Gilbert Schools: $36 Million Cuts Loomed Without Override Vote | The Locally Times
Gilbert Schools: $36 Million Cuts Loomed Without Override Vote
Teacher salaries, student programs, and campus safety were on the line as Gilbert Public Schools faced a $36 million budget shortfall if voters rejected a critical override continuation in the November 2024 election. ## Voters Decided $36 Million Override Voters living within Gilbert Public Schools boundaries decided on the proposed 15% budget override continuation on November 5, 2024. If approved, this measure would have continued to provide the district with approximately $36 million each year. Gilbert Public Schools documents indicated that if the override continuation was not approved, the district would have faced budget reductions totaling approximately $36 million over three years, beginning with the 2025/26 school year. ## Funding Priorities and Tax Impact The $36 million generated by the override was intended to target critical areas: competitive salaries for teachers and staff, diverse programmatic choices for students, campus safety personnel, and efforts to maintain class sizes. However, district records did not specify the exact allocation of the $36 million across these priorities. ## Separate Vote: Land Sales for Capital Needs Alongside the budget override, voters also considered a second question regarding the potential sale of two land parcels, identified as the Madero and Cole properties. This land sale request aimed to provide Gilbert Public Schools with additional flexibility for future capital needs at existing buildings. The district's records noted that voter approval was required for the sale of land. The authority to sell, if granted, would not expire, nor would the Governing Board be immediately obligated to proceed with a sale. The district previously sold the Neely Traditional Building in 2022, generating nearly $7 million for capital improvements. ## Key Questions Before the Vote **What would have happened if the override was not approved?** Gilbert Public Schools would have faced approximately $36 million in budget cuts over three years, beginning in the 2025/26 school year.