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 roughly $9.92 per $100,000 of assessed value for the year it is levied, Barry said during the presentation. Barry and board members also described a smaller, longstanding 26-cent levy tied to the district's dropout-prevention funding.

Separately, the board voted unanimously to issue a formal request for quotes (RFQ) to solicit competitive proposals for an executive search firm to guide the district's selection of a new superintendent following the announced retirement effective June 2026. Procurement staff will post the RFQ and return responses to the board for consideration; the board will review the draft RFQ at a special meeting before it is posted.

Votes and other formal actions at the meeting included measures on contracts, digital resources and grants. Highlights:

- Adoption of consent agenda (with two items pulled for separate consideration): The board approved the consent agenda as amended, removing items 6.06 and 6.09 for separate discussion and votes.

- Item 6.06 (contract with Southwest Behavioral Health Services): After extended discussion and proposed language changes, the board voted to continue the district's current intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Southwest Behavioral Health Services until a revised agreement can be drafted, reviewed by departments and returned for approval. Final board vote on the motion to continue the existing IGA/MOU: passed, 3'2.

- Item 6.09 (2025'26 digital resources): Board member motioned to remove Flocabulary (by Nearpod/Renaissance) from the approved digital resources list; that amendment failed on a 3'2 vote. A subsequent motion to approve the original digital resources list passed 3'2.

- Item 7.01 (ASBA annual membership dues, 2025'26): The board approved payment of the Arizona School Boards Association annual membership dues for the coming year by a majority vote, with one board member recorded as abstaining. Board members discussed the benefits of membership (professional development, legislative updates and scholarships) versus the possibility of using a la carte services.

- Item 7.02 (Proposed FY25'26 expenditure budget for publication): Approved unanimously; the approval authorizes publication and scheduling of the Truth-in-Taxation notice and the July public hearing and subsequent adoption vote.

- Item 7.03 (Revision to FY23'24 food service annual financial report): Approved unanimously to correct a meals-served reporting error; the revision does not change financial totals, only the reporting of meal counts.

- Item 7.04 (First Things First agreement with Chandler Care Center): The board approved renewal of the 2025'26 grant agreement providing $250,000 from First Things First (a state early-childhood agency) to support Chandler Care Center family-resource programs.

- Item 7.05 (Superintendent search): The board voted unanimously to proceed with an RFQ to hire an executive-search firm; the board will review the RFQ draft at a special meeting before posting.

The superintendent used his reports to remind families to register for transportation in Infinite Campus, to expect a redesigned district website and to highlight a new semiconductor career-and-technical-education class to be hosted at Hamilton High School ' a program Narducci described as the district's first standalone semiconductor program that incorporates industry partners and universities.

Board members and staff emphasized they will return in July for the required public hearing on the proposed budget and Truth-in-Taxation notice. Barry said the district will publish the required notices after the board's vote and expects to finalize budget revisions after the state budget is settled.

No formal motion was made at the meeting to call the November 4, 2025 bond or override election during the regular agenda; Superintendent Narducci stated the Governing Board has called a special bond and override election on Nov. 4, 2025 in his remarks to the board earlier in the meeting.

Ending: The board completed the evening's agenda after the votes and closed with routine board reports; the next regular board meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2025.