Apache Junction school district getting word out about need for $20M bond election

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Individuals in favor of the Apache Junction Unified School District seeking $20 million in school improvement bonds at the Nov. 5 General Election will be getting the word out in part through a newly formed political action committee.

“The district has a detailed fact sheet about the bond posted on our website — in English and Spanish — as well as printed versions available at the district and each school office,” AJUSD Governing Board President Dena Kimble said in an email.

“Additionally, a dedicated PAC formed by community volunteers who are passionate about supporting AJUSD is working to spread the word throughout the community. They are speaking with residents, hosting informational events, and partnering with local businesses to ensure that every voter has access to the information they need to make an informed decision about the school bond — Proposition 487 — on Election Day,” she said.

Yes for AJ Kids, the PAC supporting the bonds, filed a Pinal County committee statement of organization July 29 listing Robert Shippy of Apache Junction as chairperson and Jeff Struble of Mesa, an Apache Junction business owner, as treasurer, according to the Pinal County School Office.

AJUSD Board Member Gail Ross said the benefits of the bond passing would be spread by the district and PAC.

“We will get the word out through talking to community groups, AJUSD website with frequent updates, a political action committee was formed and will have additional ideas to answer important questions and dispense information,” she said in an email.

The AJUSD governing board on May 28 voted 3-0 to adopt a resolution calling for a special $20 million bond election to be held for the district in November, with Kimble, Ross and Vice President Gilbert K. Cancio voting yes. Board members Bobby Bauders and Cami Garcia were absent from the May 28 meeting.

The estimated tax rate is $0.21 per $100 of net assessed valuation for secondary property tax purposes. If a home in the school district has a limited primary value of $300,000, the tax would be $63 annually.

What will funds be used for?

The one-page Proposition 487 fact sheet posted to the district’s website Aug. 6 at https://www.ajusd.org/article/1701589 shows the funds will be used for the following purposes:

• Bolster safety and security measures across all school campuses;
• Critical repair, preventative maintenance and modernization of aging schools and district buildings;
• Replacement of bleacher system and press box at Apache Junction High School football field;
• New construction of a state-of-the-art athletic field house at Apache Junction High School;
• Purchase an additional school site to accommodate the expanding needs of our growing community; and
• Enhancement of all school and district parking facilities.

It states if the bond does not pass, the “district will not be able to provide all of the required maintenance and campus updates that are needed at our schools and operational facilities including in the area of safety and security. In addition, we will not be able to purchase land for expansion to accommodate new students moving into the district.”

For and against the bonds

Only three individuals running for AJUSD Governing Board in the Nov. 5 election are in favor of the bond election.

Judy Williamson (Submitted by Judy Williamson)

“I cannot intelligently answer this question at this time. I would need a lot more information first,” Judy Williamson said in an email.

One running for governing board is against the passing of the bonds.

Sandra Leen (Submitted by Sandra Leen)

“I am not in favor of this. To my understanding, the district just received money recently for improvements. Why did they not better use those funds? It costs money to put this on the ballot which could be better used for the district. The city has not passed a bond in years and will not until they regain the trust of the community,” Sandra Leen said in an email.

Bill Kell (Submitted by Bill Kell)

Bill Kell, a candidate for AJUSD governing board, is in favor of the bonds.

“Bond issue? Yes, Apache Junction is now growing in population; $20 million is the correct amount to be used in $5 million segments as needed for new schools and facilities only,” he said in an email.

Cami Garcia (Submitted by Cami Garcia)

Garcia, who is running for reelection on the school board, was not at the meeting when the board voted to have the election but said she is in favor of it.

“We at Apache Junction strive to teach education excellence for our kids’ future. We are asking the community to please join together and approve this bond. By approving this bond we will receive the funding we need to improve our schools and the building facilities. Many of our bathrooms, locker rooms, sports fields and the all-around infrastructure of our campus need upgrading and improvements,” she said.

Gilbert K. Cancio (Submitted by Gilbert K. Cancio)

AJUSD Vice President Cancio, who also is running for reelection to the school board, also is in favor of the bonds.

“Over the last approximately four years, the district has become more aggressive in pursuing building-renewal grants in order to make much-needed improvements to the physical infrastructure. To date, there have been approximately $23 million made in improvements. However, the grants have restrictions. The funds can only be used for classroom or classroom-related areas,” he said.

“The funds from the bonds would enable the district to make repairs and/or improvements to the following areas for example: Restrooms at the elementary schools, locker room areas at the junior high school, reconstruction and repaving of the parking lots at all of the schools, replacement of the bleachers on the ‘home’ side to include replacement of the ‘press box.’ The aforementioned examples are not by any means the total items that require attention,” Cancio said.

Dena Kimble (Dena Kimble)

Dena Kimble

The upgrades the bonds will fund are needed, Kimble said.

“The bond is crucial right now because it will help us provide desperately needed upgrades to our school facilities and the enhanced learning environments that our AJ students deserve. It will also fund important projects such as improving campus security, making crucial repairs and upgrading older buildings,” she said.

A portion of the bonds would be used to purchase land in south Apache Junction for a future school site, Kimble said.

“With our community growing, we also need a new school site down south to accommodate additional students in that area. In short, this bond is a vital investment in the future of our school district and our community,” she said.

“While all of these improvements will not only enhance our athletic programs but also provide our students with state-of-the-art facilities that support school spirit and fan engagement, the prospect of these upgrades represents a significant boost to both our students’ extracurricular experiences and our overall school environment. Every project funded by the bond is important and will greatly benefit our students and community, I’m particularly excited about the updates to our bathrooms and locker rooms,” Kimble said.

Gail Ross (Gail Ross)

Gail Ross

Long overdue renovations of buildings, parking lots, spectator bleachers and the press box will improve safety for students and staff, Ross said.

“These renovations will not be reimbursed by the School Facilities Division because they are not teaching spaces; therefore a bond is needed,” she said. “Money has been included for an elementary site to the south to prepare for the anticipated growth in the area due to the significant development.”

The Arizona Department of Administration School Facilities Division oversees the capital needs of K-12 school districts and administers funding for building renewal, according to https://sfb.az.gov.

Bond funds will be used to upgrade buildings and to complete renovations started a few years ago, Ross said.

“Since School Facilities (Division) has a limited criteria, we need to finish the job that was started. Our schools look clean and neat from the outside but parking lots are crumbling and bathrooms and locker rooms are unsightly. I want the complete package. The administration is doing so much to improve education quality which will attract new students. Parents will not be interested if they walk into a bathroom with tiles falling off the walls. These spaces need to be renovated since maintenance was not ongoing,” she said.

An accounting and use of the bond money will be available on the AJUSD website for the public to view and ask questions as money is spent, Ross said.

“I believe this will give the community the confidence to believe in the use of the money,” Ross said. “Also, the previous bond will be paid in 2025 so this new bond will have a small impact on the tax savings for property owners. The tax will be a fraction of the previous bond cost.”

The last bond that AJUSD passed was in 2004 and was for $49.85 million. The outstanding principal on that bond is about $6.7 million and it should be paid off in July 2025, Stifel, Nicolaus Co. Inc. Managing Director Bryan Lundberg said during an April 9 AJUSD Governing Board work session, according to the minutes of the meeting. Stifel has been engaged or appointed to serve as an underwriter or placement agent

Bauders did not return an email seeking comment.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.