by Julie Farnsworth
Our current Gilbert School Board is once again asking for more money by extending the budget override! Our district currently receives federal tax dollars, state tax dollars, local property tax dollars, local voter approved bond dollars, and local override taxdollars. In requesting the extension, our school district leaders are telling us they cannot properly operate the district without it.
They are threatening to fire teachers and cut programs for our children if we taxpayers do not give them more money. Our children and their teachers are the very reason schools exist.
Do you know what the state and local school budgets are? Do you know who the school board members are and how they vote? Do you know who our school administrators are and how much they are paid? Have you looked at your own property tax bill to see how much you already pay? If not, become better educated before just sending more money. More money does not necessarily mean a better outcome. Realize too that once given, those dollars are within their power and control with very little transparency.
The majority of our property tax bill, approximately 72% is for education. The largest portion of that is the primary tax for Gilbert Unified School District. On my bill that amount rose a whopping 49.1% from last year.
The majority of our state budget (43%) goes exclusively for K-12 education.
Currently, the amount we spend per pupil is $9,412.00. Scroll to Table 2.
Because those who are making these decisions are choosing to fund the most important things last, we need to make some changes. School Board members and school administrators need to be better stewards of our hard earned tax dollars!
Please Vote No on the Override!
Vote Julie Smith, Daryl Colvin, and Eric Johnson for Gilbert School Board – three individuals who will put students, parents, and teachers first and hold the administration accountable in providing the best education combined with fiscal responsibility.