HELP SCHOOLS, HELP YOURSELF

From Fountain Hills to Wickenburg, from Gilbert to Agua Fria, school districts across Maricopa County are asking voters to help keep them afloat.

More than two dozen districts are asking voters to approve budget overrides, crucial funding that keeps class sizes from growing larger, prevents arts and physical education from being eliminated and generally allows for better education than would be possible with state funding alone.

That’s been especially true the past several years, as the Legislature slashed its support of public schools to balance the budget. Yet at the same time, many school districts encountered resistance from voters who rejected override renewals. That made tough times tougher.

The important thing to remember about these overrides is they are renewals. You’re already paying the taxes; a yes vote won’t increase your tax bill.

And budgets already are built around these overrides. A no vote means something has to be cut, and that is usually teachers or programs. The result is bigger classes and a diminution of anything that isn’t math, reading or writing — the subjects on which school grades are based. There is much more to a fully rounded student than those three subjects.

The economic recovery remains tenuous. Congress adds to the uncertainty. We get that. It could be a reason to be extra careful and vote against your local override.

But the cost of an override can usually be measured in pennies a day. Its returns, in stronger schools and better-educated students, are astronomical. If there is an overrride on your ballot, you’ll do yourself a favor by voting yes.