Catalina Foothills board reviews FY2026 budget, approves teacher pay schedule, benefits and first-round contracts

The Catalina Foothills Unified School District Governing Board on April 8 reviewed a preliminary maintenance and operations (M&O) budget for fiscal year 2026 and approved the district's proposed professional salary schedule, the district cafeteria-plan contribution for benefits, and a first round of certified staff contracts.

The M&O presentation from Superintendent Denise Bartlett and Associate Superintendent Mindy Westover framed revenue assumptions around current average daily membership (ADM) of 4,574 and a 100th-day enrollment of 4,909; Westover said the budget is being built on an ADM of 4,574. Bartlett and Westover told the board they expect the state base funding to increase by 2% and proposed transferring $1,565,819 from District Additional Assistance (DAA) into M&O to help cover compensation increases and other adjustments.

Why it matters: the budget projections drive staffing, class offerings and counseling services. Board members were shown proposed compensation changes intended to help with recruitment and retention while holding the district contribution to medical insurance at $6,084 per eligible employee.

Key budget details presented - ADM used for FY26 straw budget: 4,574; 100th-day enrollment: 4,909. - Recommended transfer from DAA to M&O: $1,565,819 (presented as part of balancing compensation needs). - Proposed additions to compensation and staffing: net additional M&O cost of $984,212.63, including 1.5 FTE embedded in the proposal and a recommended 0.5 FTE counselor at Canyon View Elementary at an estimated cost of $38,849 (salary step 7 average plus fixed costs and limited benefits). - Certified staff proposal: keep the first step at $53,000, grant a vertical step movement for returning teachers and add a $1,000 longevity addendum for returning teachers; combined effect yields an average certified compensation increase of about 2.7% (range 2.11%–3.48%). The district estimated the certified package adds $740,457 to M&O. - Classified and administrative pay: 2% increase proposed for hourly classified wages (raising the minimum first-step wage to $15.78) and 2% pool for classified-exempt and administrators, distributed by supervisor recommendation. - Insurance: Westover noted a projected 3.75% increase in medical premiums; the board was asked to maintain the district medical contribution at $6,084 per eligible employee.

Board discussion highlights Board members asked for clarifications about ADM versus enrollment and how late-year enrollments affect funding; Westover explained Arizona current‑year funding uses 100th‑day ADM calculations and late entrants do not generate the same proportion of current‑year funding. Directors and board members also pressed on counseling allocations, school-level budgets, transportation costs and the possible impact of any expansion of bus routes. Members discussed advertising/enrollment outreach and whether modest increases could improve enrollment trajectory.

Votes at a glance (budget-related actions) - Approval of professional salary schedule (Agenda item 6.1): Motion carried 5-0. Motion text: approve the proposed professional salary schedule and vertical step movement for certified employees as presented; estimated M&O cost increase to certified salaries $740,457. - Approval of cafeteria-plan contributions/benefit providers (Agenda item 6.2): Motion carried 5-0. Motion text (as amended in meeting): provide eligible full-time benefit employees who elect district medical coverage a contribution of $6,084 for plan year 07/01/2025–06/30/2026, prorated for employees at 30–40 hours FTE; list of providers presented to board. - Approval of first round of certified contracts (Agenda item 6.3): Motion carried 5-0. Motion text: approve and issue the listed professional staff contracts and associated addenda for 2025–26 (first round); includes a walk‑in longevity addendum.

Discussion versus decision - Discussion: the M&O straw budget was presented as a first look; board members were invited to ask questions and expect weekly updates. Multiple line items (transportation, utilities, software/hardware maintenance) were noted as likely to change as contracts are finalized. - Direction: staff were directed to continue refining the budget and to bring further revisions and quotes to the board; staff will hold open‑enrollment and provider information sessions for benefits changes. - Decisions: the board voted to adopt the professional salary schedule, to continue a $6,084 district contribution for eligible employees who elect coverage, and to approve the first round of contracts.

What’s next Staff will return with weekly budget updates toward the statutory adoption date (the presentation referenced July 1 as a key deadline). Board members asked staff to quantify potential returns from modest increases in marketing/enrollment outreach for future budget discussions.

Ending note Board members and staff emphasized the balance they were trying to strike between sustaining student programs and services and managing revenue constraints driven by declining enrollment and state funding formulas.