Sierra Vista board approves FY2025 budget revision, joins Arizona Health Pool and renews food services contract; names interim superintendent

The Sierra Vista Unified School District governing board on an evening meeting approved a set of administrative and finance measures including the district's third and final FY2025 expenditure budget revision, authorization to join the Arizona Health Pool Trust, renewal of the district food services contract with Southwest Food Service Excellence and the appointment of Terry Romo as interim superintendent.

The board voted 4-1 to approve the FY2025 final expenditure budget revision for submission to the Arizona Department of Education, and later voted 4-1 to move the district's employee health coverage into the Arizona Health Pool Trust beginning July 1. Board members approved a one-year renewal of the Southwest Food Service Excellence contract and approved new selling prices for student meals. The governing board also appointed Terry Romo interim superintendent by a 5-0 vote and directed administration to begin a request-for-proposal (RFP) process to select a company to conduct the permanent superintendent search (5-0).

Board President Lee opened the consent and action items and administration presented each recommendation. Superintendent Eric Holmes summarized the district's rationale for the food-price adjustment tied to the contract renewal: "We are going to be proposing that we increase the breakfast from a dollar 75 to $2.25 ... and lunch, from $3.25 to $4," he said during the presentation explaining the district sought modest increases so the food service operation would stop operating at a loss.

Why it matters: the budget revision formalizes the district's most recent state-funded revenue and current average daily…