Two of three Pima County school budget overrides were rejected by voters in Tuesday's election.
Voters in the Sunnyside Unified School District and Altar Valley Elementary School District turned down requests by the schools to spend more than what state law allows in their budgets.
In Sunnyside on Tucson's South Side, 53 percent voted against the override, which would have provided an extra $9.3 million annually for seven years. The district has been embroiled in controversy over its superintendent's salary and his expense account, and recall efforts are under way against four of its five school board members.
In Altar Valley west of Tucson, 60 percent voted against the override, which would have given the district an extra $443,000 for each of seven years.
Catalina Foothills Unified School District's proposed budget override was the only one approved, gaining 63 percent yes votes. The district will get $773,169 more in its budget for fiscal year 2014-15 and the next six consecutive fiscal years. The increase translates to a property tax rate of 42 cents per $100.
Arizona law limits property tax rates that school districts can impose to fund their budgets. However, the state allows residents to vote for an increase of up to 15 percent on that limit.
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