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Gilbert board backs recommended 2% pay increase for FY2026; budget presentation balances ADM losses and new FTEs
Summary
Board voted unanimously to approve a recommended 2% pay increase for fiscal 2026 after staff outlined a preliminary budget that assumes a 1,300 ADM decline, proposes gifted and ELL FTE additions, and relies on classroom site fund increases and one-time carryforward to balance.
GILBERT, Ariz. — The Gilbert Unified School District governing board voted unanimously to approve a recommended 2% pay increase for fiscal year 2026 after hearing a preliminary-budget presentation that balanced projected enrollment declines, targeted staffing increases, and funding uncertainties from the state.
During a work-study presentation, district leaders recommended a 2% across-the-board pay increase for employees and proposed targeted increases in FTE for gifted and English learner teachers. The staff presentation said the district used a conservative projection of a 1,300 average daily membership (ADM) decline for FY2026, which reduces weighted student counts and revenue capacity. Superintendent and finance staff emphasized remaining legislative uncertainty, including whether the governor’s proposed 2% base increase and related proposals would be adopted by the Legislature.
Under the district’s recommendation, classroom-site funds would finance a substantial share of teacher pay increases (classroom-site allocations rose by $50 per student in the recent state calculation), enterprise programs (community education and nutrition services) would fund their own hourly-pay increases, and maintenance-and-operations funds would cover other operational payroll impacts. Staff also proposed a one-time use of budget-balance carryforward to close an identified gap, noting that vacancy/turnover savings and a recent decline in employer retirement costs provide ongoing and one-time offsets to personnel costs.
Board members asked how the district would respond if enrollment losses exceeded projections. Finance staff said leadership has worked to “right-size” staffing through attrition and vacancy management rather than forced reductions to avoid layoffs; staff said they had not yet needed a reduction-in-force process and planned to manage further changes through retirements and vacancies when possible.
The board moved, seconded and approved the recommendation as action item 7.02. Doctor Blake Robeson made the motion to approve the 2% increase; Jesse Brainard seconded. President Chad Thompson called for the vote and trustees present voted aye. The board approved the recommendation by voice vote and the meeting record shows the motion passed unanimously.
Staff cautioned that several risks remain: the Legislature could alter base funding or fail to adopt the governor’s proposal; Proposition 123 funding expires June 30, 2025, and its future treatment remains uncertain; inflationary pressures or minimum-wage changes could increase costs; conversely, higher-than-projected enrollment or higher state allocations could improve the district’s position.
District staff said administrator, professional staff and teacher contracts will be updated with addenda reflecting the approved 2% increase pending board approval; support-staff notices were slated for April 14 and would include the increase if board approval remained in place.
