Chandler schools officials offer clarity on bonds, override

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Several parents who spoke at the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board’s Oct. 8 regular meeting asked questions to the effect of “If enrollment’s declining, why do you want or need more money?”

In the course of presentations on the district’s current bond and overall financial situations, CUSD chief financial officer Lana Berry ended up answering many of those types of questions — as did some board members.

Berry delivered a bond and override update and a presentation on the annual financial report, which covered several elements of the voter-approved $290 million bond voters approved in 2019 and the $271.5 million the district wants voters to approve next month in a special election.

In addition to reminding voters that bonds are essentially loans that fund infrastructure and technology while overrides are secondary taxes that fund general expenses, such as salaries, Berry said the district is trying to be prudent with the funds voters approved already.

She showed how about $15 million remaining from the 2019 bond will be spent if the newly proposed $271.5 million bond passes next month.

If the bond fails, that $15 million will be held in reserve for emergency repairs, of which air conditioning systems are likely to be one, at one or more of the district’s 43 schools.

“We will wait until we absolutely have to replace things, with that $15 million,” Berry said. “But, of course, we are not going to let kids or staff go without air conditioning.”

Berry reminded the board, more than once, on Oct. 8 that there are more than 5.5 million square feet of school-owned buildings and facilities. Board members Kurt Rohrs and Ryan Heap both said the $271.5 million ask is to help the district care for the buildings and upgrade equipment it has in place now.

Board President Patti Serrano reminded the audience that a Maricopa County Superior Court judge recently ruled Arizona schools have been underfunded for years.
District staff have floated the idea of repurposing at least one elementary school, San Marcos, but the public resistance to that direction led CUSD leaders to simply co-locating outside partners or specialists at that school.

Watch Berry’s presentations and other parts of the Oct. 8 meetings by clicking on this link.

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

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INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.