Agua Fria district reports $335 million in voter-approved bonds available for campus projects; kitchen, stadium and pool works highlighted

Agua Fria Union High School District finance and facilities leaders told the governing board Oct. 1 that the district continues to spend voter-approved bond and maintenance-and-operations override dollars on campus construction and upgrades.

The most immediate figures came from a bond-and-override compliance presentation by Mike Shepherd and Mike Huffman. Shepherd told the board the district’s 15% maintenance-and-operations (M&O) override, last reauthorized in November 2022, provided roughly $10,770,000 for the reported school year. He said those funds are used largely for teacher positions, salaries and keeping class sizes manageable.

Huffman summarized bond sales and project spending. He said voters approved a $197,000,000 bond in November 2023; $112,000,000 was spent in fiscal 2025 and about $75,000,000 remained available as of June 30. He also said voters approved a $138,000,000 bond in November 2024 and that approximately $30,000,000 was spent last fiscal year (largely to retire a capital lease), leaving about $107,000,000 available. "We have access to that full amount," Huffman said of the 2023 bond, and "we will come back to the board for authorization to sell the balance of those bonds" when timing maintains the district’s tax rate.

Facilities staff and project leads reviewed specific projects funded by these bonds and other sources.

- Agua Fria High School: The kitchen/cafeteria remodel is on schedule and expected to be complete by winter break so the campus can serve lunches in the new space during the second semester, Huffman said.

- Desert Edge High School: A new CTE agriscience barn and an expanded cafeteria were highlighted; the project added indoor square footage, outdoor space and decorative concrete work, the presenter said.

- Millennium/Verrado stadium and lighting: New concourse and stadium lights were described as improving safety and the game-day environment.

- Verrado High School: Building C construction was described as nearly complete; Huffman also noted a major cooling-tower project funded through state school-facilities building renewal grants rather than local bond dollars.

- Hilltop School for the Arts and several other campuses: masonry, concrete and site work are in active construction phases; pool infrastructure and resurfacing work at a YMCA-owned pool used by the district was completed.

Huffman emphasized that bond issuances were sequenced to avoid increasing the district’s bond tax rate. "We're structuring the bond sales and spacing out our bond sales so that we are maintaining the bond tax rate where it's been and it is not increasing," he said.

Board members asked no substantive follow-up questions during the presentation; staff invited the public and the board to ask questions and said they would return with timing for future bond sales.

Ending — The presentation served as the district’s annual compliance report on bond and override spending; the board will consider future bond-sale authorizations as staff seeks to preserve the existing tax rate while funding remaining projects.