Voters to decide on school district issue in November
by Kathleen Stinson

SCOTTSDALE – Voters in Troon, Desert Highlands and Rio Verde Foothills are facing this choice in the November election–either join the Cave Creek Unified School District or form their own school district.

If voters in the unorganized school territory decide to create their own district–a school district in name only–residents may continue to send their children to neighboring district schools, provided there is room for them under open enrollment.

However, when the student population from within the new district grows to 600 at either the elementary or secondary level, state law requires it provide school buildings and hire staff. With that comes a significant jump in property taxes.

The ballot question has divided voters into two camps–those who want to pay lower property taxes in the short term and those willing to pay a higher property tax for the security of being in an established school district.                      

“Forming a new district, it’s a huge unknown,” said Petra Cervino, chairwoman of Citizens for Education, a grassroots group that supports joining CCUSD.

Cervino points out that if the new district is formed, residents will not have an assigned school district but will have to compete under the open enrollment program. “We want (everyone) to belong to a school district,” Cervino said.

School officials report about 422 students currently live in the unorganized school territory.

Citizens for a Unified School District, a grassroots group that initially favored creating a new district, recently changed its position and is no longer taking a stance. Pat Flynn, president of that group, told The Desert Advocate the group only wants to get information out to voters.

The issue came about as a result of a recent change in the state education code. The revised code requires unorganized areas with a student population of 150 students or more to either form its own district or join an existing adjacent district, said Dr. Kent Frison, CCUSD associate superintendent.

According to Maricopa County Schools assistant director of finance Terry Quest, it would be cheaper in the long term for taxpayers to join the Cave Creek district. There would be a larger base to spread the tax burden around in the CCUSD, Quest said. “There’s something to the economy of scale that helps.”

Frison said the district will continue to welcome any students from the unorganized area “no matter what the outcome of the election.”

Reach the reporter at kathleen@thedesertadvocate.com.

Fast Facts

*** If voters join the school district, their taxes will go up from $174 per $100,000 assessed value to $302 per $100,000 assessed value.

*** But in the 2008‑2009 school year, the school district will have paid off a bond and the tax rate will drop to $223 per $100,000 assessed value.

***  If voters decide to form their own school district, property taxes initially will be $185 per $100,000 of assessed value.

Source: Maricopa County School District, Cave Creek School District