Scottsdale has always made education one of its top priorities. With its Unified School District at the helm, the city has been able to work on creating projects that not only focuses on the development of their students but also their teachers as well. This year is no different with the city successfully pushing for the approval of a budget override.
For the past seven years, Scottsdale’s request for a budget override has been approved providing the city with the means to fund school programs, hire more teachers, and maintain a teacher’s contract. Not since 2006 has the city been forced to deal with a rejection of their request for a budget override.
How the Budget Override Works
The budget override used by the Scottsdale Unified School District comes from a property tax fund that serves as an added source of money which schools can use for their needs. The budget is derived by combining the15 percent maintenance and operations override to renew two existing property taxes, allowing the school district to receive a budget of $4 million for the year. Without the approval for an override, Scottsdale’s school district won’t be able to get this additional funding making it difficult for them to approve any initiatives they have in mind for the school year.
What the Budget Override Can Do For Schools
Taking away $4 million is a huge blow for any school district. However, not everyone is aware on how important of a role this override has on Scottsdale’s various school districts. Here are number of benefits these schools can take from the approval of a budget override:
First, the added budget can serve as funding for school nurses in nursery and kindergarten classes. With the added budget, schools can have nurses stay in these classes all day to look after their students and address their every need. By having the funds to ensure that they’re part of the payroll, both parents and faculty members are assured that someone will be there to ensure their student’s well-being.
Second, the budget override is able to fund a school’s musical, arts, and athletic department. Any materials or equipment needed by the students to improve their craft can be sourced from this budget. This will enable schools to allocate and use their remaining funds on other academic programs.
Third, having this added funding at their disposal will give school districts the opportunity to hire more teachers and increase their number of work days. Providing more work days for teachers not only allows them to teach more students, it also helps in their professional development. In addition to teachers, the added funding can help schools hire assistant principals to help in overseeing school operations and implementing policies.
Lastly, the budget override will enable schools to have enough funds to pursue repairs and maintenance work on school buildings and classrooms. Aside from that, schools can also work on beefing up its security to help make the entire school and its classroom secure both for students and teachers
Comments (3)Subscribe to CommentsComment