Local opinion: Please join me in voting for Proposition 414 for schools

I’m a senior at University High School in TUSD. I’ll be one of the first in my class to vote this November, and I’m asking you to join me in voting Yes on Proposition 414.

This is simple. Prop 414 is a seven-year maintenance and operations override that is an investment in the people of our school district. It raises teacher pay, keeps counselors and social workers in our schools, brings more reading and math support to campuses that need it, maintains and expands arts and PE in elementary schools, adds pre-K classrooms, and strengthens career and technical education. It’s targeted help that is desperately needed and students will feel every day.

Here’s what it means in plain terms:

Teacher pay will be increased, which we need to compete with nearby districts and keep the teachers who make the difference for me and other students. Why shouldn’t we pay the teachers who stay after school to sponsor clubs or grade papers a competitive wage?

Counselors and social workers are funded, and the counselor-to-student ratio moves from 500:1 to 400:1. This is essential to get the mental health guidance we need. When only 20% of students in the U.S. report getting adequate mental health care, we must meet this need.

More reading and math interventionists, credit recovery, and attendance support so students don’t fall behind.

Fine arts, PE and five new full-day pre-K classrooms for a stronger start. Career pathways with added specialists and career coaches so students graduate ready for college or a job.

The cost is reasonable. For a $200,000 home, it’s projected to cost about $200 per year. That’s roughly $17 per month. In return, the district can generate about $45 million a year for the first five years, then $30 million in year six, and $15 million in year seven. That funding goes straight to students and staff. For less than the cost of an entree at Olive Garden, you can ensure the future of students like me. That seems like a pretty good deal.

I care because TUSD has empowered me with the skills to succeed. Whether it is my math teacher who stays after school to help me with the derivative I still don’t understand or the chemistry teacher who opens his classroom at 7:30 in the morning so I can cram for my test in a couple hours, the staff of this district are what makes it so amazing. But we can’t keep these amazing educators while paying below competing districts. When our teachers leave for better pay elsewhere, we feel it the next day in the classroom. This override keeps talent here.

It’s also time. TUSD hasn’t had a successful override in more than 30 years. Other districts rely on overrides to fund core services, including Phoenix Union and Deer Valley Unified.

As a student, this override is more than money; it is an investment in the future of 42,000 students like me. When I cast my vote for this override, I cast it knowing most of the students in our district cannot vote yet, but need their voices heard. In casting your vote, you are giving students a voice.

Election Day is Nov. 4. You can also drop your ballot off at local voting centers through Election Day.

Our education is worth this investment. Please vote yes on Prop 414.