Elections

Since schools in Arizona receive the majority of their funding from the state on a formula based on a snapshot in time of enrollment, there can be funding gaps for things such as aging infrastructure, rising operational costs and the need for new technology and programming.

What is a Bond?

What is an Override?

Overrides are another funding mechanism that, with voter approval, can help a school district extend its budget up to 15% of the maintenance and operation budget.

There are three types of overrides:

M&O Override
- Provides funds for teacher salaries and benefits, supplies and general operations
- May request up to 15% of budget
- Full Day Kindergarten, Athletics, Arts, Music, & Physical Education
Capital Override
- Supports things like buses, books, fine arts, playground equipment and classroom furniture
- May request up to 10% of budget

Maintenance and Operations Override

The Maintenance and Operations budget is established by an Arizona Legislature formula that considers Average Daily Membership (ADM), Student Weighted Counts and a set dollar amount per student weighted count. M&O Override funds are used to supplement the state funding formula for schools.

The District Revenue Control Limit is used to determine the maximum possible amount of a Maintenance and Operation (M&O) Override. Funds raised through overrides go directly to the local school district, unlike state tax funds, which are allocated to school districts statewide. Overrides offer the community control over a portion of their annual taxes.

District Additional Assistance (DAA) 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 DAA 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 plus the annual audit adjustment plus transportation funding.

In This Section

Request for Arguments

“For” or “Against” the Special Bond Election
"For" or "Against" the Special Sale, Lease or Exchange of Real Property Election

“For” or “Against” the Special Bond Election

Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48 of Maricopa County, Arizona

Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48 of Maricopa County, Arizona (the “District”), will hold a special bond election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The District seeks authorization to issue bonds in the principal amount not to exceed $375,000,000. The estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.26 per one hundred dollars of net assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes. The Maricopa County School Superintendent will be preparing an informational pamphlet that will be mailed to households containing one or more registered electors within the District. Any persons wishing to submit an argument “for” or “against” the bond question (not to exceed 200 words) may do so by mail or hand delivery of the argument to the Maricopa County School Superintendent, School Elections Office, 4041 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1100, Phoenix, AZ 85012; telephone: (602) 506-3866.

To be included in the informational pamphlet, such argument must be received in the office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent on or before 5:00 p.m., August 7, 2026. Such argument must be signed and should include the name of the school district, the author’s name, address and telephone number. Each argument filed shall contain the sworn statement of the person submitting it. If the argument is submitted by an organization, it shall contain the sworn statement of two (2) executive officers of the organization. If the argument is submitted by a political committee, it shall contain the sworn statement of the committee's chairperson or treasurer. If the argument is submitted by an individual and not on behalf of an organization, a political committee or any other group, the person shall submit the argument with a sworn, notarized statement. The entity and author’s name will be printed in the informational pamphlet. To find fillable forms for submitting an argument, visit the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s website at https://schoolsup.org/bond-and-override-elections. The last day to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in this election is Monday, October 5, 2026. For more information concerning the election, please contact Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48, 7575 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; telephone: (480) 484-6221.

"For" or "Against" the Special Sale, Lease or Exchange of Real Property Election

Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48 of Maricopa County, Arizona

Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48 of Maricopa County, Arizona (the “District”), will hold a special election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The purpose of the election is to permit the qualified electors of the District to vote on authorizing the District to sell, lease or exchange all or part of the following described parcels of real property and use all or a portion of any such proceeds of any such sale, lease or exchange to purchase school sites and/or to construct, improve, equip and furnish school buildings, including technology, to purchase student transportation vehicles and/or any other permitted capital expenditure. The real property is described as follows:

Parcel A: Site referred to as Cholla Campus, 11130 E. Cholla Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259 (approximately 18.36 acres). Assessor’s Parcel Numbers are 217-27-042J and 217-27-042K.

Parcel B: Site referred to as Apache Campus, 1201 N. 85th Place, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257 (approximately 7.45 acres). Assessor’s Parcel Number is 131-06-002W.

Parcel C: Site referred to as Oak Learning Academy, 7501 E. Oak Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257 (approximately 9.58 acres). Assessor’s Parcel Number is 131-20-001.

The Maricopa County School Superintendent will be preparing an informational pamphlet that will be mailed to households containing one or more registered electors within the District. Any persons wishing to submit an argument “for” or “against” the proposed sale, lease or exchange of real property (not to exceed 200 words) may do so by mail or hand delivery of the argument to the Maricopa County School Superintendent, School Elections Office, 4041 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1100, Phoenix, AZ 85012; telephone: (602) 506-3866.

To be included in the informational pamphlet, such argument must be received in the office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent on or before 5:00 p.m., August 7, 2026. Such argument must be signed and should include the name of the school district, the author’s name, address and telephone number. If the argument is submitted by a political committee, it shall contain the sworn statement of the committee's chairperson or treasurer. If the argument is submitted by an individual and not on behalf of an organization, a political committee or any other group, the person shall submit the argument with a sworn, notarized statement. The entity and author’s name will be printed in the informational pamphlet. To find fillable forms for submitting an argument, visit the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s website at https://schoolsup.org/bond-and-override-elections. The last day to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in this election is Monday, October 5, 2026. For more information concerning the election, please contact Scottsdale Unified School District, 7575 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; telephone: (480) 484-6221.