Chandler Unified officials present four bond packages; citizens committee backs $271.5M and $199.4M options

Superintendent Frank Narducci told the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board on June 11 that the district's bond citizens committee recommended two midrange bond proposals for board consideration: $271,500,000 and $199,400,000.

Narducci said the bond language presented to the board follows required statutory formatting and that the packages are grouped into three broad categories: pupil transportation vehicles; furniture, equipment and instructional technology; and maintenance, renovations and new construction, including security enhancements and land acquisition.

The recommendation follows outreach the district said it conducted after a prior bond measure failed last November. "We did know that our community did not support the first option, and so that's why we came back," Narducci said. He described four options the bond committee and staff developed: a highest-cost option totaling about $487,000,000, option 2 at $271,500,000, option 3 at $199,400,000 and option 4 at $154,400,000.

Narducci explained the practical differences between options 2 and 3. Option 2 includes a larger, four-year technology "catch up" rollout and higher amounts for reimagining academic spaces and general renovations; option 3 staggers technology over three years and reduces funding for some instructional reimagining and furniture. "The big difference between 2 and 3, was around $10,000,000 and then the furniture to support those," Narducci said, describing line-item differences for specific school projects.

He also identified a key omission in the smallest package: option 4 does not include replacement of Hartford, one of the district's oldest buildings. "Option 4, the big difference between that is Hartford. It was not included in 4," Narducci said, and added that Hartford faces safety and efficiency issues that have led staff to consider replacement.

Narducci told the board the prior approved bond in 2019 was $290,000,000 and that staff had pared and reallocated some previously proposed administrative projects after community input. He said detailed spreadsheets listing school-level projects and device replacement plans are available to board members and the public.

Board discussion included requests for line-item clarity and a staff explanation of how capital and software costs are being treated. At the meeting, staff said some software and recurring licensing (including student information and cybersecurity systems) are being funded from capital to align with device and infrastructure replacement cycles.

No board vote on a bond measure was recorded in the meeting minutes; the citizens bond and override committee recommended options 2 and 3 for further board consideration. Staff said members of the bond committee and advisory groups participated in multiple outreach meetings and that the committee presented its recommendations to the board for consideration at a later decision point.

Questions from board members and staff indicated the topic will return to future meetings where the board may select an option and set timeline and ballot language.