Chandler Unified board publishes proposed FY25–26 budget, approves superintendent search RFQ and several contracts

The Chandler Unified School District Governing Board on June 25 approved publication of the district's proposed fiscal year 2025'26 expenditure budget, voted to authorize a request for quotes to hire an outside superintendent search firm and took action on multiple contracts and grants.

The board voted unanimously to publish the proposed budget for public review and to set a July public hearing and adoption date, Superintendent Frank Narducci and Finance Director Kathy Barry told the board during a 40-minute budget presentation that laid out anticipated revenue, carryover and program changes.

The proposed budget covers the district's fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and includes projected decreases in maintenance-and-operations carryover and capital carryover driven largely by prior-year spending and declining average daily membership. Barry told the board the district expects a roughly $7 million decrease in maintenance-and-operations capacity and about a $12 million reduction in capital compared with last year's published figures, partly because certain state line items remained uncertain while the Legislature finalizes the state budget.

The Truth-in-Taxation notice tied to the proposed budget will include an item that would authorize up to $4.0 million for adjacent-ways projects; if placed on the tax roll this item would increase the district's tax rate by…