2025 Election Information

Yes, Kyrene has had a Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Override in place since 1983. Most recently, Kyrene voters approved the M&O Override in November 2021. An M&O Override is approved for seven years but must be renewed to maintain full funding. Kyrene only receives the full funding amount for five years. If not renewed after five years, the additional funding starts to phase out in year six—reduced by one third. It is then reduced by another third in year seven and fully eliminated in year eight—leading to significant budget reductions.

Although Kyrene's full funding of the current override does not expire until the end of the 2026-27 school year, Kyrene’s Long Range Planning Committee has recommended placing the renewal on the November 2025 ballot, during the fourth year. Renewing the override in Year 4 helps ensure there is no disruption to school funding.

Kyrene uses a timeless spending model to ensure that, regardless of the budget dollar amount, the percentage allocated to each spending area remains the same. This means each year, Kyrene makes a commitment to allocate approximately 75% to classroom spending and 25% to non-classroom spending. Classroom spending includes instruction, instructional support and student support (such as counselors and speech pathologists). Non-classroom spending includes transportation, plant operations (such as crossing guards and utilities) and administration (such as departmental staff and school leadership). Kyrene accounts for every dollar spent in the annual budget report.

Out of hundreds of districts in the state of Arizona, Kyrene is among the top 10 school districts for percentage of funding allocated to classroom spending. Additionally, Kyrene continues to be one of the lowest districts for administration costs per student, consistently well below the state average. (Note: Arizona has the lowest administrative costs in the country, so Kyrene has some of the lowest administration costs nationwide.)

No. There are rules and restrictions about how money for operational vs. capital  budgets can be used/spent. This means that reducing or eliminating any spending for capital projects is not a solution to increase Kyrene’s operational budget. 

Kyrene receives a total of $14.6M per year in M&O Override funding. If the override is not renewed in year five, funding would be cut by approximately $4.9M in the 2027-28 school year, an additional $4.9M in the 2028-29 school year, and another $4.8M in the 2029-30 school year.

Yes. The Kyrene community also passed a Bond and Capital Override in 2023. These measures are different from the M&O Override and serve separate, unique purposes. Bond and Capital Override funds cannot be used to pay for the same expenses that are covered by the M&O Override.

Bond

• Structural repairs and critical maintenance
• Safety and security infrastructure
• Transportation
• Playgrounds and fields

DAA/Capital Override

• Instructional technology
• Safety and security equipment
• Instructional and operational software