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Board approves revised 2025–26 budget 4–1 after debate over CTE funding and administration costs
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Summary
Following a public hearing, the Chandler Unified governing board approved a revised 2025–26 annual expenditure budget (Revision #2) by a 4–1 vote after members debated increases in administrative lines and a near-doubling of career and technical education (CTE) budget projections.
The Chandler Unified School District governing board voted 4–1 on Dec. 10 to approve Revision No. 2 to the district’s 2025–26 annual expenditure budget after a public hearing and extended questioning by board members.
Miss Berry, who presented the revision, said the update is required by the Arizona Department of Education and reflects reconciliations after the district finalized its annual financial report. She told the board the net effect of the revisions is an overall increase of about $4.7 million on top of the previously approved budget, pushing the total to roughly $678 million. Drivers included adjustments to Maintenance & Operations carryover, bond/capital cash-flow decisions, slight increases in state aid and finalized Federal/State program carryovers.
Board members pressed staff on several topics. One line of questioning focused on administrative costs: general administrative costs were cited as up roughly 5.4% and school-administration costs up about 3.9 percent. Miss Berry explained that those figures include ongoing expenditures (superintendent and board support, raises, insurance increases and the expenses associated with a superintendent search) and that some increases flowed from prior decisions about raises and staffing retention.
A more contentious exchange centered on fund 596 (Career and Technical Education). Board member Rohrs flagged a jump in the CTE budget from just under $9 million in the prior year to about $17.5 million in the current projection and asked whether some CTE spending resembles general-education electives, which would be inconsistent with funding intent. “This and on top of that, ... I'm really concerned about supplanting part of this,” Rohrs said, arguing that general electives should be paid from the general-education budget rather than by CTE-specific funds.
District staff and other board members disputed the characterization. Miss Berry and other staff explained that the $17 million figure includes roughly $10.4 million in carryover and an estimated $7 million in projected revenue, that the district operates both satellite CTE programs and centralized programs with EVIT partnerships, and that some capital work and program investments rely on approved bond dollars. Staff emphasized the distinction between programs that are sequence-based (completers) and single-course electives and said CUSD serves about 7,000 students across six CTE campuses.
After discussion, a motion to approve the budget revision was moved, seconded and approved by acclamation with one opposed vote from Board member Rohrs. The board’s approval authorizes the district to proceed with the revised expenditure plan and to carry forward the stated carryover and capital allocations into the next phases of cash-flow and project planning.
Ending: The board concluded the public hearing and moved the revision into action; staff noted annual audits and follow-up reporting will remain public and open for review.
