State funds likely out of reach for CUSD projects

Oct. 29—Now that it is grappling with declining enrollment, Chandler Unified should not expect any money coming from the state to help them rebuild their existing schools, the Governing Board was told this month.

CUSD Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry delivered the bad news at the board's Oct. 18 meeting as she presented the state-mandated annual update on where the district stands with its bonds and override authorizations from voters.

"There's only $190 million, approximately, for the School Facilities Board, and there are now 225 school districts," Berry said. "Our bond is bigger than that."

With the state handing out so little money, the priority will go toward growing districts to help them pay for new construction, Berry said. Still, board member Kurt Rohrs said he was impressed that CUSD was awarded $15 million from that fund.

"So the public knows, almost all of that went to repair roofs at three of our schools, and a couple of HVAC units repairs that were very expensive," he said.

CUSD voters authorized the district to spend 15% more than the state limit in 2021.

It was the third straight time voters approved that much. Before that, they approved a 10% override in 2003 and 2008.

The district plans to ask for another 15% override in 2025. The current override does not run out until 2026, but they are asking a year early just in case they lose the vote.

Then, she said they can ask again the following year.

The override meant the district could spend an additional $43-to-$45 million a year.

In 2015, CUSD residents approved a $195 million bond. Most of that money went to non-administrative construction and improvements ($139 million). The next highest cost was pupil transportation, helping with the purchase of new buses at $17.3 million.

Then came non-administrative furniture and equipment, which basically means anything inside the classrooms. That cost $19.3 million.

Administrative construction and improvements ($16.4 million) and furniture and equipment ($2.8 million) combined for about $19 million spent outside the classroom.

The district still has a little of that money left and plans to use it to help purchase school buses that were ordered in 2021 but have yet to be delivered.

Voters again approved a bond election for about $290 million in 2019. Most of that money is following the pattern set in 2015.

Non-administrative construction and improvements comprised the largest category at $225.5 million.

The district is rebuilding two of its oldest campuses, Galveston and Hartford elementary schools and completed building the new Arizona College Prep High School before last school year.

So far, just over $200 million of that money has been spent. There are plans in place to spend another $35 million with purchase orders that are pending.

Over the next two years, officials have additional plans to spend about $75.7 million, which means more money that was approved by voters.

Berry said that's where the money from the School Facilities Board comes in. It will help cover the cost of repairing the roofs at Chandler High and other schools.

She said they will also use some of their adjacent ways money, which helps pay for needed road improvements near schools.

"Ultimately, we have $20 million to offset some of those bond costs, too," Berry said.

Berry said the district has been hit by the same inflationary pressures that everyone else has. Still, officials expect to deliver on all of their promises to voters who approved the override and bond votes.

"We prioritized," Berry said. "We took care of health and safety needs, we took care of our growth."