Gilbert Schools Seeks $36M Override, Omits Taxpayer Cost Details | The Locally Times
For a $36M override, Gilbert Public Schools claims no tax increase but provides no data on homeowner costs or specifics on the $36M in threatened cuts.
The Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board has approved a measure for the November 5, 2024, election asking voters to authorize a 15% budget override continuation projected to generate approximately $36 million annually. According to district documents, the measure is a continuation of an override passed in 2019, and the district asserts it is not a tax increase. District records frame the vote as critical for maintaining operational stability. The funds are designated for four key areas: ensuring competitive salaries to recruit and retain staff, maintaining student programs, funding campus security personnel, and managing class sizes. The vote presents residents with a choice: approve the continuation to maintain current school funding and associated property taxes, or reject it, which would trigger a phased reduction of the tax and a corresponding cut to the district’s budget. ## Unclear Taxpayer Impact The central claim in the district’s messaging is that the override is not a tax increase, based on the premise that the tax levy is already in place. Continuing the override would maintain the existing tax rate for this measure. However, allowing the current override to expire would result in a decrease in property taxes. By voting to continue the override, property owners would be voting to forgo a future tax reduction. The district’s public-facing documents do not provide a detailed analysis of this dynamic. A frequently asked questions section on the district’s election page includes a heading about tax rate considerations but provides no subsequent information. The records contain no models showing the tax impact on an average homeowner, nor do they explain how changes in property valuations since 2019 might affect the actual dollar amount residents pay if the override is continued. This absence of data prevents voters from calculating the financial difference between approving or rejecting the measure. ## A $36 Million Hole Gilbert Public Schools presents a stark consequence should voters reject the override. According to the district’s election page, failure to pass the measure would force administrators to cut approximately $36 million from the budget. These cuts would be phased in over three years, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. While the $36 million figure is prominently featured, the district’s public documents lack a specific breakdown of what would be cut. The district states the override funds salaries, student programs, security, and class sizes, but it does not provide a prioritized list of reductions or identify which specific services would be diminished or eliminated. It is not specified how many teaching positions would be lost, which programs would be removed, or what the effect on class sizes would be. This information gap leaves the district's primary argument for the override without a clear, evidence-based foundation for public assessment. ## Unverified Claims of Financial Stewardship Beyond the questions of tax impact and budget cuts, the district’s public materials contain other informational gaps. As part of its case to voters, district election materials assert that Gilbert Public Schools operates under strict financial stewardship and has received national awards for excellence in financial reporting. However, the documents do not name the specific awards, the organizations that conferred them, or the years in which they were received. Without these details, the claim of national recognition cannot be independently verified. The district’s Finance Department page, overseen by the Director of Finance, lists links to various financial reports but does not connect them to any specific awards mentioned in the election materials. The page details the department’s objective to ensure compliance with financial guidelines but does not offer substantiating details for the awards. Voters must consider a $36 million annual request based on a series of claims that are not fully substantiated in the district’s primary public documents. The precise effect on property tax bills, the specific programs and positions at risk of elimination, and the evidence for the district’s proclaimed financial stewardship remain undefined.