Chandler Unified previews 2025 bond, stresses transparency; board approves annual financial report for publication

Chandler Unified School District officials reviewed the status of the 2019 bond program, described a smaller 2025 bond proposal and walked the Governing Board through the district’s 2024–25 Annual Financial Report (AFR) at the Oct. 8 meeting.

At a study session and later in the regular meeting, Chief Financial staff provided a line‑by‑line update on the 2019 voter‑approved bond program, explained why the district reduced the size of the 2025 bond request and described how the district plans capital priorities if voters approve the new measure in November.

Why it matters: The presentation is part of a state statutory requirement to review bond and override expenditures and to publish the AFR. Bond and override approvals affect tax rates and capital projects (roofs, HVAC, safety upgrades and reimagining projects) that directly affect school facilities and long‑term operating costs.

2019 bond status and rollover projects

District staff said the 2019 voter‑approved bond authorized roughly $290.25 million (plus interest proceeds) and that approximately $25 million in purchase orders and projects remain to be completed. That figure included about $9.3 million of near‑term projects and about $15 million the district said it would hold as contingency pending the November 2025 bond election result. Projects in the rollover group include HVAC controller updates at 14 sites, flooring at several campuses, partial HVAC replacements and equipment replacement cycles.

2025 bond proposal (reduced package)

The district said it reduced the size of the 2025 bond package significantly — from an earlier proposal near $487 million down to about $271 million — after public input and subcommittee review. The revised package focuses on Hartford Elementary replacement, selective renovations, building renewal (HVAC, roofing), athletic and site work, and technology/furniture replacement cycles. If approved, the district would pair bond dollars with School Facilities Division (SFD) grants where possible.

Override and tax rate context

Administrators reminded the board the district’s maintenance‑and‑operations (M&O) override has been in place for decades and that the current voter‑approved override (a 15 percent M&O question passed in 2021) phases down if voters reject renewal. The district provided comparative tax‑rate charts for nearby East Valley districts; it reported the local override tax rate at roughly $1.09 (per $100 of assessed value) in 2024–25, noting assessed values have increased and that the override’s effective rate has stayed roughly flat.

Annual Financial Report: board vote to publish

Finance staff presented the district’s AFR for fiscal year 2024–25 and explained legal reporting deadlines (the AFR must be submitted to the Arizona Department of Education). The AFR showed total district expenditures of about $559 million and emphasized that roughly 68–70 percent of operating expenditures are instruction and student support. The district noted a stable triple‑A bond rating (Fitch/Moody’s) and recommended board approval to publish the AFR.

On the regular‑meeting consent items, Governing Board member Modson moved and member Mendoza seconded the motion to approve publication of the 2024–25 AFR. The board approved the publication motion by unanimous voice vote.

What’s next

District leaders said they will present a capital planning session in December and continue community outreach on the 2025 bond election. If voters approve the 2025 bond, officials said they would move forward on Hartford Elementary and the prioritized building‑renewal projects; if voters reject it, some planned work would be deferred and the district would rely on carryover and emergency funding where needed.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and are attributed only where the transcript provided names and titles.