If you are a Fountain Hills resident and a registered voter, you should have received your ballot by now. Please vote “yes” for the FHUSD Maintenance and Operations budget override continuation/increase.

That is not quite how the ballot reads, but that is in fact what you are voting for. The school district has had an M&O budget override in place since the 1990s. This provides additional and necessary funding for staff salaries and programs in our local schools.

Over the past decade, this additional funding has become even more critical as Arizona’s state education budget has failed to sufficiently fund our public schools. A yes vote means the override will be renewed and increased slightly, allowing the schools to maintain all day kindergarten, increase teacher salaries and continue to provide excellent programs for our students.

Unfortunately, a no vote means that the override that has been a part of the district’s funding foundation for decades will be phased out and the district will be forced to cut its annual M&O budget by over a million dollars in the coming years. These cuts would result in staff and salary reductions, higher class sizes and loss of programs.

Our schools are the cornerstone of our community and as Fountain Hills’ largest employer, an important economic driver for the town. No amenity or attraction will attract families better than great schools. Please vote yes for Fountain Hills students, teachers, schools and our community and mail your ballot back today.