Phoenix Elementary District board approves cash sale of plant services site with two-year leaseback

The Phoenix Elementary District (4256) Governing Board voted to accept a cash offer to sell the district’s plant services property at 1st Street and Grant and agreed to remain on the site under a two-year leaseback while a new facility is built.

Board President Carmen Trujillo said the sale preserves the district’s bond capacity because, under Arizona school finance rules, the district cannot use bond dollars for non-student buildings. Superintendent Deborah Gonzales described the transaction as a way to free up funds for school projects while using cash proceeds to rebuild a modern plant services facility.

Trujillo said the existing facility is outdated and creates safety and efficiency issues because of traffic and nearby railroad crossings. “Renovating it would cost at least $16,000,000, and we can’t fund those through bonds or M and O,” she said.

The board did not provide a mover, second, or vote tally in the recap; the meeting record states only that the board voted to accept the offer. The district described the sale as slightly over appraised value and said any unused proceeds after constructing the replacement facility would be returned to district properties, enabling renovations at campuses including Bethune and Lowell and work on the Fillmore property.

No additional contract identifiers, purchase price, buyer name, or vote counts were specified in the recap. The district said staff will remain on the property during the two-year leaseback period and will use the proceeds to support construction of a replacement plant services facility and targeted school renovations.

The board’s action was announced during the 2025-12-11 governing board recap. The next governing board meeting is scheduled for 2026-01-22 at 5:15 p.m.