Mayor: MUSD override critical to economic development

Quality schools help drive robust economic development in Maricopa. Literally, it is one of the most important factors businesses, retail establishments, CEOs, corporations and new residents use when deciding when and where to locate their business, headquarters or where to buy a home.

Money used in our community schools is a direct investment in ourselves and into our local economy. In 2016, the override for the Maricopa Unified School District helped attract quality teachers to our District and our city. These dedicated professionals have helped lower class sizes, increased graduation rates, advanced all-time high scholarships awards, taught hundred more students each year, and so much more.

It also provided for the critical investment in technology for our students, of which, without this funding, our students would not have made it competitively through this worldwide pandemic. These tools and resources provided for the critical continuation of learning that would not have been possible otherwise.

Because of your support of the initial override, our students and teachers were equipped with the most up-to-date technology and operating systems, which directly supported our students in the strangest of times, while simultaneously supporting our future local workforce.

In addition, the override has also helped so many students find an alternative path to high school graduation that has helped them on their career paths to attending trade schools, the military or college. Without your generous assistance and the existence of Maricopa High School’s innovative RAM Academy, many of our young citizens would simply not have gone on to do the great things they are doing.

You have made this and so much more possible, and you have directly invested in Maricopa! As we continue to rapidly grow and expand at this critical time, let’s move forward and not backwards. Let us continue to invest in our youth and our future workforce and thereby directly in our future businesses, retail establishments, corporations and industry and that look each day at the success of our students and schools and make decisions on whether to locate in Maricopa.

I invite you to continue supporting Maricopa and our schools, and to CONTINUE the existing Maricopa Unified School District’s Override by voting YES!