Gilbert board OKs $136 million bond question and puts Pioneer site sale on November ballot

The Gilbert Public Schools governing board voted April 28 to order a $136,000,000 general obligation bond election and to ask voters for authorization to sell the Pioneer Elementary site in November.

Associate Superintendent Bonnie Betts told the board the district’s deferred‑maintenance backlog is "a $112,100,000," and outlined a line‑item request the district plans to include in the bond pamphlet: $65 million for critical facility upgrades (roofs, HVAC, electrical), $20 million for career and technical education and extracurricular spaces, safety and secure entryway work at elementary and junior high schools, technology infrastructure and an estimated $6 million for student transportation needs. Bond counsel and facilities staff joined the presentation to explain state funding options and the ballot timeline.

"We are asking you to give us authority to go to our voters for approval of a $136,000,000 bond," Betts said during the presentation. Board members asked detailed questions about project prioritization, State Facilities Board (SFB) grant opportunities and whether spending smaller architectural fees could expedite SFB approvals for some roof work.

Board members debated the tax‑rate impact and project timing before voting. The resolution calling a special bond election and authorizing the associate superintendent to complete related tax‑law compliance passed by voice vote. The board then adopted a companion resolution to place an authorization to sell, lease or exchange the Pioneer Elementary site on the same ballot; staff emphasized that voter approval would be required before any sale and that the board would retain discretion whether to sell the property even if voters authorize it.

Administration provided the board with an estimated long‑term plan for selling bond series so the district can keep debt service relatively flat even while selling the bonds in multiple series. Betts noted the district’s short prior debt schedules give it flexibility to add bond authority with comparatively moderate projected tax‑rate impacts. Board members and staff also discussed the district’s efforts to pursue SFB funding for specific roof projects while using bond authority to address a broader set of district needs.

Next steps: Pamphlet preparation, final legal descriptions for the ballot and the election timeline will proceed through administration and the district’s bond counsel; the propositions will appear on the November 2026 ballot if the county completes election scheduling.