[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6621632,"mediaKeyId","2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439","parentId",2800882,"title","Chandler Unified highlights fine arts programming and student achievements","audioSeconds",363,"startMs",3253844,"endMs",3617755,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439&start=3253&end=3617","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439/thumbnail_3253844.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6621632/Arizona/Chandler-Unified-highlights-fine-arts-programming-and-student-achievements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621632-fd6d65393c4c918f40733adf9338f0a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771091844&Signature=LIxxaqXYrRASo0ga9uV~tRg-J7JxT5PtStIIokfC8eqX34Zh4vyv~WFByBwitKiNS6A7pe16ahA4kk1riySVefVgSF-ZKm~bwKvVGIOifGJiL0n2jF-DlqRFe3lOkzWWGyzjumgA3Nx~8H9wIncUGfnRjGesV-ifZ61KigRoyQXTQ~Excy2GEk5Y0e6igJIBhSMKS1vr~WKDt24j4gepPJprvW-v7fafLk61ODfn4r0uj8dutC-oOQDdeTOOGTA09gwZ26mRnySSZS1yzUM2xqlfoU6VvOCQONxYxE~gQF6bw0iAWnsfj6KNGpf3rwItZkKuIy6zKXv3HoJzeER7DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)","date","2025-03-27T18:18:40.227Z","article","Chandler Unified officials used Tuesday’s meeting to spotlight visual and performing arts programming across the district, presenting course offerings, partnerships, student accomplishments and upcoming events.

Dr. Edgar (presenter) and staff described K–4 general music, grades 5–6 general music/ band/ orchestra, and secondary options including band, orchestra, choir, visual arts, dance and theater. The district noted partnerships with the Chandler Center for the Arts, Shields (ASU Heiberger Institute for Design in the Arts), Arizona Diamondbacks, City of Chandler and the East Valley Pops Orchestra.

Students and staff highlighted annual events such as the marching‑band showcase, elementary choral festival, district art show (juried, hosted at the Chandler Center for the Arts gallery) and secondary band, orchestra, choir and dance festivals. Students described personal experiences: Sammy, a junior and brass section leader at Castile High School, said band “is a family” and is working toward the state Fine Arts Seal. Isabella Buchanan, a senior at Hamilton High School, said art classes helped her build community connections and prepare an AP portfolio; Isabella plans to attend Northern Arizona University. Yumi Chan (dance, Perry High) and Haley Leidig (theater, Chandler High) described performance, leadership and competitive recognition opportunities.

The district reported Arts Seal counts over recent years: 37 art seals in 2019–20, 80 in 2020–21, 19 in 2022–23 and 50 in 2023–24, and said CUSD ranked among the top districts in Arizona for students earning the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency. Officials described capstone requirements for the seal (four years of study, 80 extracurricular hours and a capstone project such as choreography, directing or original composition).

Board members were invited to attend multiple upcoming concerts and the district art show. Presenters emphasized the role of fine arts staff and volunteers and said proceeds from gallery sales go directly to student artists when applicable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 26, 2025, Chandler USD Governing Board Study Session","oneSentenceSummary","District leaders showcased K–12 fine arts offerings, community partnerships and student accomplishments, including state Arts Seal counts and upcoming performances and exhibitions.","taxTitle","Chandler Unified District #80 (4242), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",12979,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6621636,"Community Education reports enrollment shifts as pandemic-era grants expire",949,2838590,3788200,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439&start=2838&end=3788","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439/thumbnail_2838590.jpg","/articles/6621636/Arizona/Community-Education-reports-enrollment-shifts-as-pandemic-era-grants-expire","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621636-a8256dcc95135df6d3b461ab40a79c64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771091844&Signature=Mq9rFl~WrKgAbGTO0FmAGPrAcY3CqlKGQ2CXzfWM0wJSWIhTt7wYNWV3~LLDmGczf3~ygc2922GfgaEv8uaq58KJ9XX9O0L1OpZkiid~Kazn9gyGDjSHyFMqLgM1LYr0J3Joo8X3y-QXqey7huLP7FDMYsWp6ghST8VCTKrYyTiq7DouIpYXH6ixjzHFpFS1666NhRCWmOoHPX9x6nD7RrJOAsyNAc4XtX2C203qQu0LMMobdmSl1CNNMBFcRvhNLjaEc~3tyhqhR9e369QgEDkIZSGZNX965nmToaYuPqTOpFWxxwe2M3sYAFo5oxLAq3tJhKIP6NM3VFHku~yKTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chandler Unified’s Community Education director, Scott Vandermillen, on Tuesday reviewed the department’s five divisions—Summer Academy, sports and enrichment, facility rentals, early childhood (Little Explorers and preschool/pre‑K) and Kids Express before‑and‑after care—and presented enrollment and financial trends.

Vandermillen said Kids Express operates at 26 elementary campuses, serves kindergarten through sixth grade and runs roughly 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; four sites provide busing to Kids Express locations. He said spring intersession camps recently served 606 children across three sites and that one recent trip included 506 students to the Phoenix Zoo. For summer, the district plans Kids Express intersession camps at two sites with 350 slots each; Jacobson Elementary was full at the time of the presentation, while Carlson Elementary had openings.

Vandermillen explained a child‑stabilization grant—approximately $6 million—that allowed the district to offer many enrichment programs at no charge in 2021–23. Those grant funds have expired, he said, and the loss of free programming partly explains enrollment declines in some categories. “Free is a nice four‑letter word,” Vandermillen observed when describing the grant’s effect on participation.

He provided preschool metrics: the district’s preschool and pre‑K seats are currently about 84% filled for the current year, and registration for 2025–26 is about 65% complete three months before registration closed. Vandermillen said the department is monitoring enrollments and adjusting offerings and pricing to remain competitive with community providers such as YMCA and AAU programs.

On sports and enrichment, Vandermillen said vendor‑led enrichment drives a significant share of participation and that competition in traditional youth sports has reduced registrations in Chandler Sports League. He described a quarterly review team evaluating program mix, pricing and potential growth areas such as non‑traditional sports and esports.

The presentation included summary participation figures: combined registrations of 4,802 across Club CUSD in Richmond and Chandler Sports League since Jan. 1, and spring intersession camp registrations of 606. Vandermillen noted attendance and participation fluctuate day to day in Kids Express, in part because families can choose three‑ or five‑day care options.

Board members asked about capacity, recruitment, pricing and partnerships. Vandermillen said the department rents district facilities to community providers, pursued grant opportunities but found none comparable recently, and is adjusting programming to meet changing family demand.","The district’s Community Education division described summer-academy, Kids Express before‑and‑after care and preschool operations, noting declines in some program enrollments after a $6 million stabilization grant expired and outlining capacity and registration figures.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6621641,"Chandler Unified families-in-transition advocate details enrollment, basic-needs and transportation supports",82,654779,737009,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439&start=654&end=737","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439/thumbnail_654779.jpg","/articles/6621641/Arizona/Chandler-Unified-families-in-transition-advocate-details-enrollment-basic-needs-and-transportation-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621641-0f15cc2d021ac745076f516b3121aad2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771091844&Signature=iiH5h2MK0zoNU5ds8suAii6FFCijDFj7lXn16eoFfqY0AtbLmlGkPwT6lgC7UoSMECBNPooQy-5vemxA4ODuUg5PPVxPCXUB9Joe7dHwa3mVHu04b59msLov6C-fyE8WtdLLss9067Et9PYHMHPJwuVm494mMNFV7UxfcwGxMrtE6jO4vhmS3r0IaxK~AXXtpCH05kWwS38pvW4y3Gw637TGyiutbRiQ0DA78YJjMtfNR9RgHlW39H~HbULDeFNsA2M6-QRWMY-p8D1B3a~4eRId5LL-o2hiIc7r8jFm0LIbE1a0THGOoI4sYpXGFcPG-vrFDN1oGFLPhaS~r~Ne4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Val Jerry, the Families in Transition advocate and academic coach at Chandler Unified School District, outlined services for students experiencing housing instability, unaccompanied youth, immigrant and refugee students and foster-care students.

Jerry said the district ensures immediate enrollment to avoid student loss and works to remove barriers to participation by providing transportation, clothing, backpacks, class‑fee support and in‑school vision screenings. “My first and foremost position is to work with sites and make sure that we are immediately enrolling any student so that we don't lose a student within our boundaries,” Jerry said.

She described steady community partnerships and donations: the district supplied 6,000 pairs of underwear through a City Serve partnership, received 400 backpacks donated by a team from Texas, helped 300 families with Christmas assistance this year and provided food support to an additional 75 families for holiday breaks. Jerry also said the office helps students with items tied to career and technical education—such as stethoscopes or white shoes—when grants don’t cover those costs.

On transportation, officials said federal law requires districts to help maintain consistent education for children experiencing homelessness. Jerry described coordination with neighboring districts—“a gentleman’s agreement” to split transportation duties when students move across district lines—and said staff provide bus passes, gas cards, Chandler Flex rides and, in some cases, contracted services such as EverDriven when bus capacity is limited.

Jerry said she handles best‑interest determinations for foster‑care students and serves as the local point of contact for the state to ensure compliance and credit tracking. She also said the program aims to ensure older students develop post‑secondary plans and that the office works closely with school social workers and counselors.

Board members asked about practical limits and alternatives; Jerry said the district does not have latitude to deny services based on distance and that staff seek practical options with families and other districts to reduce transportation burdens while preserving educational continuity.

The presentation emphasized community partnerships and that staff coordinate academic supports with social services to address students’ whole‑child needs.","The district’s Families in Transition and related advocates described McKinney‑Vento services, foster‑care tracking, basic‑needs assistance and transportation arrangements for students experiencing homelessness, unaccompanied youth, refugees and foster care.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6621644,"Chandler Unified outlines federal-program spending, ELD gains and funding uncertainty",1668,40200,1708775,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439&start=40&end=1708","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2800882-2388a07a2911b744f8b1b7d101cee439/thumbnail_40200.jpg","/articles/6621644/Arizona/Chandler-Unified-outlines-federal-program-spending-ELD-gains-and-funding-uncertainty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621644-fc57ccb8751a3b7f597eca11fdc533f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771091844&Signature=fGajoJk5qDB3yMl2FP3yQ1go3JyDeqysS-W9b6t6JmhEVSAR9-wL2Sj4k25HzY21LYHtBq5sllK6VXVFlLmqz6HsdmxhPq0fkb54gcyfurn4ulU0cYwtmjKnW-6J5pBmE5q8mpt0wVyLUPD8zbWCeDmrmgJ-lrDobHLFnc2NH1Md9t0cegPyJXQAu-0Mixys3tVn43Ep7tXGCHe2dtIfGAcEqX70dOq8yFzaVLaLxja-ePFx52XjjAgNCYKNeuhkAqGYd-rHJB47vgdMvIQ3LRFWnv7p8l4GrW25RklGueEnUcSAJG4kLoCsmo1r~tgVZV2GLTEGrPjZwHz91Py2JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chandler Unified School District officials on Tuesday summarized how federal and state grants support programs across the district, saying Title I and English language development (ELD) services account for a large share of federal-program work and student supports.

Dr. Corey Brenner, director of federal programs for Chandler Unified, said the district received about $18.5 million in grant funding this school year across programs, with roughly half—about $9 million—under the federal programs department’s purview. He said Title I allocations over recent years have ranged “anywhere from 4.2 to $4,500,000” and that about 74.8% of Title I funds go directly to instructional and student supports at federally identified sites.

The presentation stressed program outcomes and compliance. Jamie Williams, a K–12 ELD academic coach, and colleagues described daily targeted ELD instruction for students identified via the home-language survey and AzELLA placement test. Tracy Corbin and Amy Spilde cited rising reclassification rates on spring reassessments, and Brenner said the district’s 2025 Arizona Department of Education (ADE) monitoring visit found the program in compliance with “no findings.”

Officials displayed assessment trends showing growth in multilingual-learner enrollment across Chandler and higher reassessment (reclassification) results for district students than statewide averages. “We were in compliance with no findings, which is huge,” Williams said of the ADE audit.

Brenner explained grant types and mechanics: entitlement (formula) grants pass through the state to local districts, while competitive grants are awarded through application processes. He warned of federal-level staffing reductions and possible administrative shifts that could move programs or oversight between agencies. Citing recent federal discussions, Brenner said some officials have floated moves of key programs to other agencies—“programs that are key to us such as Title I or IDEA would likely move to the Department of Health and Human Services”—but he stressed that the district expects flat funding for 2025–26 and that longer-term impacts into 2026–27 remain unclear.

Board members questioned program evaluation and supports. Member Pete Heap asked whether the district administers assessments in students’ native languages; Brenner said AzELLA is administered annually in English as required by the state and that the district does not use a formal native-language pretest. Board member Paul Morris asked how staff separate language-development needs from broader academic gaps; Brenner said that formative and benchmark assessments, MTSS interventions and multi-year progress reviews help identify students who may need additional supports beyond language instruction.

District leaders described Title I-funded services provided at 11 sites (nine elementary schools and two junior highs), preschool classrooms fully funded by Title I, summer programs for eligible students and instructional staffing such as reading interventionists, math and reading specialists and academic coaches.

Officials concluded by urging board vigilance if federal accountability or funding structures change. Brenner and members flagged the risk that a shift to block grants or a change in federal oversight could reduce federal accountability or change how funds are allocated at the state level.

Looking ahead, Brenner said the department will continue monitoring federal policy developments and that the district is “relieved to have heard that we’re expecting flat funding for the 25–26 school year.”","District officials summarized federal and state grant allocations—highlighting Title I spending, an ADE audit with no findings and steady English-language-development gains—while warning of federal funding uncertainty and possible administrative shifts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Chandler Unified highlights fine arts programming and student achievements

Community Education reports enrollment shifts as pandemic-era grants expire

Chandler Unified families-in-transition advocate details enrollment, basic-needs and transportation supports

Chandler Unified outlines federal-program spending, ELD gains and funding uncertainty