Chandler Unified bond committee narrows options to $271.5M and $199.4M; board to consider

A citizens bond committee presented four capital bond options to the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board on June 11, with the committee recommending two mid-range measures for the board to consider.

The committee’s two recommended options were a $271,500,000 measure (option 2) and a $199,400,000 measure (option 3). The bond language under consideration groups spending into three broad categories: purchase of pupil transportation vehicles; furniture, equipment and technology for instructional purposes; and maintenance, renovation and new-construction projects that may include security enhancements and acquisition of land. The district noted attorneys prepared statutory language for the resolution that cannot be changed.

The district described differences between the two recommended options as primarily concentrated in technology spending and the scope of instructional “reimagining” projects. Option 2 includes a technology “catch up” and a four-year technology rollout; option 3 assumes a smaller technology program over three years. The district also highlighted line-item differences for “reimagined” instructional spaces and associated furniture: the presentation pointed to differences in two line items (reimagined projects and furniture for those projects) that together account for several million dollars of the variance between options.

Option 4, at $154,400,000, excludes replacement of Hartford (described in the presentation as one of the district’s oldest buildings), a project included in options 1–3. Option 1, a larger package originally considered, was listed at $487,450,000; district staff said the community did not support that initial, larger package after last November’s failed bond effort and that the planning process included subsequent community outreach.

Staff also said the district has used School Facilities District (SFD) funding for reroofing projects (Chandler High currently; Bogle High and Basha High noted as planned in the next three years). The bond materials shared with board members include more detailed spreadsheets that break out individual school projects and device replacement cycles.

No formal board vote on a bond measure was recorded in the provided transcript. The presentation closed with staff noting the citizens committee recommended options 2 and 3 for the board’s consideration and invited questions.

Ending: The board was given materials and invited additional questions; committee members were present at the meeting, and staff said detailed project sheets and prior planning-session materials are available to board members and the public.