Maricopa Unified adopts FY2025–26 budget, raises teacher base to $56,000 and budgets 5% staff raise

The Maricopa Unified School District governing board on July 9 adopted the district’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget and truth-in-taxation report, approving the spending plan the district says funds a 5% salary increase for all staff, a raise in the teacher base from $54,000 to $56,000 and $2.6 million in additional staffing.

District finance presenter Mister Harmon told the board the adopted budget is built on conservative assumptions from preliminary auditor-general forms and that the state approved its budget after Maricopa Unified filed its proposal. Because the board is not allowed to change a proposed budget at adoption, the district will capture recently approved state funding in a September budget revision, Harmon said.

Harmon said the district anticipates enrollment growth of about 375 average daily membership and additional funding because the district’s average teacher experience exceeds the state average. The adopted plan maintains current employee medical benefits with no cost increase and adds an employee wellness program.

The adopted operating and capital summary in the presentation shows a classroom site fund budget limit of about $16.6 million, a planned expenditure of about $9.0 million toward teacher salaries and an estimated classroom site fund reserve at year-end of roughly $7.6 million. The capital summary includes $1.2 million rolled into future needs, an estimated $17.5 million for Feral Road construction and $500,000 for parking-lot projects across the district. The presentation also referenced an estimated $5,600,000 levy described as funding for "adjacent ways" to cover the proposed expenditure plan.

Harmon summarized that the district’s total budget derived from the state funding formula is about $84.5 million, of which roughly $17.0 million is expected from local property taxes and about $67.5 million from the state general fund. He said rising property values lowered the district’s tax rates: the combined district tax rate is down about $0.81, which Harmon estimated translates to about an $81.81 reduction in annual taxes per $100,000 of limited home value.

Board members had no substantive questions during the discussion. The motion to adopt the FY2025–26 budget passed unanimously.

The board was told the state approved a base-level 2% increase and preserved certain one-time and ongoing funding items the district had assumed; those changes will be incorporated in the planned September revision because statute prevents changing a proposed budget at adoption.

Adoption of the budget completes the district’s formal truth-in-taxation action for FY2025–26; Harmon noted the county treasurer had not yet certified official levy numbers, so the presented tax rates were unofficial.

The board’s next scheduled meeting will include the September revision if staff proceed with the updated revenue assumptions.