[{"_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",6559334,"mediaKeyId","3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d","parentId",3206840,"title","Votes at a glance: board approves budget revision, teacher pay plan and multiple construction change orders","audioSeconds",4560,"startMs",55000,"endMs",4615000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d&start=55&end=4615","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d/thumbnail_55000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6559334/Arizona/Votes-at-a-glance-board-approves-budget-revision-teacher-pay-plan-and-multiple-construction-change-orders","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559334-889f0b50a7da43ee6808df98da9b73bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143163&Signature=MnAe0rK8hxjZgDGvqfjdr4zeCDoHg5YSzBjVqtwlCbZ6KpdUcesZEXOGzgWSw03iOQKizipYBXSjkybt1UZyi6rpvZDiNuaeFQjPt6I9P0~gDt7fR36yKZq0l~BJMlc~S2A1zefcF4afIjRKBPMyJj4P50J5BCj0o6LFKr-efbGUx9jMEgNEEl2lCjM0vFYhUMKFeWbDC5uUjs5Px5iT8-hu4krrkrrEInKqPmGbF11OhU21DUaLfB-w3YEWLzFEI58wzRDgsj9QZiScmRXApx41zBnb3OMhYQzXgjuW3~~6bbAKyDwkFtLQtcNuuoYbklYdDWi3xu1mBsECmlOUNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Queen Creek Unified District (4245)","date","2025-05-07T03:02:42.583Z","article","At its regular meeting, the Queen Creek Unified School District governing board voted by voice to approve multiple routine and substantive items. Where roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public audio, actions were approved by board motion, second and unanimous voice vote as noted in the minutes and meeting record.

Key actions and outcomes:
- Approval of board meeting minutes dated April 8, 2025 — motion carried by voice vote.
- Approval of the consent agenda in its entirety (consent items not separately contested) — carried by voice vote.
- Public hearing: called pursuant to ARS 15-905 for the fiscal 2024–25 expenditure revision; hearing closed with no public speakers requesting to speak on the revision.
- Approval of the fiscal 2024–25 revised expenditure budget — board approved the revision by voice vote after the public hearing. The revision captures April ADM and related revenue-control adjustments; staff will submit documents to the Arizona Department of Education school finance office.
- Approval of the 2025–26 teacher performance pay plan — the board approved the plan after the teacher committee reported more than 70% participation and 98% approval in the committee survey; the committee recommended no changes to the current plan.
- Approval of additive change order No. 1 with Core Construction for Schneeff Elementary classroom addition — motion carried; staff said the SFD released its 3% retention and the award funds will be used to add approximately 36 parking stalls at the site.
- Approval of additive change order No. 1 with Core Construction for Chrisman High School junior-high classroom addition — motion carried; staff said released SFD funds will add approximately 85 parking spaces (Parking Lot 19) as the campus grows.
- Approval of additive change order No. 1 with Core Construction for Eastmark High School academic wing — motion carried; staff said released SFD funds will add about 200 parking spaces and additional master-plan scope to the campus.
- Personnel items taken in their entirety — approved by voice vote.
- Motion to convene executive session pursuant to ARS 38-431.03(A)(1) to discuss the superintendent’s performance pay and consultation with the board’s attorneys regarding renewal of the superintendent’s contract — motion carried and the board convened to executive session.

Where specific movers, seconders or roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public portion of the audio, the meeting record shows motions made, seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote; no recorded dissent or named no votes were announced in the public record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","QCUSD Board Meeting May 6th 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The governing board approved routine consent items and several formal actions: minutes and consent agenda, the fiscal 2024–25 revised expenditure budget, the 2025–26 teacher performance pay plan, three SFD-funded additive change orders for campus parking/expansions, personnel actions, and a convening of executive session.","taxTitle","Queen Creek Unified District (4245), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",13622,"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},6559339,"Veteran teacher tells board 'Beyond Textbooks' is a framework, not curriculum",120,3146000,3266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d&start=3146&end=3266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d/thumbnail_3146000.jpg","/articles/6559339/Arizona/Veteran-teacher-tells-board-Beyond-Textbooks-is-a-framework-not-curriculum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559339-066c8d612093a5ae8a893ba15ddb7262/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143163&Signature=TZLsErZEDfwbS~H-ult-9KJAycHYwWKgeKw8uWoMEdudkrYXifn~tJbA6e-LKZUd0lAjRDAIPhaWppHysDy4NZNUZ~RNVtAKLZ5Jmr5h2w64-suAxONJmToCBRorXMZih6hmYygGbBfHi7bRlda5hcGzboEcHFdmcyGpIhUDoFfAwt2ce7U7LQIyWsolFf4Z3HSQOlIrbAGx~0wqzwx9qprzLP1GDldIGcmwRax1NPWPWW7AoXwY-U81~p86SgTzbfIuClRyHEwWTLCrFL5rsUaltwbIU1L7yVnylLOyhur61F25QV8zOJueRM1yULk8EIzyYS6jtZKrwfGOAmED5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the call to public, Jeanette Schottie, who identified herself as a 28-year veteran educator, urged the governing board to review the district’s investment in a resource she called \"Beyond Textbooks.\"

Schottie said the program is \"neither embedded nor research based curriculum\" and described it as \"a loosely organized collection of worksheets, test banks, and unwrapped standards offering no structured lesson planning, no cohesive assessments, and no clear instructional pathway for teachers.\" She asserted that the district has spent \"over $400,000\" on the program since 2015 and cited \"$10,000 training sessions for just a few teachers\" and travel costs as examples of spending she questioned.

\"If student achievement is our priority, why are we spending tens of thousands of dollars on a system that doesn't serve our teachers or students?\" Schottie asked. She said most teachers she works with do not use Beyond Textbooks and urged the board to \"do a deep dive\" into the program and invest instead in “true evidence based curriculum that supports teachers and drives student success.”

Board members did not take action during the public-comment segment; the superintendent and staff did not respond during the call to public other than to note the public-comment rules and process.","A 28-year educator urged the board to stop funding a program called Beyond Textbooks, calling it a \"framework\" rather than a curriculum and saying the district has spent more than $400,000 since 2015 on training and materials that she described as ineffective.",{"_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},6559343,"Board approves fiscal 2025 revised expenditure budget after public hearing",215,3521000,3736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d&start=3521&end=3736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d/thumbnail_3521000.jpg","/articles/6559343/Arizona/Board-approves-fiscal-2025-revised-expenditure-budget-after-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559343-b26ebc80d99ef7f01fcbb218d5f9236a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143163&Signature=doveJsoJ4iWYSP6-Mo7Navu94rCzHgMmC6-R~-IwvPbHV7Ig-2kGkVFDMFnywgaXLZ-aLSDoYeustje9SWlNktR3kX3BnAfeVGpodPPHI1XIhXFONz7CrJql~vCyP-~G1X8axnImKjfscb2HVpfrpIc-axYNwAI6PpkMSFqzgJLtHDuGRHI6Cw~4numpbNbrKakGBHJCi1HIKGy9bsZqXoVSwOgFNmGno-k2AVPc~IPgZrKgsmMfXQg~eWCFcXesRD5B0lZZH9~SUMMgpQW88n2iWd2AX05~nNRzyzFP3uDV5ULWHc03g9yhXiX5-LjAc0rzy3IJqIxCiaWXpbFeZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a public hearing called under state budget procedures, Queen Creek Unified School District presented and the governing board approved a revision to the fiscal 2024–25 expenditure budget reflecting updated average daily membership (ADM) and other adjustments.

Jessica Johnston, the district’s finance representative, told the board the revision captures the April ADM count and associated \"b-weights\" and that the district’s revenue-control limit and override calculations were adjusted accordingly. Johnston said the revision also incorporated a one-time district additional assistance supplement tied to free-and-reduced-lunch percentages and an allocation of Prop 123 funding to the capital budget.

Johnston explained the district’s override — a voter-approved operating levy — is calculated using the revenue-control limit and prior-year student counts; for fiscal 2025 she stated the override equates to about $15,100,000 for the operating budget. Johnston said the district’s July adopted budget was conservative and that the August revision had updated forms after the state finalized budget forms, with the current revision representing the second revision of the year. She also noted an increase in the district’s M&O operating capacity of about $4.7 million from July to the present revision, and an adjusted fiscal‑24 carry-forward of about $619,000.

During the public hearing, the board invited questions; no public speakers requested to address the revision. After the hearing the board moved to adopt the revised expenditure budget and approved the motion by voice vote.

Other fiscal items noted in the meeting included a district bond-refunding initiative that staff said saved taxpayers about $2.9 million and commentary from Superintendent Perry Berry on district benefit contributions, which he said increased from $4,979 per employee in fiscal 2015 to $7,949 per employee in fiscal 2026, a 60% increase cited by the superintendent as part of the district’s employee‑benefit narrative.

Johnston said the district will submit the revised documents to the Arizona Department of Education school finance office and will proceed with its proposed budget process for fiscal 2026, with the adoption public hearing expected in July and annual financial reporting scheduled for October.","The governing board held a public hearing and approved a second revision to the fiscal 2024–25 expenditure budget to capture updated ADM, revenue-control adjustments and a one-time district assistance supplement; staff said the district’s override provides about $15.1 million to operations.",{"_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},6559349,"Queen Creek Unified board hears progress on new schools, turf project and bus yard",448,69000,517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d&start=69&end=517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206840-b3e357d6ae628c08fd4f8b3af0c1b61d/thumbnail_69000.jpg","/articles/6559349/Arizona/Queen-Creek-Unified-board-hears-progress-on-new-schools-turf-project-and-bus-yard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559349-942c702944278e507a7dbed8550ac847/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143163&Signature=cYYai6LlMcsFKsTK2LaDz6lXeO8CKPHuhCPoEVr0qCMcv3dXk0WlYvV7sFLqZ3xcRChsYDxolzkfsnb5EpueNED723JT0EVzgpb7sjE2Xkg-mf9svVgA8vfOfqVInd-dn2yftcWOGdE1xeB7VcqN~e1NeRUDRRfN2fymguFUSHckRt4n2egiR8XUopLB6lAHDCC~53~u1tEngPZSlvhT7d1xn5xO22zm84TKinQUXDKcK6MDfju4N526a19vblpS5bLe3zeaNdf2TvOIel30GSbQBjwQj-jV6ORgNMkAkLh2VdESkjhDvLxeoFWrGh8fQRSmBlOSIbuz-BgWQWouqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","President Samantha Davis and Queen Creek Unified School District staff received a multi-site construction update at the governing board’s regular meeting that covered recently completed work, projects nearing completion and scope additions made possible by state facility funds.

\"This week is gonna be a very exciting week for the school district and the Mountain Trail community,\" Bob Lawson, who presented the project status, said, adding that building construction is complete at Mountain Trail Academy and that furniture and specialty items were scheduled for delivery in May and June. Lawson said final punch-list inspections are finished and the final owner-contractor meeting was scheduled for the following morning.

The district said Mountain Trail Academy is a state-awarded elementary school of about 90,000 square feet, expected to serve more than 1,000 students, with a public sneak-peek event scheduled the week after the meeting. Amber Bordis summarized regional growth across the district and said all projects in the update fall under the district priority area of \"effective operations and systems.\" She said most projects are funded by the state Schools Facilities Division (SFD) and additional grant funding from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA).

Work described in detail included:
- Mountain Trail Academy: construction declared complete; final roadway, paving and concrete work wrapping up; furniture deliveries in May; specialty equipment arriving in mid-June. District staff said punch-list inspections are complete and final handover was imminent.
- Queen Creek High School turf replacement: a synthetic turf installation funded by a $2,700,000 WIFA grant has been completed and the district held a ribbon-cutting in April; remaining work is primarily the retention basin, reported about 90% complete. Superintendent Perry Berry said the turf is expected to conserve an estimated 280–420 acre-feet of water over the next 25 years and that the district estimates water-cost savings of roughly $652,000 to $978,000 over that period, figures provided by district staff as part of the project’s financial rationale.
- Satellite transportation yard at Queen Creek Junior High: crews installing site lighting, security fencing, CMU perimeter walls and underground utilities; paving, curb and gutter work are in progress and subgrade deliveries are being prepared to support increased bus parking.
- Eastmark High School: SFD-awarded 62,500 square feet will add three buildings to complete most of the campus master plan short of a performing arts center (SFD will not fund the PAC); staff said additional parking and the remainder of the academic wing are included in the approved scope.
- Chrisman High School: an SFD award for a 23-classroom addition is under construction with rooftop HVACs in place, ceiling grid and restroom tile largely complete; a temporary generator is in use until a site transformer is installed; site final turnover anticipated in early July.

Amber Bordis told the board that in cases where the SFD withholds the standard 3% closeout retention, the division has now released those funds for several projects, enabling the district to add defined scope — notably parking — without using local funds. District staff recommended board approval of additive change orders to expend SFD-allocated funds to enlarge parking at multiple campuses.

Board members and public speakers also described community response to the new turf. Queen Creek High head football coach Travis Sherman thanked the board and district staff for pursuing the grant and said the new field has improved safety and community pride.

The update included construction percentages and component-level details such as nearly complete restroom tile and fixtures at classroom and performing-arts additions, ongoing metal siding installation on gym exteriors, concrete floor polishing in classroom additions, and scheduled roof and paint work on a concession building.

District staff said they will return to the board with additional scope and closeout items as the schools complete final SFD adequacy checks.","District staff reported completion and near-completion milestones for multiple construction projects, including Mountain Trail Academy, a turf replacement at Queen Creek High funded by a WIFA grant, and parking additions for Eastmark and Chrisman high schools as state facility funds were released.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: board approves budget revision, teacher pay plan and multiple construction change orders

Veteran teacher tells board 'Beyond Textbooks' is a framework, not curriculum

Board approves fiscal 2025 revised expenditure budget after public hearing

Queen Creek Unified board hears progress on new schools, turf project and bus yard