Higley Unified School District in Gilbert is once again considering putting a bond request before voters to shore up its funding.
A $95M request failed last November.
The District receives $6M annually from the state for capital projects, but $4.4M of that goes to pay for two leases from 2012 for buildings at Cooley and Sossaman middle schools. Roughly $44M has been paid on the leases to date, according to officials. There are 31 years left on the leases, which would total $168M over the full term.
Because of the lease obligations, HUSD has had to use monies from its Maintenance and Operation budget to pay for capital expenses. Some preventative maintenance on District facilities has had to be deferred as a result.
The District expects to need more classroom space in the coming years, given Gilbert’s overall pace of population growth. District officials want to plan and construct space to meet the need before the demand arrives.
Alleged bid-rigging related to the leases and contractor payments were part of the indictments handed down last year against former Superintendent Denise Birdwell and three others.
HUSD last week launched an anonymous voter survey about the 2021 bond vote. The results will be shared in the February 9th meeting, which will also feature a second review on this year’s bond request. (Source)