By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

There are only two action items on Wednesday night’s Chandler Unified School District Governing Board regular meeting agenda. But the sheer number of items the board plans to tackle at its only meeting date of December will make for a long late afternoon and evening, regardless.

The regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at CUSD offices on Frye Road. There’s an executive session and two public work session topics to cover ahead of that meeting.

The more-unique action item on the regular meeting agenda is for a proposed $700,000 contract with FieldTurf USA to resurface the Basha High School running track at Jim Wall Stadium.

“The Basha track is the original and is over 20 years old,” a staff report states. “The surface has multiple large cracks, and the asphalt base has failed and needs to be replaced.”

The board sent a $487M bond to voters in the Nov. 5 election, which included money to pay for track surfaces and dozens of other items, but voters soundly rejected it.

No school’s tracks are listed by name in the bond pamphlet or other bond documents, though there was a $4 million “Outdoor/Indoor Courts/Tracks” line item.

It's unclear if the Basha track resurfacing will affect the Bears' track practices and meets. BHS is set to host varsity competitions on March 5 and March 26; there are specific work and curing time minimums in the staff report and contract.

There's a 7-year warranty on the resurfacing.

The only other action item on Wednesday’s regular CUSD board agenda is a mid-fiscal year budget adjustment. It wasn’t clear to the casual observer, looking at the agenda packet, exactly which adjustments are to be made, but a December adjustment to Arizona school district budgets is routine.

The mid-year budget adjustment includes a statutorily required public hearing.

Consent agenda items include out-of-state student trips and a resolution for application to receive advanced state aid.

CUSD Counseling Department staff will receive an “And Then Some” award for what the agenda states was hosting an “outstanding CUSD College Fair.”

The Hamilton High School cross country program will be acknowledged at Wednesday’s meeting. The Husky boys team broke records in winning the Division I state championship last month, while the HHS girls team was the D1 runner-up.

CUSD specialists and administrators will present on “math learning experiences” in a 5:30 p.m. work session. Natasha Davis, the district’s director of counseling and social services, will present an update on CUSD counseling and social work at 6:30 p.m.

The board will meet in executive session at 4:45 p.m. for “superintendent evaluation feedback.”

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

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.