Ballot Math / School districts / Alhambra Elementary
School board race and measure: Alhambra Elementary School District

Alhambra Elementary: a board race with no names printed on the ballot, and a capital override renewal

November 3, 2026 general election. Alhambra Elementary School District No. 68, in west Phoenix, has three board seats in play this year, but only one is actually voted on, and both of its candidates are write-ins. The district also asks to renew its District Additional Assistance override.
How this race works: one seat for a two-year term is on the ballot, and both candidates filed as write-ins, so no names are printed. Write in the name of one of the two certified candidates below and fill in the oval; only votes for certified write-ins count. Separately, two four-year seats drew exactly two candidates, so that election was cancelled and both candidates are appointed as if elected: Mathew Nevarez (incumbent) and Wilmarie Maldonado-Castro. That cancellation is why you see only one Alhambra board seat on your ballot.

Jason Miranda (incumbent, write-in)

Appointed to the board in July 2026 by County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs to fill a vacancy, and now running to keep the seat. Per Boggs's office, he has more than 12 years of military leadership experience and a bachelor's degree in homeland security and emergency management from Grand Canyon University.
  • Stated priorities: strong academics, safe campuses, and responsible budgeting.

Jonathan Ramsey (write-in)

He grew up in Calexico, California, and works as a fifth-grade teacher in the Washington Elementary School District; he has worked in elementary schools since 2009.
  • Stated priorities: improving literacy and attendance rates, and overseeing curricula and budgets so teachers have what they need to be successful.

The District Additional Assistance override renewal

In one sentence: Alhambra Elementary may keep exceeding its district additional assistance budget by the lesser of $6,620,000 or 10 percent of its revenue control limit per year, for seven more years.

District Additional Assistance is capital money: buses, technology, building needs, and equipment, rather than salaries. This is a renewal of authority already in effect. If it is not renewed, it phases down over its final years and ends, and the capital budget falls accordingly.

The math for your household

About $134 a year for the average homeowner

That is the Arizona Republic's figure for the average Alhambra homeowner, reflecting the current tax rate. A campaign committee supporting the renewal puts the estimated first year rate at $1.60 per $100 of net assessed value, which is about $400 a year on a home with $25,000 of net assessed value (roughly a $250,000 market value home at the 10 percent residential ratio). Assessed values in this district run well below the county's suburban districts, which is why the average homeowner figure is much lower than the $250,000 home illustration. Because this is a renewal, a yes keeps roughly the current amount in place; a no removes it gradually.

A YES vote

The DAA override continues for seven years at approximately the current rate, funding the district's capital needs at up to the lesser-of amount above.

A NO vote

The override phases down and expires, and capital purchases are cut, deferred, or paid from other district funds.

The strongest case for YES

  • Capital needs are concrete. Supporters argue buses, technology, and building systems wear out on schedule whether voters fund them or not, and this renewal keeps the existing funding stream rather than creating a new one.

The strongest case for NO

  • Renewals are checkpoints. Opponents of overrides generally argue each renewal should be earned with a clear account of what the last seven years bought, and a no sends the district back to make that case.

Verification notes

  • School board campaigns file finance reports with Maricopa County. No raised or spent totals for these campaigns appeared in the coverage we reviewed; we print no totals rather than guess.
  • The $1.60 rate figure comes from a campaign committee supporting the renewal, not from the district pamphlet itself; the pamphlet states the lesser-of amount. The Republic spells the four-year appointee's name "Wilmarie Maldondo Castro" while the county certified list spells it "Maldonado-Castro"; we use the county list's spelling.
  • No proposition number for the Alhambra question was found in the district or county sources we checked.

How to vote without getting your ballot rejected

  • Mail it by Tuesday, October 27, 2026. After that day, do not mail it: use a drop box or a vote center instead.
  • It must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Postmarks do not count.
  • Sign and date the affidavit envelope, and write a current phone number on it.
  • For the board seat, write the name clearly and fill in the oval. Only certified write-in candidates can receive countable votes.

Sources

Ballot Math: analysis only, no endorsements. Every candidate in this race got the same template: background, stated priorities, the record that exists, and honest notes where the record is thin.