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Vote November 3rd

Mail In Ballot Only

AZ SCHOOL ORGANIZATION & HISTORY OF SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

Arizona’s school organization and school boundaries are more than 100 years old and have grown through random growth patterns as the state has gone from a sleepy western locale to the fastest growing state in the country.

There are around 230 school districts, 406 charter school holders and 13 JTED’s—Joint Technological Education Districts like CAVIT.

Arizona School Districts are set up in 3 School Configurations

Common Elementary—K—8 (about 108 in AZ)Union High School Districts—9—12 (about 15 in AZ)Unified—K—12. Both Coolidge and Florence districts

are unified.

In 2005 a bill was signed into law to form a School District Redistricting Commission. They were to look at not only seamless and connected curriculum but potential savings and fiscal efficiency. It was to allow for more efficient school operations, reducing overhead and spreading fixed costs across a broader base.

ARIZONA SCHOOL ORGANIZATION & HISTORY OF SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION CON’TIn 2008, 76 elementary and union high school

districts voted to consolidate. Only 4 passed! Of those 4 none changed. The affected school districts successfully sued to stave off the mergers.

January 2015—Governor Ducey has indicated he would like to revisit the consolidation/unification issue in order to achieve his goal of more money in the classrooms.

WHY WOULD CUSD CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION WITH FLORENCE UNIFIED?I. EFFICIENT USE OF PUBLIC MONIES:

CUSD believes there will be a more efficient use of public or taxpayers monies by detaching our portion of the San Tan Valley schools from CUSD and FUSD absorbing them because of declining enrollment and engagement of common culture.

As fiscal agents of taxpayers’ money, it is CUSD’s responsibility to publicly report budget data and identify inefficiencies.

EFFICIENT USE OF PUBLIC MONIES CON’TBased on current student enrollment, CUSD could operate

resourcefully with: 2 Elementary Schools with enrollment of 800 each

(instead of 3 elementary ) 1 Middle School with an enrollment of 800 (instead of

two middle) 1 High School with an enrollment of 1000 (instead of

two high schools)

However, this model is not practical because of the 25 miles and the 45 minute drive between Coolidge and San Tan Valley.

EFFICIENT USE OF PUBLIC MONIES CON’TCUSD has previously identified ways to spend tax

dollars more efficiently and has: Closed Hohokam Middle School in Coolidge 2014

and moved students and teachers to CHS site. Closed Mountain Vista Middle School in San Tan

Valley in 2015 and moved students and teachers to San Tan Foothills site.

Instituted a 4 day school week in 2015.

Currently, CUSD annually spends more than $500,000 to support and maintain its 3 schools sites in San Tan Valley .

PHYSICAL CAPACITY/ACTUAL COUNT

School Capacity Actual %

San Tan Foothills 1,524 426 28%

San Tan Foothills/Mountain Vista

1,524 601 40%

San Tan Heights 866 535 61%

In May 2015

Mountain Vista 924 326 35%

WHY WOULD CUSD CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION WITH FLORENCE UNIFIED?II. DECLINING ENROLLMENT: Compared Day 27 2014 to

Day 27 2015

If we sustain these current numbers CUSD will have to cut over $1 million in 2016.

School Enrollment +/-

San Tan Foothills -106

Mountain Vista -162

San Tan Heights -51

San Tan Valley Schools Total

-319

Coolidge Schools Total +55

District Total -264

WHY WOULD CUSD CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION WITH FLORENCE UNIFIED?III. CUSD UNIQUE DISTRICT WITH DISTINCT

VARIANCES

• Geographic distance

• Culture

• Ethnic make up

• Unemployment

• Poverty

• Median income

• Political views

CUSD GOVERNING BOARD APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO CONSOLIDATE A PORTION OF CUSD WITH FUSDThe Governing Board based their decision on: The current inefficient use of tax dollars by

duplication of programs and school sites for small numbers of students;

Declining enrollment at the 3 San Tan Valley school sites;

The distance between the two populations of students;

And a decrease in the tax rate for CUSD.

WHY WOULD FUSD CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION WITH COOLIDGE UNIFIED?

I. HIGH ENROLLMENT

II. EFFICIENT USE OF TAX PAYER MONIES

III. COMMON CULTURE

FUSD NEEDS & OPTIONS IN SAN TAN VALLEY CON’T

Florence Unified has been conceptually approved to build a new high school in San Tan Valley in 2017

PBHS cost $59.7 Million

$27.5 Million locally funded$32.2 Million School Facilities Board funded

FUSD NEEDS IN STV—SKYLINE RANCH

FUSD NEEDS IN STV – WALKER BUTTE K-8 LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

II. EFFICIENT USE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY---FUSD WOULD ACQUIREEstimated $16 Million Debt (debt currently owed by CUSD) vs. $60 Million for New High School• Acquire 3 schools (San Tan Heights Elementary,

Mountain Vista Middle School, San Tan Foothills High School)• They will be fully integrated with wireless internet

• Fully furnished buildings• All fields and multipurpose facilities• 10 buses• Incorporates approximately 40% of CUSD

area located in the San Tan Valley Area.

$16 vs $60 Million Million

IF WE CONSOLIDATE (CONT.)

San Tan Heights Elementary

Mountain Vista Middle School

San Tan Foothills High School

AREA TO BE CONSOLIDATED—36 SQ. MILES

Empire Blvd.

Gary Rd.

Arizona Farms Rd.

Bell Rd.

The map to the right depicts the area that would become part of the FUSD. The area outlined in yellow would break off from CUSD and combine with the adjacent FUSD.

III. COMMON CULTURE

• All schools in San Tan Valley under 1 district.

• All K-8 schools will feed the two high schools in San Tan Valley—Poston Butte and San Tan Foothills.

EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY THE MERGER

The Florence Unified School District will work closely with the Coolidge Unified School District to transition all of the faculty and staff at the Coolidge schools located in San Tan Valley to become FUSD employees.

FUSD’s intent is to keep the schools fully staffed. All faculty will be retained pending their 2015-2016 evaluation.

TAX COST BREAKDOWN

Current Tax Rate: $1.31

Post Tax Rate: $1.12

Estimated Decrease:

-19¢

Current Tax Rate: $1.31

Post Tax Rate: $1.19

Estimated Decrease:

-12¢

Current Tax Rate: $1.06Post Tax Rate: $1.19

Estimated Increase:

+13¢

***Acquiring $16 Million debt. This will include 3 schools and 40% of STV Area.

Coolidge Remaining

San Tan Area Transferring to

Florence

Florence Unified School District

HOW WOULD CONSOLIDATION AFFECT MY PROPERTY TAXES

A: Average Class III Assessed Property

Value: $68,474

Current Tax Rate: $1.3087

Post Tax Rate: $1.1228

FY15-16

Estimated Secondary Annual Tax:

Current- $71.00

Post Consolidation- $61.00

Estimated Net Annual Decrease: -$10.00

A: Average Class III Assessed Property Value: $134,590

Current Tax Rate (Coolidge): $1.3087

Post Tax Rate (Florence): $1.1853

FY15-16

Estimated Secondary Annual Tax:

Current- $135.00

Post Consolidation- $122.00

Estimated Net Annual Decrease: -$13.00

A: Average Class III Assessed Property Value: $117,504

Current Tax Rate: $1.0582Post Tax Rate: $1.1853

FY15-16

Estimated Secondary Annual Tax:

Current- $89.00Post Consolidation- $100.00

Estimated Net Annual Increase: +$11.00

Coolidge Remaining

San Tan Area Transferring to

Florence

Florence Unified School District

WHO CAN APPROVE THIS CONSOLIDATION?The Partial Consolidation will only pass if all three areas vote independently in favor:

FUSD Boundaries

CUSD Boundaries

Coolidge San Tan Valley Transfer Area

WHAT HAPPENS AT FUSD IF CONSOLIDATION FAILS?Possible scenarios:

Bus PBHS students to Florence High and K-8 students outside of their communities in the future.

Bond Election for new high school – Highest need for FUSD at this time.

WHAT HAPPENS AT CUSD IF CONSOLIDATION FAILS?

CUSD WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY THE FINANCIAL AND ACADEMIC NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY.

DUE TO DECLINING ENROLLMENT AT OUR 3 SAN TAN SCHOOLS, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THE 3 SCHOOLS AS WE DO NOW.

MANY OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BUT UNTIL THE VOTE IS FINAL, CUSD WILL NOT CONSIDER, ANALYZE , OR EVALUATE THE CHOICES .

CUSD WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPERANT AND OPEN WITH ALL POSSIBILITIES AND SELECTIONS.

ELECTION IS NOVEMBER 3—MAIL IN BALLOT ONLYYou Have A Choice To Make