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Here's the quandary: TUSD needs to compete for students with charter schools and other school districts that can offer families smaller class sizes and fancy programs. Those things cost money. TUSD is in the hole for millions this fiscal year and next, so it has no money to pay for smaller classes and fancy programs.

So the Governing Board, which has shown a singular ability recently to avoid making difficult but necessary financial decisions, must decide whether to ask taxpayers for more money through a budget override election in November.

Couple that with a year of bad financial news — mismanagement of health insurance premiums, talk of laying off teachers to balance the budget, plans to close schools that ultimately never went anywhere — and TUSD is likely looking at an uphill public-relations battle.

The TUSD Governing Board will consider at its meeting tonight whether to ask voters for permission to exceed its maintenance and operations budget by 10 percent — in other words, raise taxes for the next seven years.

The proposal asks for about $27 million a year for five years and lower amounts for the final two.

Maintenance and operations budget overrides can be used to pay for anything normally allowed in maintenance and operations budgets — salaries and classroom materials.

The budget override mechanism is different than asking for a bond issue because the money can be used for salaries, which isn't allowed under bond rules, and can last only a maximum of seven years, although most districts ask voters for a renewal.

If approved, the budget override would cost about $10 extra a month for owners of a home worth about $150,000, according to a story by the Star's Rhonda Bodfield.

We can make a case for the override on the merits of the plan: limiting class sizes in kindergarten through second grade and for middle-school math; increasing pay for positions like math and special education that are typically hard to fill; and getting TUSD's award-winning Opening Minds Through the Arts program in every elementary and middle school.

Each priority is defensible. Each fills a need within TUSD and would benefit students.

But then there's that little voice — except it's not so little — that asks if we really trust that the money will be well-spent.

As much as we want to say we have faith in the fiscal responsibility of Tucson's largest public school district, we must be realistic. It would be foolish to not have concerns.

We have always been strong supporters of public education and the need to adequately fund the education of Arizona's children. But the Governing Board's do-overs during the past few months raise serious questions — first it votes not to consider closing four elementary schools, then it votes to consider it. And when it came down to a final vote, the majority of the board voted to keep the schools open in the face of serious budget deficits.

Another example: First the board voted to alter staffing formulas for librarians and counselors as a way to save money at most elementary schools. Then when there was significant lobbying against the change, the board majority reversed itself and the change was undone.

Such unwillingness to take on politically unpopular decisions is a giant red flag. When the time for a decision comes, this board majority will take the easy route and push the pain off to someone else.

Because the board didn't make the tough call on the budget cuts, tonight's board meeting will also include proposals to increase school breakfast and lunch prices, and after-school fees.

We encourage the board to wait until next year to ask for the override. Losing this year would have lasting negative consequences.

There are real reasons why the district needs this money. But there are also real reasons why people would vote against it this year.

TUSD's new superintendent starts July 1. Two board seats are open in November and the federal court desegregation order is in the process of ending. TUSD is in transition.

We believe TUSD needs time to regain public confidence through good decisions, prove it has a solid plan for improvement and build a coalition that will advocate for a budget override in November 2009.