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Higley board weighs drawdown of reserves, vows to protect elementary specials and dual‑language programs
Summary
Facing a multi‑year decline in student counts and the phased reduction of a prior override, Higley Unified board members directed staff to present carryforward‑spend scenarios in January while expressing a near‑unanimous preference to preserve elementary specials and dual‑language immersion programs.
HIGLEY, Ariz. — The Higley Unified School District governing board on Dec. 9 heard a detailed update on an optional FY2026 budget revision and the district's longer‑term maintenance‑and‑operations outlook, then directed staff to return in January with scenarios that would protect elementary specials and dual‑language immersion programs while addressing multi‑year revenue declines.
In a presentation the district said the revision is voluntary and reflects updated counts and one‑time funds. District staff reported an unweighted average daily membership (ADM) decline of about 259 students (roughly 2.16%) compared with last year and described how Group B weights for special education and several one‑time supplementals affected revenues and carryforward totals. "We are going to adjust for that," finance staff said in explaining the revision.
Why it matters: The district faces two separate pressures: a steady ADM decline that reduces recurring M&O revenue (district presenters estimated about $3 million per year tied to a roughly 300 ADM loss) and the multi‑year phase down of a previous override that will reduce available funding by several million dollars over the next two years. Together, board members said, the two trends require choices about whether to spend carryforward reserves now to shield programs or make permanent, structural reductions.
Board direction and community input: After parents and teachers urged preservation of music, arts and Mandarin immersion programs during public comment, most board members said they would not support eliminating elementary specials or dual‑language immersion. Miss Schultz, whose prepared statement was read into the record, said: "I do not want to see our specials or our dual language immersion programs eliminated from the school day." Music teachers also warned that cuts to arts programs risk prompting families to leave the district.
What the board asked staff to do: Superintendent and finance staff were asked to prepare January options that show the fiscal impact of (a) spending down carryforward to various levels; (b) targeted compensation scenarios (for example a 2% system‑wide raise) and (c) position‑reduction approaches tied to attrition and necessity. The board emphasized separating temporary one‑time funds from permanent hires or commitments.
Budget mechanics explained: Presenters described carryforward as the district's savings account and explained common sources of the fund, including vacancy savings (unfilled positions) and unspent capital. They noted the district transfers $3,550,000 annually from M&O to capital to pay for middle school leases and said they had placed certain one‑time supplements into capital, increasing the capital budget by roughly $2.2 million in this revision.
Next steps: Staff will develop and present multiple scenarios in January so the board can weigh using reserves to delay cuts versus committing to permanent reductions aligned to enrollment. The board also asked staff to provide more granular data on which schools and grade levels contributed most to the ADM decline and to report reasons families cited when leaving, where available.
