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Maricopa Unified board adopts FY2025-26 budget with 5% staff pay increase and proposed $5.6M levy
Summary
The Maricopa Unified School District board on July 9 adopted its FY2025-26 budget, approving staff pay increases, a teacher base-rate raise and a proposed $5.6 million primary levy; board voted unanimously to adopt the plan following a public hearing and presentation by the district finance lead.
The Maricopa Unified School District governing board voted unanimously July 9 to adopt the district's fiscal year 2025-26 budget after a public hearing and presentation from the district's finance lead, Mr. Harmon.
Harmon told the board the budget was prepared with conservative assumptions while the state budget was pending; once the state approved its plan on June 27 the district identified roughly $500,000 in one-time funds and about $600,000 in ongoing funds that were not cut. Harmon said the adopted plan provides a 5% salary increase for all staff, raises the teacher base rate from $54,000 to $56,000, and includes $2,600,000 for additional staffing. "It provides us a 5% salary increase for all staff and... increases the teacher base rate from 54,000 to 56,000," Harmon said during the presentation.
Harmon summarized the district's fund positions and limits: the Classroom Site Fund budget limit was cited at $16,600,000, the plan includes about $9,000,000 toward teacher salaries, and an estimated reserve of roughly $7,600,000. The presentation also referenced a proposed $5,600,000 levy to cover the expenditure plan and an estimated ending balance of just over $19,100,000, producing a combined budget limit cited as just over $24,800,000. Harmon noted the district's total budget under the state funding formula as $84,500,000, of which he said approximately $17,000,000 comes from local property tax while the remaining $67,500,000 comes from the state general fund.
Board action followed the presentation. Board member Shontay Rothschild moved to adopt the budget "as submitted"; Ben Owens seconded. The roll call recorded aye votes and the motion carried unanimously.
The board also completed the formal truth-in-taxation process during the hearing and will capture any additional state-related funding capacity in a September budget revision, as Harmon explained. The district said official levy numbers remain unofficial until the county treasurer finalizes calculations.
The board did not identify additional public comment on the budget at the meeting and took the formal adoption vote as the final step. Next steps identified in discussion included the routine September budget revision to reflect finalized state allocations.
