Chandler Unified board approves two procurement items and selects Google survey for superintendent search after heated debate

The Chandler Unified School District governing board on Oct. 22 approved two procurement actions — a temporary staffing contract and a six-figure equipment purchase — and, after nearly two hours of public comment and board debate over language access, selected a modified Google survey as the stakeholder platform for the ongoing superintendent search.

Board action included unanimous approval of a cooperative temporary staffing contract (Equalis contract COG2148D) with Tradesman International LLC for an estimated up to $750,000 in expenditures for the 2025–26 fiscal year and unanimous approval of an equipment purchase under TIPS contract #210902 for $1,003,685.41, both presented as procurement items required to maintain district operations and CTE programming. The board then debated which survey instrument to use to collect community input for the superintendent leadership profile; after several proposals the board approved a modified Google-form survey 3–2.

The staffing contract was presented by Mr. Dunn, who told the board the support services department was experiencing unfilled positions across groundskeeping, HVAC and general maintenance and recommended temporary trade staffing “to maintain functionality, safety, and aesthetics of district facilities.” The contract is structured as a cooperative (Equalis) award to Tradesman International LLC to provide qualified temporary trade personnel. Mr. Dunn said the district has been unable to fill several vacancies (he cited 15 and then clarified 14 open positions) and that the work was already budgeted.

The second procurement, presented by Dr. Edgar, authorized purchase of equipment for the district's semiconductor and automation/robotics CTE programs using a TIPS cooperative contract (210902) for $1,003,685.41, including tax and freight. Dr. Edgar said the item had been discussed previously and that the board was only adding the contract number to comply with procurement and audit processes.

The board's discussion shifted to the superintendent search platform after HYA (the search firm) and community members described tradeoffs between HYA's proprietary, research-based instrument and a modified Google survey. John Bash of HYA described the firm's survey as research-based and estimated typical completion at 10–15 minutes; HYA said the firm's platform includes reporting formats and optional translation services (English and Spanish included for a base price; HYA noted a $4,000 base for English/Spanish and $550 per additional language). Board members and members of the public raised concerns about cost and about reaching families who prefer languages other than English or Spanish.

Board member discussion focused on accessibility and the practical ability to provide translated survey content to families who have registered many different home languages with the district. District staff explained the district uses ParentSquare and a website translation widget (Weglot) to deliver content in multiple languages and that ParentSquare can push translated posts to subscribers. HYA and district staff said there are multiple channels available (live forums, translated posts, focus groups) in addition to the survey.

After multiple motions and a failed substitute to adopt HYA's proprietary instrument limited to several languages, the board voted 3–2 to adopt the modified Google survey as the stakeholder survey platform. Roll-call discussion recorded the split as two board members voting no and three voting yes; the board did not adopt HYA's proprietary option.

Board members also recorded routine consent items and received updates on curriculum, food-service procedure changes, and the ongoing superintendent search. HYA and district staff said outreach, forums and a leadership-profile report remain on the timeline: community engagement is scheduled to begin Oct. 27 and HYA expects to deliver a leadership-profile report to the board in mid-November.

Votes at a glance - Action 8.01 — Equalis cooperative contract COG2148D (Tradesman International LLC) for temporary trade staffing, estimated expenditures up to $750,000 for FY25–26. Motion: approve; mover: Mr. Heap; second: Mrs. Modston; outcome: approved unanimously. Note: staff said the funding is budgeted and the vendor will supply groundskeepers, painters and HVAC technicians to address unfilled positions (reported as 15, clarified as 14). - Action 8.02 — TIPS contract #210902: purchase of CTE equipment from Advanced Technologies Consultants in the amount of $1,003,685.41 (including tax and freight). Motion: approve; mover: Mrs. Modston; second: Mrs. Mendoza; outcome: approved unanimously. Note: item added contract number for procurement/audit compliance. - Action 8.03 — Selection of the stakeholder survey platform for the superintendent search: the board approved using a modified Google-form survey (to be distributed with district translation tools and outreach) after debate about HYA's proprietary research tool and language-translation costs. Motion: approve modified Google survey; outcome: approved 3–2. HYA offered a proprietary instrument (research-anchored) with reporting and paid translation options; HYA said English and Spanish were included in the base price and additional languages cost $550 each.

What the board directed next - District staff and the search firm will proceed to deploy the selected survey and finalize dates for community forums and focus groups; HYA will compile results into a leadership-profile report for the board. District communications staff said the superintendent-search web hub and outreach channels will be used to broadcast survey and forum links in multiple translated formats.

Why it matters - The temporary staffing contract addresses immediate operational needs at school sites (grounds, maintenance, HVAC) that the district says kept facilities functioning while recruitment continues. The equipment purchase supports CTE programming tied to district workforce initiatives. The survey-platform decision shapes how the district will gather community input on superintendent priorities and raises policy questions about language access, outreach cost and equitable participation.

The board meets next on Nov. 12; the superintendent-search public engagement period begins Oct. 27 and the leadership-profile report is scheduled for mid-November.