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Tucson Unified board approves nearly $20 million in bond work, expands paid family leave and shifts school start to Aug. 4
Summary
At its final 2024 meeting, the Tucson Unified School District governing board approved nearly $20 million in bond-funded kitchen and cafeteria upgrades, a $3.5 million Camp Cooper renovation, appointed its first student to the bond oversight committee, moved the school start to Aug. 4 and extended paid family leave eligibility to benefits-eligible part-time employees.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said the Tucson Unified School District governing board approved a package of facility and policy changes at its final 2024 meeting, including nearly $20 million in bond-funded retrofits for kitchen HVAC systems and cafeterias, a $3.5 million renovation at Camp Cooper and an expansion of paid family leave eligibility to certain part-time employees.
The moves, Trujillo said, were part of the board’s “next wave” of bond projects. “We are so excited in this, for this next wave of bond projects,” he said, adding the package includes additional gating and fencing at district sites. The board also appointed its first actively enrolled student to the district’s bond oversight committee, the superintendent announced.
Why it matters: the bond funding is intended to update food-service infrastructure across the district and to refurbish Camp Cooper’s cabins and restrooms used for student field trips. Trujillo described the Camp Cooper work as a roughly $3.5 million renovation package to remodel cabins, showers and bathrooms.
The board also approved the 2024–25 calendar, moving two of the district’s four professional development days to the start of the teacher contract year so teachers receive a full week of preparation before students arrive. “We’re starting school a little bit later, August 4th, as opposed to August 1st,” Trujillo said, noting the calendar change reduces childcare days parents must manage.
On employee benefits, Trujillo said the board closed a eligibility gap in its paid family leave policy. Earlier this fall the district adopted a 12-week paid family leave benefit; the board’s latest action makes part-time employees who are benefits-eligible at 30 hours per week also eligible for that leave. “But tonight the board closed a loophole,” Trujillo said, summarizing the change.
The meeting record as provided does not include vote tallies, motion language, or the names of individual board members who moved or seconded each action. The superintendent presented the items and announced the outcomes; the transcript does not specify formal roll-call results.
The board concluded with holiday greetings and said it will reconvene in 2025.
