Chandler Unified board approves proposed budget, digital resources and superintendent search RFQ; several consent items pass narrowly

Chandler — The Chandler Unified School District Governing Board on Wednesday approved the district's proposed expenditure budget for fiscal year 2025–26 for publication and took a series of other votes, including authorization to issue a request for quotes (RFQ) to hire an executive search firm for the superintendent position.

The actions were taken during the board's June 25 regular meeting. The board voted on multiple consent-agenda items, debated changes to a contract with Southwest Behavioral Health Services and considered a motion to remove one supplemental digital resource from the district's approved list. Several items passed or failed by narrow margins.

The votes matter because they set the district's fiscal direction for the coming year, determine external vendor relationships used by students and staff, and launch a formal search process for a new superintendent ahead of the incumbent's planned 2026 departure.

Key votes and outcomes

- Proposed 2025–26 expenditure budget for publication: Approved. The budget as presented will be published and a public hearing scheduled for July to adopt the final budget. Budget staff warned that the state legislature had not finalized its budget and that some line items (including a proposed $75 million supplemental appropriation to replace a prior funding source) were not included in the published forms; Mrs. Barry said, "We do need a budget by the June. That's very important to continue, the fiscal…