The Governing Board of the Sunnyside Unified School District will ask voters to approve a 15 percent maintenance and operations budget override election in November.
During the past four years, the maintenance and operations budget has been cut by more than $13 million, Hector M. Encinas, chief financial officer, told the board this week. Eighty-five percent of this budget goes for employees’ pay and benefits.
Last year, voters approved an $88 million bond issue for the district, but turned down a 10 percent maintenance and operations budget override.
The district will be required to reduce its maintenance and operations budget by $5.3 million over the next two years if voters do not approve an override this fall, Encinas said. He predicted staff and program cuts.
If the override is approved by voters, the 2013-14 maintenance and operations budget would increase to $90.3 million, Encinas said.
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He said the district then could maintain current programs, hire additional staff, cut class sizes and increase pay for employees.
The board also approved a tentative $143.7 million upcoming school year budget, down $3.3 million from the current budget. The final budget adoption for 2012-13 is expected July 10.
The budget includes:
• $83.7 million in maintenance and operations. This budget pays for all-day kindergarten; art, music and physical education classes at elementary schools; special education; maintenance; transportation; and utilities.
• $1.5 million in unrestricted capital. This budget pays for items not related to classroom instruction, but the law allows districts to use the money for instructional purposes if needed.
• $686,455 in soft capital. This budget pays for textbooks, library books, furniture and computers for instructional programs.
• $5.06 million in Prop. 301 monies. This increase has been budgeted to help maintain salaries because of the loss of federal monies for certified staff.
The Sunnyside district is the second-largest in the Tucson area, with 22 schools, about 18,000 students and 2,145 employees.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com
