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:

District Additional Assistance Election FAQ

Littleton School District appreciates your interest in the district and upcoming election. To help keep community members informed, information pertaining to school elections is posted on this page. Below is a list of frequently asked questions and answers on Littleton School District’s capital outlay override election.

What is a budget limit override?

Arizona State Law caps the amount of funds districts receive using a funding formula. These funds are used to purchase furniture, fixtures, equipment, technology, and buses among other things. The law also allows school districts to increase their budgets by an amount not greater than ten percent of the Revenue Control Limit (RCL) for capital purposes with voter approval. The RCL is a state formula that determines how much funding school districts are allowed to spend each year. A District can ask for a capital outlay override or a maintenance and operations override.

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

Exceeding the capital outlay 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.

The District has been a conservative steward of the funds that have been provided by the State; however, Arizona public schools are challenged with capital budgets that are not keeping pace with inflation. The financial shortfall makes it difficult for schools to maintain and improve infrastructure, purchase necessary equipment, and support other critical needs. The gap between the available budget and the rising cost due to inflation is creating significant challenges for education systems in the state.

For what is the district additional assistance override used?

The District is asking the voters to approve the District Additional Assistance which contains the same items as the 2018 override with a $1,000,000 increase for student growth and inflation. Many of the expenses at the schools will be expended in the classroom with the vast majority of the District Additional Assistance Override funds at the school sites. This District Additional Assistance Override request was approved by the voters in November of 2012 and 2018. This measure is designed to protect the purchasing power per student as the district continues to grow.
These dollars will be used for:

• Instructional and informational technology and materials
• Pupil Transportation vehicles and facilities maintenance and improvements, including furniture and equipment

How long are override funds good for?

Littleton’s override elections provide funding to the school district for seven years. Voters must reauthorize the override by the seventh year, or the district no longer receives the override funding.

How will the district additional assistance override funds benefit Littleton students?

The district additional assistance override funds will benefit students in a number of ways. First, the funds will help the district upgrade its current instructional materials; this includes textbooks and instructional materials including software. The funds will allow for continuation of the district’s current 1:1 technology plan. In addition, the funding will pay for technology replacements and facility improvements and the purchase of additional student transportation vehicles.

What happens if the overrides are not passed?

If the District Additional Assistance override is not approved, then the District will not be able to increase its capital outlay budget and those programs would not be implemented and the capital items would not be purchased.

How does the override affect my tax rate?

The district additional assistance override election will have an effect on your tax rate. If approved, the average owner-occupied homeowner in the District would see their property taxes go up for an average $18.72 per year over the life of the override compared to the current override approved by voters. That equates to $1.56 cents per month or slightly above five cents a day.

Property values went up 47.2% since the voters approved this six years ago, but the Board has only proposed a 20.3% increase. To renew this override results in an average $1.56 monthly increase compared to the last election and even less over the life of the override.

When is the next capital outlay override election?

The election is November 5, 2024.

For more election information, log on to the Maricopa County Recorders Office.

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.

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.