2022 Bond for QCUSD

QCUSD is experiencing community hypergrowth, which allows tax rates to remain the same as property values increase. In Queen Creek, the median market price for a home is about $585 thousand according to Realtor.com. While that may be what it’s valued on sites like Zillow or Redfin, the assessed value is different and comes from the Maricopa County Assessor. The average home in Queen Creek has a limited assessed value of about $243 thousand. The average property owner paid about $37.17 a month for QCUSD bonds in school year 21–22. If approved, properties appraised at the same value would pay a similar amount for QCUSD bonds for school year 23-24 as they did in 21–22, estimated at around $41 a month.

In Arizona, funding for local school construction and renovation comes from different sources. Charter schools receive money per student to fund all of their needs. District schools receive a lower amount per student and may apply for additional state money for construction projects through the School Facilities Oversight Board. The District has been diligent about securing as much of this funding as possible and continues to work with the SFOB. This funding is not sufficient to meet the needs of all school districts across the state each year, especially for school districts with a rapidly-growing population. The last option to fund district construction projects is through voter-approved bonds, which gives the public a say in the spending of their money.

QCUSD has a long history of fiscal responsibility and dedication to the taxpayers and community we serve. Not only does the bond money come with state-regulated requirements for spending, the district has spent previous bond money on exactly what voters approved, which includes constructing Eastmark High School’s Phase 1, Schnepf Elementary, and adding necessary expansions to existing schools to accommodate Queen Creek’s growing population. If approved, the district will use this funding for the same purpose– to keep up with hypergrowth in the community and provide classroom and activity space for our students.

QCUSD dedicates itself to spending tax dollars efficiently and keeping rates low. Since 2016, QCUSD’s overall tax rate has declined. The table below shows historical tax rates for the district:

The availability of these bonds would have an impact on programs, services, and equipment because if approved, the district would not need to spend money from the operating budget on capital project expenditures. This would allow for the use of more resources for curriculum, supplies like musical instruments, salaries, and other operating expenses.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, public school district funding has a direct monetary impact on property values. For every dollar spent on public schools, there is a $20 impact on surrounding property values. Proximity and quality of schools is one of the biggest deciding factors for home-buyer selection according to research from the National Association of Realtors. The population growth in Queen Creek and East Mesa in conjunction with QCUSD’s high-ranking schools is indicative of this correlation.