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Tolleson USD advances FY2025–26 proposed budget after public questions about notice
Summary
The Tolleson Union High School District board voted to approve a proposed FY2025–26 budget after public commenters said the district had not published a statutorily required hearing notice. Superintendent Geis said the district will post the notice and hold adoption and a public hearing at the July 8 meeting.
The Tolleson Union High School District governing board voted June 24 to approve its proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget after public commenters said the district had not published a required hearing notice under state law.
The matter drew public comment from Kim Owens, who told the board she could not find a published hearing notice and cited Arizona Revised Statutes §15‑1905, which she said requires districts to publish notice before adopting a budget. Superintendent Geis responded in the meeting that state practice requires a district to propose a budget before posting a hearing notice and that the district will post the notice and hold a public hearing and formal adoption at the July 8 meeting.
Owens: “If you haven’t [published] you’re in violation of the law and you cannot proceed with passing a budget today.” Superintendent Geis: “A district is required to propose their budget by July 5. At the time that they propose their budget, they are then required to post a hearing notice that gives 10 days notice … Tonight, we are proposing a budget. We cannot do a hearing notice without a proposed budget.”
Why it matters: The proposed budget sets the district’s spending limits for general and capital funds and starts the formal adoption process that must include a published hearing. Geis told the board the district is working from draft state forms while the Arizona Legislature finishes a statewide budget; the district’s projected general budget limit in the proposed filing was “just over $182,000,000” with a capital limit “just over $13,000,000.”
Board members asked where the hearing notice will appear; Geis said the official posting will be on the Arizona Department of Education’s site (ADE) and the district links to ADE from its budget page, and that the proposed budget also appears on the district’s BoardDocs site. Geis said draft forms from ADE may change after the Legislature finalizes a state budget.
Motion and vote: A motion to approve the proposed FY2025–26 budget passed by roll call. Recorded votes in the meeting record include Dr. Luna Najera voting no and board members Antonio Romero, Chapman and Sutton voting yes. Superintendent Geis said the district will present the formal hearing and adoption at the July 8 meeting.
What’s next: The district will post the 10‑day public hearing notice on ADE’s website and return July 8 for a public hearing and adoption vote. Geis also said the district will provide a more detailed presentation at a future meeting with specific blended overtime estimates and employee identifications if the board requests.
For reference: The board’s discussion cited Arizona Revised Statutes §15‑1905 and the district’s practice of posting budget files on ADE and BoardDocs; the district said the ADE forms in use were draft while the Legislature finalizes the state budget.
