Maricopa Unified School District superintendent Steve Chestnut came by our InMaricopa studio to discuss the potential override being proposed by the district, as well as issues with classroom ratios and district needs.
Currently, the district still has open full-time teaching positions. The lack of teaching staff has created issues of overcrowding in classrooms. At the high school level, class sizes average more than 30 students per classroom.
“[The override committee] recommends we use the bulk of the funds to reduce class size,” Chestnut said. “We have enough space. Maricopa High School is getting crowded, but we have room for a couple hundred more. Space isn’t an issue. It’s really a matter of we can’t afford additional teachers.”
Overrides can only be voted on in a general election, and the committee hopes to have the new proposal on the ballot for the upcoming election in November 2016.