Arizona school funding
School Board Approves $138M Budget for Major Tax Cuts
The Maricopa Unified School District’s governing board approved its proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year during a meeting on Wednesday. Board members emphasized key investments in staff and facilities while announcing a notable decrease in local property tax rates.
Chief Financial Officer Jacob Harmon presented a $138 million budget. This budget includes allocations for teacher salary increases, new staffing, capital improvements, and school construction, largely funded by bond measures approved by voters. Harmon stated the district’s total tax rate is anticipated to decrease by more than 81 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
The overall tax rate will drop from 7.43% to 6.61%, resulting in taxpayer savings of $81.81 for every $100,000 in property valuation.
Harmon attributed this tax reduction to rising property values and the district’s dedication to responsible budgeting. “We remain committed to enhancing the quality of education,” he said in a press release.
During the board meeting, Harmon outlined that the maintenance and operations budget includes a 5% salary increase for all staff, as well as raising the base salary for teachers from $54,000 to $56,000. Notably, there will be no increase in employee medical insurance premiums. Additionally, $2.6 million is earmarked for new staffing to accommodate ongoing enrollment growth.
Due to the Arizona legislature’s failure to pass a state budget, MUSD must rely on educated estimates for its funding. The district is operating under preliminary assumptions, expecting a 2% increase in base per-pupil funding and modifications to one-time add-ons from the previous year.
The approved budget also allocates $5.6 million from the “adjacent ways” fund for road and utility improvements near upcoming school sites, including Farrell Road enhancements to serve one of two new K-8 schools.
A public hearing and the final budget adoption are scheduled for July 9 at 6:30 p.m. The complete budget will be accessible online starting June 16.
