PHOENIX — As Maricopa County election officials continue counting votes, several large public school districts in the Valley are failing to pass bonds and overrides.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 18 of 27 bonds and overrides elections in Maricopa County were passing.
Districts that are behind include Deer Valley Unified Schools, Peoria Unified Schools, Buckeye Union High School District, Chandler Unified and Higley Unified school districts
The local property taxes fund everything from all-day kindergarten, building repairs and teacher raises.
An independent analysis showed over the past two elections statewide, 59 bonds and overrides passed while 23 failed.
Below are results of most bond and override elections in Maricopa County, representing about 1.3 million votes. The totals represent about half of all ballots cast in the county. Another drop of results by the county elections department is expected late Wednesday afternoon.
Alhambra ESD – Override Yes 70% to 30%
Queen Creek ESD Override Yes 52% to 48%
Buckeye Union High School District – Bond No 58% to 42%
Glendale Union High School District –Bond Yes 54% to 46%
Tolleson UHSD – Bond Yes 51% to 49%
Tolleson ESD Override – Yes 63% to 37%
Agua Fria UHSD – Bond No 50.14% to 49.86% (130 votes)
Wilson ESD – Bond Yes 59% to 41%
Peoria USD – Bond No 54% to 46%
Creighton ESD – Bond Yes 56% to 44%
Balsz ESD – Bond Yes 60% to 40%
Laveen ESD – Bond Yes 54% to 46%
Override Yes 59% to 41%
Higley USD – Bond No 57% to 43%
Override No 50.68% to 49.32%
Chandler USD – Bond No 54% to 46%
Dysart USD – Bond No 54% to 46%
Deer Valley USD – Bond No 54% to 46%
Override No 53% to 47%
Gilbert USD – Override Yes 52% to 48%
Avondale ESD – Override Yes 57% to 43%
Tempe ESD – Override Yes 69% to 31%
Search latest results for all districts at the Maricopa County Elections website and type a key word for a school district.
Districts whose voters consistently pass local tax increases include Glendale Union (9 for 10), Alhambra Elementary School District (10 for 12), Phoenix Union High School District (11 for 13), Tempe Schools (12 for 12), Mesa Unified (7 for 8), and Flagstaff Unified (11 for 12).
Other local districts have seen mixed results since the recession in 2008. Peoria Unified (42 schools) is 4 for 9. Dysart Unified (27 schools) is 3 for 9. Queen Creek Unified (17 schools) is 5 for 11.
Over that span of time, three East Valley districts have struggled the most. J.O. Combs Unified (8 schools) is 1 for 6. Apache Junction Unified (6 schools) is 0 for 6. Cave Creek Unified (7 schools) is 1 for 6.
“It does feel like there’s a public school backlash which we’re fighting against,” said Rebecca Gau of the nonprofit Stand For Children.
Educators agree property values surrounding a school district should not determine the quality of education. But bond and override elections can create disparities over time. For example, Tempe schools have passed 12 of the past 12 bonds and overrides. By contrast, Cave Creek Unified has passed just one of the past six and Apache Junction has passed none of the past six.
Rural districts typically have greater difficulty passing bonds and overrides.
