Residents urge Fountain Hills board not to sell vacant school land; teachers’ union calls for community help after $750,000 override loss

During the public-comment period, several residents urged the Fountain Hills Unified School District governing board to seek alternatives to selling vacant district land and to pursue other funding options before authorizing sales.

Sheryl Stiles, a longtime resident, told the board she and neighbors “want to, lend our support” and asked the board to consider budget-line reviews or building consolidations rather than selling the three vacant plots discussed in local news coverage. Neighbor Brian Brickerman, who lives adjacent to one parcel, said he purchased his lot believing it would become a school or park and asked the board to clarify plans; another resident, Marsha Fears, echoed the appeals and offered neighborhood help to raise funds.

At the start of information items, FHEA representative Mr. Buckley briefed the board on bargaining outcomes and district finances, telling the board the district lost a district override worth about $750,000 by roughly 200 votes and encouraging community help to campaign for future funding. Buckley described how capital and M&O funds interact — and said losing the override reduced available operating funds that could otherwise support teacher salaries and retention. He asked neighbors to help campaign and clarified that some capital allocations could be shifted to M&O under certain conditions but that the administration had been reluctant to do so while the override shortfall existed.

Board members acknowledged the concerns, thanked residents for offering help and said they would continue to look at budget options. No formal motion on property disposition or an immediate fund-raising action was recorded in the meeting transcript; residents’ requests were entered for future consideration.