In 2018, the Mesa Public Schools community approved a $300 million bond for capital projects that provided much-needed improvements to schools across the district. The community has generously kept an override in place since 1995, to support salaries and employee-related expenses.
Mesa Public Schools is aligning district facilities to support the needs of students. Projects completed include reinforced school safety and security systems, in-classroom technology, and renovations at Mountain View and Mesa High featuring new athletic fields, a performing arts center, and scitech and student services buildings.
Allen Moore, MPS school safety and security director, shares that the district used bond money to establish very secure schools. Mesa created strong perimeter fencing, designed secure lobbies with one point of entry and video surveillance, installed riot film on all glass windows that have students behind them, and added blue strobe lights to signal danger in conjunction with a mobile app that allows any staff member who sees a threat, to put their facility into lockdown. Currently, 37 schools have been fully renovated to the district's current standards in school safety, and 2,400 video cameras have been installed throughout the district.
“Without the bond dollars, we couldn’t do any of this important work, keeping our students safe,” Moore says.
Scott Thompson, assistant superintendent, shares the bond money supports student learning and helping students understand their career pathways. A great example is the new scitech building at Mesa High School.
“I visited the new welding area at Mesa High, and students were incredibly excited. They just finished working on a two-day project that would have taken them two weeks in their old facility,” Thompson shares. “The bond money provided the ability to create a proper environment where students can learn and create.”
Mesa Public Schools is asking the community for a continuation of the bond and override to carry on the work being done. During the Nov. 7 special election, voters will have the opportunity to authorize the sale of up to $500 million in bonds for capital improvements and a 15% budget override continuation.
Mesa is the largest school district in Arizona, and there is more work to be done. Along with continued school safety renovations, the district would like to continue upgrading HVAC systems to newer, more efficient units, replace portable classrooms with permanent buildings, and continue to remodel and update aging schools. The override is used for staffing, funding 13.9% of employees’ paychecks, as well as supporting workforce and college development, and lower class sizes.
“The override is a tax that is already in place,” Thompson shares. “We are asking the community to keep the tax in place so that we can continue to be competitive attracting qualified teachers and staff.”