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Phoenix Union releases FY27 proposed $381M expenditure budget; board approves proposal for public hearings
Summary
The governing board reviewed a proposed FY27 expenditure budget of about $381 million, discussed declining enrollment and targeted investments in instruction, career-readiness and safety, and approved the proposal to move forward to the June 16 public budget and truth-in-taxation hearings.
The Phoenix Union High School District governing board on Thursday heard the district’s proposed FY27 expenditure budget and voted to advance it to the public budget and truth-in-taxation hearings scheduled for June 16.
Chief Financial Officer Dr. Di Alba and budget staff presented a proposed $381 million expenditure plan built on assumptions that include an average daily membership near 23,700 students and roughly 3,100 employees. The plan highlights three major investments: classroom instruction and direct student services, future career-readiness programming (including an advanced technical center pre-planning phase), and a multi-tiered safety and student-support system.
The presentation said the district’s per-student expenditure would be about $16,000 and pointed to long-term enrollment declines — roughly 2,400 students lost over three years — as a key driver of budget pressures. Staff reviewed revenue sources including property taxes, state equalization, desegregation funding and voter-approved overrides, and noted the district currently maintains one-time reserves of about $72 million.
Budget scenarios were shown for three enrollment paths: continued decline (an illustrative loss of 1,000 students), a flat enrollment scenario and a modest increase. Staff said a demographic study covering the next three to five years will be completed at the end of the month and will inform longer-term revenue and staffing planning. The district also outlined an advanced technical center planned for phased development beginning planning now and targeted to open in 2028.
Board members asked for detail about the demographic assumptions, how new housing and regional growth are modeled, and how site-level resource reallocation would work if enrollment shifts. Several members praised improved budget presentations and asked for continuing transparency, more school-level budget booklets and a detailed return-on-investment framework for proposed strategies.
The board approved the proposed FY27 expenditure budget to proceed to the public hearings on June 16; adoption is scheduled after those hearings. Next steps include the public budget hearings and a formal adoption vote after the truth-in-taxation process.
