Higley USD’s second straight attempt at a bond is going worse than its 2021 attempt, with the bond trailing 58%-42% in the results released Wednesday.
This bond attempt is smaller at $77.2 million and has no tax rate increase but its early results lagged behind what the final results in 2021 were. That $95 million ask, which had a one-year tax rate increase before receding to the previous rate, lost by nine points.
District officials trimmed out transportation and paying off one of the district’s two burdensome middle school leases on this round, based on surveys of voters.
This bond covered four areas: major projects, technology, major maintenance, and safety and security.
Those four categories were the ones endorsed by residents in the survey the district conducted after voters rejected the 2021 bond package.
District officials said before the vote if this package failed, the district would be forced to make major cuts. Construction on projects like upgrades to Higley High School will halt, though a current classroom building will continue on older bond money.
The district also may have to stretch the life of technology devices for its 1:1 student to device initiative, among other considerations.
The results reflect early voting. The count was 23,017 in that first drop of results and a turnout of 44.23%. Final unofficial results may not be known until Friday. Results become official when the canvass is accepted.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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