The Fountain Hills Unified School District board has voted unanimously to call for reauthorization of its maintenance and operations override levy.

The board voted at its June 14 regular session to place the question on the ballot for voters in the November 2017 election. The proposal calls for an all-mail ballot.

In a letter authorized for publication in the election publicity pamphlet, the board states that the override is “part of the district’s ‘funding foundation’ and cannot be replaced with other funds.”

The statement goes on to say “the maintenance and operations override is vital to the academic success of our students. FHUSD provides unequaled educational experiences for our students and is ranked as a top district in Maricopa County and the State of Arizona.”

The current Maintenance and Operations override went into effect in 2013 and lasts for seven years but, due to the nature of how overrides work, it is time to consider a future election.

The district’s 18-member Override Committee recommended the board go forward. The committee is responsible for determining if and when FHUSD should seek an override election. District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sweeney explained that a 100 percent consensus had been reached concerning whether or not the District should pursue an override renewal and that a consensus had also been reached to move the percentage for said override from 13 percent to 15 percent.

So why is the District considering renewal of the override just a four years into its six year lifespan? Sweeney explained to the board at an earlier meeting that if an override is not renewed by the sixth year, the funds available to the District are reduced by a third. A year later, they reduce by another third. After that, they are gone.

The District is currently in year three, with year four starting this August.

If an override is not passed this November, then the District would have a second opportunity to seek approval in 2018, if needed. If met with failure both times, that would mean a reduction in monies of $328,000 beginning in the current overrides sixth year.

Sweeney has also pointed out that the timing of a 2017 election would be beneficial, as no other local ballot initiatives are expected this November.

As far as what the funding of the override provides FHUSD, monies are currently planned to continue to provide full-day kindergarten, increase salaries for local teachers, maintain staffing, provide funds to supplement program costs and provide professional development. These are considered general areas and could be redirected over the course of the override, depending on what is deemed best by the current Governing Board.

The full budget override amount is estimated to be $1,115,857 and would be funded with an estimated $0.24 tax rate per $100 of net assessed valuation for secondary property taxes. This is approximately $0.03 higher than the current tax rate for the existing override.

The election is to be a mailed ballot only election with no polling sites provided. Ballots will be mailed to qualified electors living within the district no earlier than 26 days prior to the election and no later than 15 days prior to the election. Ballots must be received or dropped off at one of the designated ballot drop box locations designated by the county elections department no later than 7 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017.

The last day to register to vote in this election is Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.