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Higley board reviews three M&O budget options to cover $7.8 million shortfall
Summary
Higley Unified School District administrators presented three maintenance-and-operations options to close an estimated $7.8 million gap driven by enrollment loss and the phase‑out of an override; the board will pick an option at its Jan. 27 meeting.
HIGLEY, Ariz. — Higley Unified School District officials presented three options for the fiscal‑year 2026–27 maintenance and operations (M&O) budget on Tuesday, laying out tradeoffs between using reserves, cutting staff through attrition or making deeper reductions that could affect classroom capacity.
Superintendent Lawsonhiser told the board the district faces roughly $7.8 million in pressure — about $3.0 million from projected enrollment declines and $4.8 million tied to a phasedown of a local override. “The first part is the $3,000,000 — that’s enrollment loss,” Lawsonhiser said as he outlined the calculations.
Why it matters: The choices would affect staffing, programs and how much of the district’s carryforward reserves are used. Administrators estimated the district will end the current year…
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