exceptional teacher in every classroom is compensation,” Trujillo said. “If you don’t nail the compensation down, you’re losing your number one most valuable asset.”
Trujillo said that teacher raises will go into effect in the 2026-27 school year.
Meanwhile, voters also approved bonds for two other school districts.
Proposition 415 authorizes a $30 million bond for the Flowing Wells Unified School District to fund capital improvements, such as buildings, safety, transportation, and an early childhood center.
Voters also passed Proposition 416, which authorizes a $120 million bond for the Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) to carry out extensive modernization of its campuses.
SUSD Superintendent Jose Gastelum said that 15 of the district’s 21 sites were rated in “poor to fair” condition.
“The majority of that money is going to go towards updating our facilities,” Gastelum said. “You’ve got HVAC units, you’ve got roofs that need to be done. There’s going to be a major renovation of Sunnyside High School, which is needed.”
From a homeowner’s perspective, for TUSD the cost of the override is projected at about $1.02 per $100 of net assessed valuation, which works out to roughly $200 per year for a home valued at $200,000.
Trujillo sought to ease concern over rising property taxes, saying that funding our public schools is an investment in the city’s future.
“You’re going to make those dollars up by the increased property value of an excelling public school in your neighborhood,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo emphasized that while state support has been lacking, community trust and the public’s readiness to invest in schools have aligned.
“The community has also seen that there is a sense of crisis in our public schools here in Pima County,” he said. “The message has been sent loud and clear from the legislature in Phoenix; they’re not coming to help us. At the end of the day, our voters, our parents, want clean and safe schools that are focused on academic achievement and that is what we’re going to be delivering.”
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
