Facing rapid growth and increasing costs, the Maricopa Unified School District is preparing for a significant budget increase to support students and staff in the upcoming fiscal year.
MUSD’s governing board had its first look at the proposed budget Wednesday night, which would increase the budget to over $87 million.
The goal is to address the needs of its growing student population because with each student, comes an increased cost. The district had a 4.6% enrollment increase over the past year, making it one of the fastest-growing in the region.
MUSD was beat only by charter school Leading Edge Academy, which saw a 6.4% increase.
According to Chief Financial Officer Jacob Harmon, inflation alone will cost the budget an added $353,277 this year. Health insurance and property insurance will cost the district an estimated $410,432 and $47,994 respectively.
The biggest cost comes with pay increases for teachers and staff. The district is proposing a 5% across the board pay increase, or another $3.3 million. This includes a pay increase for first year teachers from $54,000 to $56,000.
Officials emphasized the importance of offering a livable wage for year-round staff.
“Many of our 12-month employees struggle to afford basic necessities, which impacts our ability to retain qualified candidates,” said MUSD Vice President Patti Coutré.
MUSD teachers are among the best paid in the state, ranking in the top 10 out of 96 districts surveyed, according to a recent statewide study cited by Harmon. Teachers earned just over $7,000 over the state average.
When asked where Maricopa’s administrative pay ranked, Harmon said he didn’t know. Some jobs — like bus drivers, custodians and administrative assistants — were well below the state average.
The goal with this budget is to fix that disparity, Coutre said.
“Our goal is to build a district that sets the gold standard,” she said. “That means ensuring competitive salaries, supporting our staff, and preparing for the challenges ahead.”
That is likely great news for teachers and staff, who have meetings scheduled with district leadership to negotiate final teacher contracts. Those contracts are due by May 15.
The final budget needs to be approved by July 15, 2025.
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