PHOENIX (AZ Family) — Arizona consistently ranks among the worst in the country when it comes to funding public education, and now some school districts in the Phoenix area are poised to take another hit.

Voters in at least nine school districts in Maricopa County appear to have said “no” to local bonds and overrides that would raise property taxes to help pay for K-12 education.

The money supports everything from building maintenance and teacher salaries to all-day kindergarten.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” Phoenix resident Anisten Wilson said. “I think it’s important to have a strong school district with appropriate opportunities for kids to grow up, so that’s our future.”

Curtis Finch, superintendent of the Deer Valley Unified School District, said this week’s election results will force the district to reduce its budget by $11 million annually for the next three years.

“This is real money and this is a real problem,” Finch said. “A superintendent’s philosophy is to protect the classroom. Our number one primary goal is education, so that’s what you’re trying to protect with the staff that helps with that.”

Participating in arts and music programs and athletics programs may require students to pay fees, Finch said; Discussions on what cuts will be made will begin on Monday.

He worries this will create unequal opportunities for students based on whether they can afford certain activities.

Many angry parents on social media are voicing their frustration that their bonds and invalidations are not going away.

Among the comments:

• “Can anyone who voted no on this explain why?”
• “I’m very disappointed.”
• “Anyone who voted no should be ashamed of themselves.”

Brian Gauthier, parent of a high school senior, supported the municipal bond issue but wasn’t surprised so many were rejected.

He says there’s growing distrust in how school boards spend money.

“If you ask parents like me, most parents want to support our kids, and that’s definitely what we want our money to go towards,” Gauthier said. “But there are doubts about whether politicians are doing the right thing on this issue.”

Most school districts that failed to recruit voters support this plan to try again in two years.

For updates on all election results, visit: Arizona’s Family election results page.

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