MESA — Mesa Public Schools is regrouping after voters narrowly rejected a $449 million bond that would have paid to repair and upgrade aging school buildings, ABC15 reported.
A small number of ballots from the Nov. 3 election were still being counted this week, but they are not expected to change the result, the station reported.
“Fifty percent of the population said no, and 50% said yes,” school board member Lacy Chaffee said.
Superintendent Matthew Strom told parents in an email Saturday that the district would focus on preventive maintenance of its buildings. “Mesa Public Schools has a proud history of adapting to challenges, embracing opportunities and working together in the best interests of students,” Strom wrote. “That commitment remains unchanged.”
Chaffee said she was disappointed but believes funding could still come, pointing to a recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling that underfunding public schools is unconstitutional and to the newly elected Legislature.
“People want to see prices lowered, and they’re feeling it in their wallets,” Chaffee said of voters’ decision.
Voters did approve Proposition 420, which gives the district more freedom to sell and lease underused buildings. Chaffee said that would bring in some money, but not enough for a district she described as more than $1 billion in debt.
Elsewhere in the region, the Florence Unified School District board voted this week to close three schools, citing declining enrollment and budget concerns, ABC15 reported. Scottsdale Unified voted earlier this year to close schools.
Sources: ABC15, ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952), photographer / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
