SUSD Funding Facts

Buildings & Vehicles

Districts may seek voter approval to sale bonds to acquire or lease school sites, construction, or renovation school buildings, supplying school buildings with furniture, equipment, and technology, improving school grounds, purchasing pupil transportation vehicles, or paying existing bond debt.  Bond proceeds cannot be used to purchase items whose useful life is less than the average life of the bonds issued or whose useful life is less than five years.  Bond funds can only be spent on items within the bond approved pamphlet categories.

See the complete list of Bond Projects

Classroom Site Fund, originally known as Prop 301, was established in fiscal year 2002.  Money for this fund was generated from state sales tax collections and State Trust Land revenue.  The funds were to provide additional revenue for teacher salary increases and other specified maintenance and operation purposes.

Learn more

Capital purchases, such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, workbooks, kits, sheet music, textbooks, curriculum, and HVAC units.

A District Additional Assistance (DAA) budget override allows a school district to levy a tax to pay for capital equipment items that cannot be purchased by the district’s regular capital budget and that is not included in a district’s current bond program. 

Learn more

Instructional Improvement was established in Fiscal Year 2003-2004.  Revenue for this fund is generated from Indian Gaming.  Up to 50% of this fund may be used for teacher compensation increase and class size reduction.  The remaining funds must be used for drop-out prevention programs and instructional improvement programs, including programs to develop reading skills for students by the end of 3rd grade.

Salaries, Benefits, Utilities, Supplies and Services

Since 1980, the Arizona Legislature has allowed school districts to supplement their base budgets by asking voters in their local districts to approve a budget override.  If approved by voters, this allows districts to continue to supplement their operation budget by 15% more each year than the state provided funds.  Overrides are in place for seven years scaling down the last two.

Learn more

Prop. 123 is a referendum passed by the Legislature in October 2015 and approved by voters in a special election held Tuesday, May 17,2016. Prop. 123 is estimated to generate $3.5 billion over 10 years for Arizona schools. The majority will come from the increased payout of the State Land Trust. Additionally, $625 million will come from the general fund ($50 million for the first five years and then $75 million for the next five years).

Prop. 123 settles the inflation funding lawsuit that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on in September 2013. It provides a dedicated revenue source for incremental inflation adjustments (as passed by the voters in Prop. 301 in the 2000 election). Schools will receive this funding starting in June 2016.

Learn more

Scottsdale has a generous community that donates time and money in support of students.  These funds include gifts and donations, tax credits, auxiliary operations, and student activities.

State Grants are allocated to school districts based on grant requirements.  Examples of State Grants that SUSD receives are Vocational Education grants, College Credit Exam Incentives, and Results-Based Funding.

Federal Grants are awarded to schools for various reasons from the Federal Government.  For example, SUSD receives Title I funds, which is for helping disadvantaged children.  Other Federal grants include Title Grants, Special Education Grants, Indian Education Grants, Vocational Education Grants, Medicaid Reimbursement, and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds.

School Districts may also hold special elections asking the local voters to approve additional funding for Bonds, Maintenance and Operations Overrides, and District Additional Assistance Overrides.