TUSD bond oversight committee approves split votes on projects, signs off on educational technology and asks for 20% contingency

The Tucson Unified School District Bond Oversight Committee voted to separate three bond project items and approved the package prioritizing safety, infrastructure and classroom technology for quarter three and four.

Dr. Carter, presenting the update, told the committee the district has spent roughly $100 million of bond money so far and is managing more than 350 active projects. "We have reached $100 million dollars total spent in the bond," she said, framing that milestone as part of regular implementation and close-out work.

Committee members separated the agenda item into three distinct votes so each project type—security gates and fencing; sun shades and weatherization; and access to updated educational technology and staff devices—could be considered individually. The motion to split the item was made by Catherine Arvisu and seconded by Sophia Blue; the board then conducted roll-call votes on each package.

On educational technology, staff described a need to fund active classroom boards and staff devices for 62 classrooms (an amount staff cited at about $217,000 for the next 62 active boards) and to create a small pool of spare staff devices (the proposed distribution plan called for 40 teacher spares and 10 for other support staff). Dr. Carter also reported that many devices had already been distributed for testing and that the district currently lacked spare staff devices.

Dr. Carter asked the committee to add a 20% contingency to the quarter three/four allocations to cover inflation and supply-chain-related cost increases; in the presentation she said the contingency figure was "with the 20% contingency 5 million 460,552 to add to our $100,000 100 million for quarter three and four." The board proceeded to approve the 5.01 project items; the transcript records the motions and multiple roll-call “yes” votes and indicates some members registered abstentions in the roll-call sequence where audio was unclear.

Staff also reviewed other workstreams: delays on a Sabino domestic water-line project caused by missing fire-marshal signatures and additional pressure testing; an EV-bus pilot that is already on district routes; and targeted school work such as campus weatherization, decomposed-granite parking-lot work, and playground sun shades. For playground sun shades staff quoted an installed cost of about $33,000 for installation and mobilization at one site.

The committee directed staff to continue finalizing vendor documentation and quotes and to return with any changes needed for funding or scope. The committee set its next meeting date and adjourned.

What happened next: The packet and roll-call recorded the approvals; staff will return with finalized vendor quotes and documentation and with updated contingency figures if adjustments are needed.