Board approves budget‑committee priorities and MOU with Chicanos Por La Causa for counseling at three high schools

The Phoenix Union governing board on Sept. 4 approved the Budget Advisory Committee’s recommended top five priorities and voted to accept a two‑year memorandum of understanding with Centro de la Familia (Chicanos Por La Causa, CPLC) to provide counseling and related services to referred students at three campuses.

Budget committee members said they gathered stakeholder feedback from about 1,500 respondents and ranked priorities to guide difficult budget decisions amid an expected $15–$20 million reduction in district spending for the 2026–27 year. The five recommended priorities the committee presented to the board were: (1) student achievement and instructional services; (2) student support services; (3) safety and security; (4) employee salary and benefits; and (5) facilities and operations. The board voted to accept the committee’s recommendations.

Separately, the board pulled consent item 10k for discussion after public comments. The MOU described in board documents directs Centro de la Familia (a program of CPLC) to provide counseling and therapy to referred students for general mental‑health and substance‑use issues at Bostrom Alternative Center for Education, Carl Hayden Community High School and Maryvale High School, plus evidence‑based parenting programming, teen risk‑reduction strategies and case management. The agreement term is two years (ending 06/30/2027) unless extended by mutual written agreement.

Board members asked whether services would be delivered on campus or off campus and whether specific services (for example, medication management) would be part of the MOU. Superintendent Andrade explained that students are referred and parents complete intake steps as appropriate; the district will provide more specificity about service delivery locations and scope when requested. After discussion, the motion to approve the MOU passed; a subsequent roll call recorded affirmative votes and confirmed the motion’s passage.

The budget committee will continue monthly meetings and will present more detailed proposals for cuts and timelines to the board, with district staff noting that notification deadlines (including April 15 for possible RIF notices) drive timing for decisions. The district anticipates presenting draft reduction strategies to the board in the fall and final budget actions in spring 2026.