Chandler Unified adopts 2025–26 proposed expenditure budget and approves $4 million truth‑in‑taxation for road, sidewalk and adjacent‑ways work

The Chandler Unified School District governing board on July 9 approved its proposed 2025–26 adopted expenditure budget and a truth‑in‑taxation notice to raise $4 million to pay for roadway, sidewalk, bus‑lane and related adjacent‑ways improvements, including a safety project at Weinberg Elementary.

During the public hearing, Lana Berry, the district’s chief business officer, described the adopted aggregated expenditure budget — which covers the district’s maintenance and operations, capital and federal programs — as roughly $394 million within a larger district portfolio the administration estimates at about $650 million across all 59 funds. Berry said the budget will be revised in September to reflect late legislative actions.

“We are the second largest school district in the state with over 40,000 students,” Berry told the board during the presentation, describing the scale of buses, facilities and staffing that the budget must support. She said the state’s base support level for districts increased 2 percent under Proposition 301 — bringing about $5.4 million to the district’s maintenance and operations fund — but noted other supplemental allocations approved late by the legislature (including partial reinstatement of prior supplemental funding and Proposition 123 adjustments) will be incorporated in a required September revision. Berry said the combined value of the late‑approved supplemental funding and Prop. 123 adjustments will total roughly $4.8 million for Chandler Unified but are not part of the adopted figures presented at the meeting.

Key fiscal figures Berry shared include: an aggregated expenditure budget of approximately $394 million (maintenance and operations roughly $349 million), districtwide budgeted capital spending of about $26 million, and federal grants in the range of $18–20 million. She said the district expects to carry forward Prop. 301 classroom site fund balances and showed a Prop. 301 carryover of roughly $41 million; the district projects a Prop. 301 carryover near $25 million after planned expenditures.

Berry outlined factors behind budget changes: a decline in average daily membership (ADM) that reduced funding, a net staff reduction the district estimated at roughly 101 full‑time equivalent positions (a budgeted savings near $8.5 million), and reductions in one‑time carryover spending compared with the prior fiscal year. She said the district also received a modest decrease in retirement contribution rates from the Arizona State Retirement System that will save the district about $747,000.

Board members asked for clarifications about several items. Board member Mark Heap requested a breakdown of the district’s larger $650 million total budget and asked for more details on specific projects. Tom Dunn, the district’s facilities director, responded to questions about Weinberg Elementary traffic needs and said the district had completed a traffic study and “we do need to make some changes,” but that formal plans and bids were not yet complete: “We don't have any official plans yet,” he told the board.

On the truth‑in‑taxation notice, Berry and district staff said the $4 million would be split roughly $2.5 million for a Weinberg Elementary roadway and another $1.5 million reserved for adjacent‑ways work across the district (sidewalks, fire lanes, bus lanes, utility relocations). The district said it did not include those adjacent‑ways items in the 2025 bond package and chose to seek the modest tax through this year's truth‑in‑taxation process while the community's qualifying tax rate is lower.

The board then voted on both action items. For the truth‑in‑taxation notice, Mrs. Mendoza moved to recommend approval and Mrs. Modston seconded. The roll‑call vote was recorded as unanimous (Mr. Heap, Mrs. Modston, Mrs. Mendoza, Mr. Royce and Mrs. King all voting aye). For the adopted expenditure budget, Mr. Heap moved approval and Mrs. Mendoza seconded; the board approved that motion unanimously as well.

What happens next: Berry said the district must submit required forms to the county and the state and will return to the board with a September budget revision to reflect late state allocations for supplemental programs and capital inflation adjustments. The district also said Weinberg design work and traffic‑safety plans will be developed and returned to the board for review and contract approvals once engineering and cost estimates are final.

Votes at a glance - Truth in taxation (adjacent ways / Weinberg roadway): Motion to recommend approval moved by Mrs. Mendoza; seconded by Mrs. Modston; outcome — approved by unanimous roll call (ayes: Heap, Modston, Mendoza, Royce, King). - 2025–26 adopted expenditure budget: Motion to approve moved by Mr. Heap; seconded by Mrs. Mendoza; outcome — approved by unanimous roll call (ayes: Heap, Modston, Mendoza, Royce, King).