Higley board recommends David Lawsonheiser for superintendent, tentatively adopts FY26 budget assumptions and moves to pursue override

The Higley Unified School District governing board voted 3–2 to recommend David Lawsonheiser as the district's next superintendent and, in the same meeting, gave tentative approval to budget assumptions for fiscal year 2026 and instructed staff to draft a maintenance-and-operations (M&O) override resolution for a possible November ballot.

The superintendent selection is contingent on negotiation and final board approval of an employment contract. The motion to recommend Lawsonheiser was seconded by Board Member Glover and carried on a 3–2 vote. Lawsonheiser addressed the meeting after the vote, saying, “I'm truly honored and humbled to be in front of you today,” and describing schools as a “relationship-based business” in which the student-parent relationship is central.

Why it matters: the superintendent recommendation sets leadership that will steer the district through a projected multi-million-dollar shortfall caused by a sunsetting override and an expected enrollment decline. At the same meeting, Chief Financial Officer Moore presented the third review of the FY26 M&O budget and described a package of assumptions the district used for planning, including a projected enrollment (ADM) decline of about 300 students, a planned transfer of M&O dollars to cover a middle school lease payment, and the current working assumption of a one-year pay freeze for the M&O budget.

CFO Moore summarized the planning assumptions: “No compensation increases in a pay freeze for '26,” and showed a draft FY26 M&O budget of roughly $116.6 million that reflects a proposed $9.2 million decrease and an anticipated reduction in the district's fund balance from about $21.5 million to $17.5 million if the assumptions remain in place.

Votes at a glance - Superintendent recommendation (selection of David Lawsonheiser, contingent on contract): motion seconded by Board Member Glover; outcome: recommended by the board (3–2). The recommendation requires final contract approval before the candidate's start date. - Tentative approval of FY26 M&O budget (to allow issuance of employee contracts, FY26): motion carried 5–0 (tentative approval). - Direction to draft M&O override resolution for November: board authorized administration to proceed; outcome: passed 3–1 with 1 abstention (one board member said they wanted more time and asked to meet with CFO Moore on additional options before moving forward). CFO Moore noted an off-cycle…