District Additional Assistance Override

What is a District Additional Assistance Override?

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. Arizona Revised Statute §15-481 grants public school district governing boards the authority to call for a District Additional Assistance Override election. Per statute, a District Additional Assistance Override is limited to the lesser of a specified dollar amount or 10% of the Revenue Control Limit.

Funds generated through the 2022 District Additional Assistance Override election provide:

Curriculum materials and school technology
School furniture, fixtures and equipment
Fine Arts, Athletics and Library equipment & materials
Playground equipment and facilities

In This Section

History of District Additional Assistance Override:

Voters passed the previous District Additional Assistance Override, November 2016

Previous override is $8,500,000
Effective July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2023
Tax rate for the previous District Additional Assistance Override is $0.1381 (per $100 of property taxable value)

Current District Additional Assistance Override:

Estimated Revenue Control Limit (RCL) for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 is $144,616,478
District Additional Assistance Override is limited to the lesser of a specified amount or 10% of the District’s Revenue Control Limit
Given that the override authorization is effective for seven years, $14,500,000 would allow for potential growth in the District Revenue Control Limit
- Based on 2023-2024 Estimated Revenue Control Limit (RCL) amount would be $14,461,648
Estimated tax rate of $0.2147 (per $100 of property taxable value)
- Increase of $0.08 (per $100 of property taxable value)

The newly approved Override will go into effect July 1, 2023 and could total up to $14.5 million per year over a seven-year period.

Current and proposed District Additional Assistance Override Categories include:

CATEGORY	PREVIOUS	CURRENT	INCREASE	% of INCREASE
Technology Laptop refreshes, classroom modifications for Interactive Flat Panels, document cameras, software licenses	$4,900,000	$8,150,000	$3,250,000	66%
Curriculum STEAM resources, science kit replenishment, Software assessments, math and reading resources, virtual/augmented reality resources	$1,400,000	$2,450,000	$1,050,000	75%
Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment Student desks, chairs, filing cabinets, recess equipment	$800,000	$960,000	$160,000	20%
Fine Arts Musical instruments, choral risers, lighting, seating, curtains, sound systems	$500,000	$900,000	$400,000	80%
Playground/Facilities Playground equipment, shade structures, outdoor learning centers	$350,000	$980,000	$630,000	180%
Library Student tables, learning areas, reading materials, innovation rooms	$300,000	$500,000	$200,000	67%
Athletics Athletic equipment, uniforms, scoring equipment, e-sports equipment	$250,000	$560,000	$310,000	124%
TOTAL	$8,500,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a District Additional Assistance Override?

A District Additional Assistance (DAA) Override is a special election requesting voter approval for a secondary tax levy to pay for capital needs that cannot be met by a school district’s regular capital budget.

Arizona Revised Statute §15-481 grants public school district governing boards the authority to call for a District Additional Assistance Override election.

Per statute, a District Additional Assistance Override is limited to the lesser of a specified dollar amount or 10% of the Revenue Control Limit. The Revenue Control Limit is a state formula based on the Base Support Level, the annual audit adjustment and transportation funding.

What is considered a “capital item”?

What is the difference between District Additional Assistance, bond, and Maintenance and Operations?

When was the last District Additional Assistance Override?

If you currently have a District Additional Assistance Override, why are you asking for another one?

The current District Additional Assistance Override is capped at $8.5 million. This override is capped at $14.5 million. Why are you asking for more this time?

Inflation since the current override was approved in November 2016 until March 2022 has increased by over $1.6 million, according to the Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If approved in November, a District Additional Assistance Override would be in effect until June 30, 2030. Increasing the cap would provide the District the funding needed due to inflation from 2016 to 2022, as well as potential inflation over the next seven years.

Additionally, the State did not fully fund District Additional Assistance until Fiscal Year 2021-2022.

How much will the District Additional Assistance Override cost the average homeowner?

According to the State and County Abstract from the Arizona Department of Revenue, the average home value in Scottsdale is $498,108.

At this home value, the current District Additional Assistance Override is $0.1381 per $100 of property taxable value, or $68.79 per year.

Based on the current assessed valuation, an override of $14.5 million would cost that same homeowner an estimated $117.35 per year, an increase of $48.56, or $4.05 per month.

What would the District Additional Assistance Override be used for?

The District Additional Assistance Override would be used for furniture, fixtures and equipment; library resources; athletics; fine arts; playgrounds and facilities; curriculum; and technology.

Examples of items that could be purchased with these funds include student desks, chairs, filing cabinets, library books, student tables, learning areas in the library, innovation rooms, athletic equipment, uniforms, E-Sports equipment, musical instruments, choral risers, lighting, sound system repairs to auditoriums, gyms and stadiums, playground equipment, shade structures, outdoor learning centers, STEM resources, science kits, instructional software, laptop refreshes and interactive displays.