Taxes, taxes, taxes and the MUSD override measure

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By Jeff Kramarczyk

Taxes are a necessity, one that we have all come to accept. However, any proposal to increase them is typically met with pushback.  The 2016 MUSD override proposal is no different. Property owners within the Maricopa Unified School District boundaries are being asked to fund a proposal totaling $9.2 million over seven years. This is estimated to cost $132 per year in additional property taxes (based on an assessed property value of $100,000), and residents have dug their feet in, repeatedly.

In contrast, when a community is asked to pay for a new park, recreation facility or a new college campus, these bond measures get a much warmer reception.  In 2008, Maricopa residents were asked to approve two bonds totaling nearly $164 million to finance the construction of a college campus, two parks, a recreation center and a library.

These proposals were passed with an approval rating of 60 percent and we now have a beautiful facility in the Copper Sky Recreation Complex, a source of pride for our community and the envy of many of our neighbors.

So what is it that makes bond measures different? I suspect that greater acceptance is rooted in three areas, a well-documented need, clarity in the proposal and tangibility of the final product.  Surveys indicated the community clearly felt there was a need for additional recreational facilities.

A proposal was created that provided a wonderfully illustrated blueprint of how the money would be used, with a well-defined timeline of when the final products were to be delivered. Finally, the result of these expenditures was something the community could see, from the expansive green in the park’s turf to the highly polished floors of the indoor basketball courts. All of this gave voters the confidence to approve the measure.

In years past, these were elements the MUSD override attempts were missing, but not this year.  With current class sizes pushing the threshold of acceptable levels and classroom technology being well behind competing schools, teachers, administrators, parents and steering committees all agree that the need for funding a solution is paramount.

With the override, that solution has been clearly defined in the proposal outlined before us.  Annually, approximately $2.2 million will be used for hiring 47 teachers to reduce class sizes and expand the curriculum, with the remaining $500,000 invested in instructional technology. This is a clear and simple proposal to solve the identified need.

As for the tangible product, we will immediately see a reduction in student-to-teacher ratios, a core metric for those researching the best option for their children. We will also see the immediate implementation of current technologies to provide teachers with the necessary tools to challenge and engage.

Less immediate is the impact these improvements will have on school performance, and even further out is the impact this will have on our community as a whole.

Make no mistake, a thriving school district is a source of pride for a community, and recent trends indicate MUSD can deliver a product that will be the envy of our neighbors. Just as with our Copper Sky Recreation Complex, we just need to make the investment to reap the rewards.

Jeff Kramarczyk is president of the Maricopa Education Foundation.

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This op/ed appeared in the April issue of InMaricopa.