Prescott Unified board begins bond and override planning, seeks advisory committee

The Prescott Unified School District governing board opened a substantive discussion Nov. 4 about planning for a potential bond and override, directing staff to begin outreach and assemble an advisory committee.

Superintendent Tenney summarized preliminary work: the district has begun consultations with bond and override specialists and scheduled a visit from Paul Ullen, a consulting adviser, for the next board meeting. Tenney said the district would collect candidate names from principals and convene an initial advisory meeting in the coming weeks to refine scope and amounts. He framed the advisory group as a sounding board, not the campaign organization, and noted that if the board elects to proceed it will be followed by a separate political action committee (a “pack”) to lead public advocacy.

Trustees debated committee composition and timeline: members asked that the advisory roster include diverse community perspectives — parents, business owners, retirees, and past volunteers — and discussed including some student voices later in the process. Example figures were discussed as planning reference (staff cited an illustrative 5% override cost and a $15 million bond to show voter cost estimates). Board members emphasized urgency: staff was asked to return draft names within days so an advisory meeting can occur ahead of the next regular meeting.

Next steps: staff will compile principal‑recommended candidate names, confirm Paul Ullen’s presentation for the next meeting and propose dates for an advisory meeting; the board signaled support for starting community conversations and refining priorities (facilities needs, teacher retention and program funding) before placing any measure on a ballot.