General Election Information

Maintenance and operations (M&O) overrides pay for additional salaries and supplies that supplement the state formula capital spending authority. Littleton School District appreciates your interest in the district and our elections. To help keep community members informed, we will post information pertaining to school elections here. Below are frequently asked questions and answers about budget override election:

Maintenance & Operations Override Elections Information

What is the Maintenance and Operations override?

The maintenance and operations budget is established by an Arizona Legislature formula that considers Average Daily Membership (ADM), Student Weighted Counts and a set dollar amount per student weighted count. M&O Override funds are used to supplement the state funding formula for schools.

The District Revenue Control Limit is used to determine the maximum possible amount of a Maintenance and Operation (M&O) Override. The current M&O Override is 15% of the Revenue Control Limit, and that is what voters are being asked to renew in November. Funds raised through overrides go directly to the local school district, unlike state tax funds, which are allocated to school districts statewide. Overrides offer the community control over a portion of their annual taxes.

Why does a school district ask for voter approval to exceed its maintenance and operations budget?

Exceeding the maintenance and operations budget allows the district to provide a higher quality education, offer more programs and services to better meet the needs of students, and adequately prepare children to be successful contributing members of our community.

How long are maintenance and operations override funds good for?

Littleton’s override elections provide funding to the school district for seven years. The district receives the full amount of the approval for five years; in the sixth year, the amount decreases by one-third; and in the seventh year, the amount decreases by two-thirds. Voters must reauthorize the override by the seventh year, or the district no longer receives the override funding.

Capital Override Elections Information

Capital overrides pay for equipment that supplements the state formula capital spending authority. Littleton School District appreciates your interest in the district and our elections. To help keep community members informed, we will post information pertaining to school elections here. Below are frequently asked questions and answers about budget:

What is a capital override?

Arizona State Law allows school districts to increase their capital budgets by an amount up to 10% of the Revenue Control Limit (RCL) with voter approval. The RCL is a state formula that determines how much funding school districts receive from the state each year.

Why does a school district ask for voter approval to exceed its capital budget?

Between 2008 and 2018, the state had withheld substantial capital funding for school districts. Cuts to the capital budget affected funding for things such as school buses and other vehicles, computers, equipment, textbooks, furniture, and facilities maintenance and renovations.

Exceeding the capital budget allows the district to provide a higher quality education to adequately prepare children and provide them with skills to succeed in a knowledge-based economy. The capital override provides the funding to purchase equipment and technology for use by students and staff in the classroom, to purchase textbooks and digital libraries, and to maintain/renovate schools and district buildings.

How long are capital override funds good for?

Littleton School District’s capital override provides funding to the school district for seven years. Voters may reauthorize the capital outlay override in the seventh year.

Bond Authorization Elections Information

Bond authorization funds finance the acquisition of permanent equipment and facilities. Littleton School District appreciates your interest in the district and our elections. To help keep community members informed, we will post information pertaining to school elections here. Below are frequently asked questions and answers about budget override election:

What is a school district bond?

The simplest way to think of a bond is like a mortgage. Bonds can only be used for real property that will be useful for years and years, much like a home. Bond funds are not used for supplies or salaries. The difference between a home mortgage and a government bond sale is the number of ‘notes’ being held. Most homes will have one or two mortgage notes. Government bonds are sold in specific values over specific time periods. People can buy them just like bank certificates of deposit (CDs) for short or long terms and different interest rates. The taxes raised go to pay the note and the interest when it comes due. These payments are called “debt service.”

What is bonding capacity?

The Arizona legislature sets limits on the amount of bonds that can be issued or sold by a school district (depending on its type). The limit is based upon the total value of the property in the school district boundaries. Districts with very valuable properties have high limits, and districts without a lot of valuable property have lower limits. Even if voters would approve more bonds or taxes, school districts cannot sell more than the legal capacity allowed by law.

What is Students FIRST?

In 1998, the Arizona state legislature passed, and the state governor approved, Senate Bill (SB110 I), a revised version of Students FIRST (Fair and Immediate Resources for Students Today). Students FIRST follows constitutional requirements by setting adequacy standards for school buildings and assigned the school facilities board, a state-level board, to develop a detailed standard. The goal of the Students FIRST legislation is to provide enough funding to bring existing facilities up to adequate standards and maintain all capital facilities at adequate levels; however, the Arizona legislature has failed to provide the necessary funding for several years.

The information provided by Littleton School District is A.R.S. § 15-511 compliant and conforms to guidelines set forth by the Attorney General regarding activities prohibited under statute.