Fiscal Facts: K-12 referenda passage rates fall

While still passing in sizable numbers in the April 2023 election, local ballot referenda to allow school districts to exceed state property tax limits passed at the lowest rate since 2010. The decline comes after years in which such measures were passed in record numbers and amounts.

Of the 83 referenda seeking to increase local property taxes for K-12 schools, 46 were approved by voters, or 55.4%. Referenda to finance capital projects passed at a higher rate than the two types of measures to finance districts’ ongoing operations.