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Tolleson Union High School District projects 14,000 ADM and notes more than $130 million awarded for new construction
Summary
At a public hearing on the district's fiscal year 2026 budget, Tolleson Union High School District staff reviewed average daily membership projections and budget forms and noted the district received more than $130 million for new school construction; a resident cited Arizona statute requiring the board to explain the budget.
Tolleson Union High School District officials presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing, saying the district's average daily membership (ADM) projection on the budget form is 14,000 and that the district was awarded more than $130,000,000 for new school construction.
District staff said the ADM number appears on the data-entry summary and that prior-year ADM figures are shown as actuals rather than projections; the prior years' ADM on the summary was given in the hearing as 13,008.22. Staff also pointed attendees to the BSA-55 tab on the budget form for the calculation of weighted ADM and other revenue estimates.
A resident at the hearing cited Arizona law, saying the statute requires the governing board to explain the proposed budget at a public hearing and allowing any resident or taxpayer to protest inclusion of an item. The resident asked for comparisons to past budgets and whether any tuition had been paid — in full or in part — for any current school board member in prior years, and whether the FY26 budget includes any line item to pay tuition for board members.
District staff responded that the FY26 budget does not contain a dedicated line item to pay tuition for board members and directed attendees to the budget forms for revenue and expenditure projections. Staff also discussed constraints on bond funds, saying bond funds are not generally changed for other funds and noting limits on spending bond proceeds to purposes specified in bond documents.
Why it matters: ADM drives state funding allocations and revenue estimates on the district's budget form, and a one-time capital award of more than $130 million for new construction affects the district's multi-year capital plan. The resident's reference to Arizona statute underscored public expectations for transparency at the budget hearing and the public's right to compare current and prior-year budget data.
District staff invited attendees to review the BSA-55 tab and the summary page for details on weighted ADM and revenue estimates. No formal board action or vote on the budget was recorded in the transcript excerpts provided.
