Chandler Unified School District board still debating how to cut remaining $2M from its budget

The Chandler Unified School District is still trying to decide how to achieve a $12 million budget reduction for the next school year.

The governing board was initially considering a multi-part plan to cut more than 100 employees. Last week, the board approved about $10 million in cuts to proactively address declines in enrollment, but couldn’t decide how to trim the final $2 million.

That money was supposed to be made up by consolidating the number of tech and media specialist positions in the district. But that raised concerns from staff members like Ruth Mendoza, a media specialist at Chandler Traditional Academy - Freedom Campus.

“I have seen first-hand how our partnership effectively delivers career literacy, technology and library standards without compromising quality or depth," Mendoza said. "Expecting a single career literacy teacher to absorb all three roles is not only unrealistic but irresponsible. As it undermines students’ most critical need: strong reading literacy.”

At a meeting Wednesday, board member Claudia Mendoza asked for additional options to be presented no later than Feb. 4 and for staff to prioritize district level reductions and cuts to non-student facing roles. Her motion passed, but board members Kurt Rohrs and Ryan Heap voted no.

“We’ve now been deliberating for quite some time and the next time that we meet, we cannot – we cannot do this again," Heap said. "We need to make a decision. The public at hand, this has been weighing on their minds. It’s been weighing on the teachers' minds.”

That Feb. 4 deadline will allow contracts to go out on time. Superintendent Frank Narducci was concerned that if they didn't, more people might leave the district due to delays.