TUSD property tax bills reflect new, voter-approved school override

Tucson Unified School District property owners are seeing a new line on their property tax bills, tied to the first successful TUSD maintenance and operations override in more than 40 years. Proposition 414, approved by voters in 2025, gives the district additional money for ongoing school operations and student programs. The seven year override took effect July 1, 2026, and is expected to provide roughly $45 million annually during its early years. For homeowners, TUSD estimates the tax at 98 cents for every $100 of net assessed value, or about $98 annually for each $100,000 of assessed value.

The actual charge varies according to a property’s assessed value, rather than its market value alone. Earlier estimates presented during the campaign put the rate at about $1.02 per $100 of net assessed valuation, which would have meant approximately $200 per year for a home assessed at $200,000. TUSD Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernandez said the amount appearing on individual bills depends on each property’s assessed valuation. The new charge is a secondary property tax collected within the district, and property owners have already contacted TUSD with questions about why it appears on their bills.

The proposition passed with 43,627 votes in favor and 34,037 opposed, according to Pima County’s unofficial election results. It authorized a 15% maintenance and operations override, allowing TUSD to spend beyond the state’s regular revenue control limit. That limit is calculated through state funding formulas. The additional authority is intended for recurring expenses such as salaries, staff and programs, rather than construction or major building projects. TUSD plans to review the override amount each year through its budget process.

The district’s financial plan includes teacher salary increases, with the campaign proposal calling for a 4% raise for certified teachers. It also said all other district employees would receive a pay increase. The proposed teacher compensation package was estimated at $7.3 million. The goal, according to district educators, is to help recruit and retain teachers. During the earlier explanation of the measure, TUSD said a first year teacher earning a base salary of $37,800 could reach $39,312 under the proposed increase.

Much of the override is directed toward instruction and student support. The district plans to add reading and math intervention teachers at schools that do not currently have those positions. It also intends to preserve fine arts and add art and music teachers at 14 schools. Physical education teachers are planned for all elementary and kindergarten through eighth grade schools. The package also includes more counselors, social workers at high schools, and programs focused on student attendance and helping students recover credits after failing courses.

Other planned uses include preschool tuition scholarships and five new prekindergarten classrooms, along with career and technical education specialists and career coaches. TUSD also identified funding for expanded fine arts and career programs. Hernandez said some effects are already visible on campuses, including additional counselors, more social workers serving high school students and new fine arts teachers at 14 schools. The district has described the spending as an effort to support academic recovery, mental and physical health, early learning and preparation for jobs after graduation.

The override is different from a school bond, a distinction that matters as taxpayers evaluate the charge. Overrides provide continuing money for people and programs, and they do not function as loans that must be repaid. Bonds are borrowed funds used for capital costs such as building renovations, new construction, security systems and athletic facilities, and they are repaid over time with interest. Three education measures discussed for the Nov. 4 ballot included the TUSD override and bond proposals for Sunnyside and Flowing Wells Unified School Districts. Together, those measures affected nearly 70,000 students and almost 10,000 full time employees.

School overrides are common in Pima County, where nearly all districts have one in place, in some cases for decades. TUSD’s vote was notable because its last successful override had occurred more than 30 years earlier, according to the campaign background, while the district’s previous major capital measure was a $480 million bond approved in 2023. The school override also should not be confused with a city of Tucson Proposition 414 concerning a local sales tax. That city proposal was rejected by voters and was unrelated to the TUSD measure carrying the same number.

The authorization lasts through June 30, 2033. The district’s plan called for up to about $45 million per year during the first five years, followed by approximately $30 million in the sixth year and $15 million in the seventh year. TUSD officials have said districts often return to voters in the fourth or fifth year to seek renewal, although this override would still require voter approval to continue after its authorized period. For now, Tucson property owners are paying for the measure through their tax bills, while families and employees will be watching whether the promised staffing, pay increases and student services continue to appear in classrooms and on campuses.