Chandler school board member grills lobbyist, finance officer

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

After finally arranging the presentation one Chandler Unified Governing Board member seemed to have been clamoring for, both CUSD and that board member ended a Feb. 25 study session with some requests outstanding.

Meghaen Dell’Artino of Public Policy Partners presented at study session on what was termed a “lobbying update” in the board’s meeting packet.

But after Dell’Artino reminded the board that her firm only handles fiscal impact and funding bills, CUSD board member Kurt Rohrs pointed out that it was all other types of legislation that are of far greater concern to him.

Rohrs had asked for a lobbying update during at least the past three regular CUSD board meetings.

So when he could finally speak to Dell’Artino in a public meeting, he questioned not only the value of the expense of Public Policy Partners’ services, but also the entire collective lobbying system Arizona school boards have developed through the past few decades.

“That $16,500 per month we’re paying you, that’s the cost of two instructional positions of people that we just laid off,” Rohrs said. “I’m starting to wonder if this is really worth what we’re really doing here.”

Rohrs also said a report Dell’Artino presented “just looks like a current events report.”

Lana Berry, the district’s chief financial officer, said she believes Dell’Artino has brought about $100 million to the district through the years, in terms of types of funding that were proposed to be cut by the Arizona legislature and were restored.

Berry listed several examples of funding Dell’Artino either helped get restored or helped persuade the legislature to return to or keep a funding policy, such as those that led to the construction of Casteel High School.

Dell’Artino said by agreement with Chandler and all other Arizona districts her firm represents, four areas of fiscal-related focus are selected each year as a focus.

In 2026, those four areas of focus include not cutting education spending in the state tax implementation of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill.

Others include ways to refund “dead cash” over-collected district taxes, a ballot initiative for how to spend state land trust funds and a permanent fix for the aggregate expenditure limit.

Rohrs also said he would like to be updated more frequently on what happens on all K12-related bills pending at the legislature, regardless of fiscal impact.

He asked Berry if she has testified at the legislature directly. She said yes; she’d been invited to speak at the legislature by Rep. Matt Gress on a bill that involves joint technical education districts.

Berry said she testified on behalf of the district, which is suing the East Valley Institute of Technology, a joint technical education district, over funding issues.

“If you’re taking a position on a bill, that’s the kind of thing the board should be hearing about,” Rohrs said.

Superintendent Frank Narducci and Berry both agreed that a digital “tracking list” of bills — one that Berry said is more than 30 pages long, at the moment — can regularly be forwarded to board members.

Narducci also said there can be a section on pending legislation added to the administration’s regular written private updates to the board.

Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

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.