The Pendergast Elementary School District is asking to sell $100 Million dollars in bonds in addition to a 15% budget override of $7.65 million dollars.

- If you aren't already registered to vote, the last day to register in order to be eligible to vote in this election is Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

• Check your voter registration status at ezaz.org/vote

- Ballots will be mailed on October 11, 2023. The last day to request early ballot October 27 

- VOTED BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 7 p.m., November 7th. MAIL ballots by October 31st.

All registered voters that reside in the Pendergast Elementary School District will receive a ballot by mail with voting instructions in the envelope.

- Had an Educator Face Discipline For Sexual Misconduct With Minors This Year - SOURCE 

- Implemented Divsersity, Equity, and Inclusion on June 20, 2023 - SOURCE 

- Equity teaches people and children that there is systemic racism, they are entitled to reparations and more because of the color of their skin. - SOURCE 

- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion teaches students and people that white people are oppressors. - SOURCE

- 28% of students are proficient or highly proficient at English Language Arts 

- 20% of students are proficient or highly proficient at Math

Pendergast Elementary pays an average annual salary of $58,501 to teachers. The average annual salary in Phoenix is $48,000.

Voters will be asked to say yes or no on two measures: 

- The sale of $100 million in new bonds 

- A 15% Budget Override that will cost $7.65 million

- The estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $1.25 per $100 of net assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes. 

- The budget override amount for the first year of the proposed continuation is estimated to be $7,650,000. It would be funded in that year by an estimated $1.57 tax rate per $100 of net assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes. 

- Shows up on your tax bill as secondary property tax. 

- Property taxes combined add up to thousands of dollars! 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx

Pendergast Elementary spends $13,079 per student per year.

- Without passage of the override, the district will have to reduce the operational budget. 

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

Comparing to the 2018-2019 School Year Performance to the 2021-2022 School Year Performance 

- Drop of 15% in Enrollment 

- Increased Drop Out Rate of More than 2.5 Times from 1.17%% to 3.07% 

- 13% drop in Math Proficiency 

- 6% drop in English Proficiency 

- Reported Instances of Violence Skyrocketed from 0 to 356 [Nearly 2 per Day Based on 180 Days per Arizonan School Year] 

- Total Students Reported as Harassed or Bullied Collapsed from 84 to 0 

- Total Students with Chronic Absenteeism Increased from 2,495 to 2,814

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

- If the measures pass, the current Secondary tax rates will remain the same; however; 

- If the measures pass, the total amount of taxes paid will likely go higher if there is continued inflation related to property values.

- Pendergast Elementary is legally allowed to call the override a continuation even though we will vote to approve it as if it is new. 

- The $100 million in bonds is NOT a continuation and is a separate item on the property tax statement. 

- Both items will be separate items on the ballot.

The Bond dollars will be used in the following manner: 

- Construction Projects 

- Renovate many of the district buildings which are aging and must be upgraded for health and safety standards to be met. 

- New essential construction projects including classroom additions and renovations to align with our Strategic Vision and Planning work that has been conducted with our communities. 

- Continue to provide improvements to the learning environment for students, staff, and families at every school site. 

- Address three primary areas to help the district create a user-friendly technology system that provides: 

- Maintaining the 1 to 1 computer initiative for students in grades Kindergarten - 8th grade 

- Increasing wireless capabilities throughout the district - Improvements, replacements and upgrades in the district’s technology infrastructure, including security, network capability, wireless applications, school and student computer access 

- Safety upgrades, maintenance, replacement, and refurbishing of schools and district facilities such as: 

- Camera and intercom systems 

- Energy efficient interior and exterior lighting 

- Upgrading of fire alarm and security systems 

- Roof repair/replacement 

- Replace flooring 

- School-specific repairs, equipment replacement and improvements - Replacement of furniture 

- Replacement of aging buses and the vehicle fleet. The Override funds will be used in the following manner: 

- Maintain the district average class size at the ratio of 27 to 1 

- Provide free full day kindergarten for all schools and/or support staff for classroom teachers 

- Continue to offer all students K-8 special classes such as Art, Music, Physical Education and STEAM Academies 

- Continue to provide Counselors at each school for students and families 

- Continue to provide school Health Service providers on every campus 

- Continue to staff and provide resources for school libraries through the use of Library Media Technicians

- If the override and bond measures are defeated, your landlord’s taxes will go down and could mitigate future rent increases. 

- Irrespective of being a property owner, we all want to see the kids receive a quality education. 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx