J O Combs Unified board approves budget revision, contracts and legal authorization; multiple policy and pay items pass 5-0

The J O Combs Unified School District governing board on Sept. 10, 2025 unanimously approved a package of routine and substantive actions including an expenditure budget revision, an amended memorandum of understanding for athletic trainers, performance-pay plans, policy updates and authorization for special legal counsel to pursue litigation related to an intergovernmental agreement.

The board voted 5-0 to adopt expenditure budget revision No. 1 for fiscal year 2025–26, citing final state supplements that increased maintenance and operations and capital budgets by $368,748, and a projected average daily membership of 3,515.134 students. The board adopted the revision under Arizona Revised Statute guidance for timely budget revisions.

Members also approved an amended memorandum of understanding extending the district’s participation in the Dignity Health Sports Medicine program through Aug. 31, 2026, to provide backup athletic training services when the district’s single trainer is unavailable.

The board approved two Proposition 301 performance-based pay plans — one for teachers (96% teacher approval reported to the board) and a parallel plan for administrators (funded from M&O funds rather than Prop 301 monies) — and accepted recommended policy updates from the Arizona School Boards Association.

In a separate motion the board retained Osborne Maladon, P.A., as special legal counsel and authorized that firm to initiate legal action as needed concerning the EBIT satellite intergovernmental agreement and related CTED funding statute matters; that motion carried 5-0.

Votes at a glance - Adopt agenda: motion carried (4–0 recorded in early procedural vote then later business carried 5–0). (Transcript blocks: call to order and agenda motion.) - Approve minutes (regular 8/13/2025): Approved, 5–0. - Approve executive session minutes (8/13/2025): Approved, 5–0. - Adopt 2025–26 expenditure budget revision No. 1: Approved, 5–0. (Tally: yes 5, no 0.) - Approve MOU amendment to extend Dignity Health participation through 08/31/2026: Approved, 5–0. - Approve Proposition 301 teacher performance-pay plan (2025–26): Approved, 5–0 (committee reported 96% teacher approval). - Approve Proposition 301 administrative performance-pay plan (2025–26): Approved, 5–0. - Approve policy updates from ASBA policy advisory 909–914 (second read): Approved, 5–0. - Approve policy advisory 915–916 (first read noted; no final vote this meeting): Information/first reading. - Approve resolution recognizing Legendary Teacher Day (09/25/2025): Approved, 5–0. - Authorize retention of Osborne Maladon, P.A., and authorize legal action related to EBIT IGA: Approved, 5–0.

What these votes mean: The budget revision codifies state one-time supplements into the district’s expenditure plan and keeps the district in compliance with the state’s timeline for budget revisions. Approving the Dignity Health MOU maintains backup coverage for athletics; the pay-plan approvals set the district’s performance-pay framework for 2025–26. The legal authorization gives the district board the ability to pursue litigation through outside counsel related to an intergovernmental-agreement dispute if necessary.

The board scheduled or noted next steps on several items: vendors and committee rosters for upcoming curriculum adoptions will be presented at future meetings, and the district will continue routine monitoring and reporting on enrollment and capital bond planning.