The Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) is asking to sell $325 Million dollars in bonds in addition to a 15% budget override. After Principle and Interest, the bonds are almost $537 Million. All figures are based on the $325 Million number.

- If you aren't already registered to vote, the last day to register in order to be eligible to vote in this election is Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

• Check your voter registration status at ezaz.org/vote

- Ballots will be mailed on October 11, 2023. The last day to request early ballot October 27 

- VOTED BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 7 p.m., November 7th. MAIL ballots by October 31st.

All registered voters that reside in the DVUSD will receive a ballot by mail with voting instructions in the envelope.

- Allow students to participate in the GLSEN Day Of Silence Protest without notifying parents. This is a one day silent protest that encourages students to be silent for the full day in support of LGBTQ students. You may have students that wear tape over their mouths or otherwise cover their mouths. - SOURCE 

- Dedicated to Social Equity & Justice. - SOURCE 

- Equity teaches people and children that there is systemic racism, they are entitled to reparations and more because of the color of their skin. - SOURCE 

- Justice in this scenario stands for Defunding the Police. - SOURCE

- 93.22% Graduation Rate. 

- 56% of students are proficient or highly proficient at English Language Arts. 

- 50% of students are proficient or highly proficient at Math 

- Drug Use & Fight Clubs in Restrooms. - SOURCE

Deer Valley pays an average annual salary of $55,765 per teacher. The average annual salary in Phoenix is $48,000.

Voters will be asked to say yes or no on two measures: 

- The sale of $325 million in new bonds 

- A 15% Budget Override

- The cost of the override for homeowners is a continuation of $255.24 per year property tax on the average assessed home value. 

- The estimated average monthly cost on the average assessed value of a $259,650 home is $181.44/year, which is a continuation of the tax already being assessed from prior Bond authorizations. 

- Shows up on your tax bill as secondary property tax. 

- Property taxes combined add up to thousands of dollars! 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx

- Deer Valley Unified spends $11,560 per student 

- Deer Valley Unified has $25.6 million carried forward from 2022

- Without passage of the override, the district will have to reduce the operational budget by over $10 million each of the next three years of the phase down. 

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

Comparing to the 2018-2019 School Year Performance to the 2021-2022 School Year Performance 

- Drop in Enrollment of 1,174 Students 

- Drop Out Rate Nearly Doubled from 0.81% to 1.44% 

- 7% Drop in Math Proficiency 

- 1.47% Drop in Graduation Rate 

- 1% Increase in English Proficiency 

- Reported Instances of Violence Increased Slightly from 538 to 542 [More than 3 Instances per Day Based on 180 Days per Arizonan School Year] 

- Total Students Reported as Harassed or Bullied Dropped from 180 to 56 

- Total Students with Chronic Absenteeism Nearly Doubled from 4,729 to 8,818 

- Total Students Enrolled in at least One Advanced Placement Course Increased Slightly from 1,806 to 1,835

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

- If both measures are passed, the current Secondary tax rates will remain the same; however; 

- If the measures pass, the total amount of taxes paid will likely go higher if there is continued inflation related to property values.

- DVUSD is legally allowed to call the override a continuation even though we will vote to approve it as if it is new. 

- The $325 million in bonds is NOT a continuation and is a separate item on the property tax statement. 

- Both items will be separate items on the ballot.

The Deer Valley Override Election will help preserve current fine arts and athletic programs such as art, general and instrumental music, and physical education, as well as maintain class sizes. The funds will also be used to attract and retain highly qualified teachers and support staff. If the bond passes, voters are to get 

• Constructing school buildings 

• Renovating school buildings 

• Purchasing pupil transportation vehicles 

• Acquiring by purchase or lease school lots 

• Improving school grounds, including adjacent ways thereto 

• Supplying school buildings with furniture, equipment and technology 

• Liquidating indebtedness incurred for the purposes set forth herein 

• Providing all utilities and other capital items necessary for the construction and renovation of school buildings and for improving school grounds 

• Paying all architectural, design, engineering, project and construction management and other costs incurred in connection with the purposes set forth above; and 

• Paying all legal, financial and other costs in connection with issuance of the bonds

- If the override and bond measures are defeated, your landlord’s taxes will go down and could mitigate future rent increases. 

- Irrespective of being a property owner, we all want to see the kids receive a quality education. 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx