The Sunnyside Unified School District will seek a tax levy to help fund its enrichment programs in the November election despite repeated failures in previous years to win voters’ approval.
The district’s Governing Board voted last week to authorize a resolution seeking a 12 percent maintenance and operations budget override election. Most recently, the district failed to win a 15 percent override in the 2015 election.
Maintenance and operations funds are used for classroom-related expenses, such as educational programs, teacher salaries and benefits, while capital funding is used for projects such as building construction and technology purchases.
If approved, the override would funnel approximately $9.5 million into the district in the first year, raising the total operating budget to about $92 million. The total length of the levy is seven years.
The district office was closed for the holiday and was not available for comment. The money will be spent on enhanced athletics, fine arts and enrichment programs, according to governing board documents.
Specifically, it would allow the continuation of middle school sports, pay for costs associated with running athletics programs and maintain after-school tutoring and other activities.
An average homeowner would pay an additional $165.18 a year, or $13.77 a month.
The election could cost Sunnyside between about $110,000 and $130,000, depending on whether it pursues mail-in balloting or polling-place balloting.
