Apache Junction Unified School District board adopts 2027 maintenance budget after residents urge clearer priorities

Apache Junction — The Apache Junction Unified School District governing board voted 5–0 on July 10 to adopt the district’s fiscal year 2027 maintenance and operations budget after a public hearing and extended question‑and‑answer session about line‑item figures and reporting practices.

Board President called the special meeting and opened a public hearing required by state law before taking action. Two residents spoke during public comment: Steve Hessler of Gold Canyon urged greater transparency and longer‑term planning in light of falling enrollment and institutional strain; Katie Shively urged the board to prioritize accountability for teacher support and said community donations should supplement, not substitute for, district funding.

Missus Salazar, the district staff member presenting the budget, told the board there were "no changes to the budget" but that a correction to the transportation section would alter tax‑rate calculations rather than the bottom‑line budget total. "What it does is impact the tax rates for the community, and everything else is as is," Missus Salazar said. Staff explained that the transportation support limit (TSL) is used for tax‑rate purposes and is separate from the maintenance and operations total the board was asked to adopt.

Board members pressed staff about large apparent discrepancies between detailed worksheet line items and the final totals shown in internal printouts. One board member asked why individual line items on the worksheet appeared to be dramatically lower than the figures printed elsewhere; staff responded that the worksheet is an allocation estimate used to place anticipated expenditures into categories and that the controlling requirement is that column totals equal the district’s adopted budget cap (discussed in the meeting as roughly $19,000,000 for the year).

Public commenters raised personnel and maintenance concerns that factored into the debate. Hessler said his experience with another nearby institution showed the value of demanding detailed financial data, and Shively said teachers were being stretched thin — sometimes splitting time between junior high and high school — and that volunteers and booster clubs are filling gaps that should be funded by the district. "Community generosity should be a supplement to district resources, not substitute for them," Katie Shively said.

After the public hearing and the staff presentation, a board member moved to approve the maintenance and operations budget for fiscal year 2027; the motion was seconded and passed by a 5–0 vote. The board also voted 5–0 to adjourn the special meeting.

The budget adopted is the district’s working maintenance and operations plan for FY2027; staff told the board revisions can still be made later in the fiscal year if conditions change or corrected figures are provided. The board asked that staff improve the timing and clarity of reports so members can review finalized materials before special meetings.