My thoughts on the MUSD override

Accountability, fiscal responsibility, attention to detail and foresight are all qualities that most of us in the community expect from our leaders, and we will hold them to exactly that for the greater good of our city and community. We must expect the same from the Maricopa Unified School District leaders. 

These individuals are responsible for our children’s education, safety and well being when they are attending school or after school functions. Those same leadership traits should not only be used on a daily basis for our children’s education but should also be used when making financial decisions that could potentially make or break the MUSD budget. As we all know the MUSD override failed the last two times it went to the voters of Maricopa. Let’s ask ourselves why it failed; to put it plainly, it failed because the citizens of Maricopa have finally come to the realization that we are paying for MUSD’s budget oversights and overspending, and we have finally had enough. Let’s hold the school board accountable for their actions instead of bailing them out with our already slim pocketbooks.

It is my opinion that the override is necessary, that being said, we must ask ourselves; “Why is it necessary?” The answer to that question relates back to my previous statement about holding those in charge of expenditures, expenses and income accountable for creating and sticking to a balanced budget based on fact not mere “speculations” as to what could potentially happen. 

In our daily lives we all have budgets that we must live by in order to ensure all of our bills get paid, our families have food on the table and clothing on our backs. Sometimes this comes with sacrifice of recreation activities as well as some “luxury” items that we all would love to have but must cut out in order to make ends meet. In business, the same principles apply to ensuring success and sustainability through tough economic times. Why should our school district’s operations be any different? 

Essentially MUSD is a business in that they have employees, customers (the parents/students), income and expenses, and, thus, they should operate like a business; i.e., adopting a balanced budget while considering the drop in home values, the lack of jobs, the recession and countless other economic issues our county is currently facing. They must make responsible cuts where necessary without jeopardizing the children’s education and/or safety.

To put the term “responsible cuts” in perspective I give the following example: Should MUSD increase class sizes, lay off teachers or cut out performing arts? NO! They should start at the top of the chain and work their way down. That is the decision that responsible and accountable leaders choose in order to make sacrifices that will not be detrimental to morale, safety and performance. With Prop 100 passing in May (if the AZ government does what they said with the money) MUSD should receive some additional funding there as well.  

Asking for more taxpayer dollars to fund bad decisions and overspending is way out of line. When is enough “enough?” And, if “enough” is not here yet… when does it end? 

Bridger Kimball

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A version of this article appeared in the August issue of InMaricopa News.

InMaricopa.com runs, on a regular basis, opinion pieces submitted by community members. This article is the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of InMaricopa.com. Have an opinion you’d like to share with Maricopa? Please email it and any applicable photos to [email protected] for consideration.