This will allow more time for a thorough discussion with the board, but again, I'd suggest that that be kept separate from the approvals that we're asking for today. These are tough times and understandably there are concerns from students, staff, families, alumni, the community regarding the loss of the residential program, the remodeling of how our blind, visually impaired students would receive their specialized instruction, and the perceived lack of transparency in our decision-making process. We can't all agree that change is necessary. What we collectively may not agree on is who, what, when, where, why, and how. The administration does request that the board approve these measures. Your vote to approve the measures will help us manage the budget and ensure there is some type of long-term sustainability. Your vote to not approve the action risk the continued lack of funds needed to address the necessary renovations for the deteriorating Tucson and Phoenix campuses.
Before we take away from hands that directly serve the physical needs of our community, let us look there. We went to great lengths to collect feedback. Did we even listen? What about the district office as far away from school sites and classrooms as we can get? With the proposed cut of 241 classified positions, 204 which directly educate and protect our children daily, this is not the place to start. There has been a 139% increase in budget categories 5100 and 5800 services and other operating expenditures. That's a total of $2.3 million increase doubled in sub agreements for services and $ 8.3 million increase over doubled in professional consulting services. Let's look to cut outsourced programs first. Or how about the $17 million of surplus acknowledged this year of funds encumbered but unspent? The two to three million that's been annually moved into our already saturated special reserve funds or the $10 million loan that we approved all while deficit spending roughly $12 million, if we can even still call it that at this point in time.
We also risk the potential of our deficit growing because the savings from the relocation and the reduction in force will not be able to cover our day-to-day operations and we may not have enough funding to maintain all of our core educational programs. And because we are a state agency, there may be aggressive oversight or legislative intervention from the Arizona Auditor General or the state legislature. The history of the Speedway campus is valued and respected. For over a century, the buildings have served a landmark for our community. However, as we face the decision of prioritizing our future, we must remember the heart of ASDB isn't a specific zip code or a collection of historic bricks. It's actually maintaining the specialized and instruction services for our deaf, heart of hearing, blind, visually impaired students regardless of where the buildings are. Our mission is to ensure that the expertise follows the child wherever they are.
We know now that we've permitted an allocation of approximately $15 million with a total collection of approximately $28 million in special reserve funds while deficit spending approximately $23 million out of fund one reserves. How was this okay? It is difficult to give direction when you're asked to approve budget without understanding the details. Hard as we've tried to get information, we've been met with inflated numbers or silence and then an explanation that we can get it in March. As a board, we are in this position because we have not been properly informed. Decisions have been in support of an administration, all to the financial detriment of our district. During a season of increased funding, we have taken out loans and dwindled our reserves. We have spent an exorbitant amount of esser funds on capital outlay all with no significant increase in student learning. Yet we are afforded no clarity and are asked to fall in line and give consent.
And if the decision is to choose between preserving the old buildings or preserving our student services, I think we'd all choose our students. And each of you on the board have entrusted each of us as leaders to make a prudent data-driven decision that is in the best interest of the agency. Every dollar spent on the high maintenance cost of aving infrastructure is a dollar that could be spent in the classroom, retaining teachers and staff, and modernizing our programs and services. I urge the board to prioritize the mission over the maintenance. And that wraps up my report for today. Assistant Superintendent uh Cooper, I appreciate your report. I know this is an information item, but I'd like to ask um if you could speak on to if what receiverhip um is and what that might look like for our agency if we were to head down that path.
We should not if we do not like where we are headed. That today any employee fears losing their job. That our children are still falling woolfully short of stand below standard. All while ABUSD manages the budget with no substantial oversight or direction to change. We are spending but not investing in our children's future. My hope for this board is that we stand cleared in the responsibility that is ours alone. Even now this administration is not answering questions. A lawyer is being paid to address them. Again we are not properly informed be make before making pivotal decisions. Whose responsibility is this? As a board, we must listen and work together to truly understand, giving direction in light of what's best for kids. That we lead in truth and transparency, make decisions for fiscal solvency, so that we never ever have to be in this position again.
>> I need to ask a question before you answer that because I understood this was an information item and not for discussion. So I was cut off from asking a question and I'm asking why is it that you have the privilege to ask a question when I was not >> board member Taylor [applause] again this will be another warning for you on the decorum of how meetings are run >> I beg your pardon >> board President Buchanan in terms of uh receiverhip as superintendent Reich man. That means that we can be taken over by the state as I mentioned in my report. That could mean by the state legislature, the joint legislative audit committee, any one of us because we are a state agency that can take um that can actually happen. As I mentioned, we're not able to continue to pay debt. >> This is your last warning, audience member.
Thank you, >> Rick Raleigh. Anita Tucker. >> Good evening. I'd [clears throat] like to thank everyone that came out tonight to support our students and staff. And I know how hard it is uh that you all work and how much of a sacrifice it is for you to give up time at home with your families to be here. And I'd also like to thank those who reached out to me and sent letters supporting uh students and staff. I read them. I appreciate you reaching out. Thank you. February is the shortest month, but it's filled with meaningful events and celebrations. And this week, we recognize our truly amazing school counselors as we celebrate National School Counselor Counseling Week. This is a time to honor the invaluable contributions our counselors make to support our students, families, staff, and community. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our counselors.
If there is another disruption, you will actually be removed. I am concerned about my interpreter that is standing two seats away from you in the constant stream of comments you are making that is going to affect her ability to interpret. So I would ask you to actually politely move a couple seats over so our interpreters can clearly interpret for our our >> Okay, but I think you can at least move one seat over to give our interpreter some respect. >> This is going to be your last warning before you will be removed. >> Okay. So we will stop your commentary. Correct. I am so sorry assistant superintendent. >> Um as I mentioned that that means that as a state agency any of the legislative body oversightes can take over ownership of ASDB. And as I mentioned pertaining to the continuation of utilizing our surpluses to deplete our revenues and our surpluses, we will will not be able to pay our day-to-day operating expenses and some of our core educational programs will not be able to continue at the pace that we're operating now.
You are a lifeline with your unwavering support and guidance for our students each and every day. We also celebrate Black History Month. It's a time to honor the significant contributions, struggles, resilience, and triumphs of African-Americans throughout history. Next week, we celebrate random acts of kindness week. We can celebrate this by leaving unexpected and positive notes, sincere compliments, volunteering at a food bank, cleaning up litter at schools or in our neighborhood, and remembering that acts of kindness are contagious. February is also library lovers month. This is a time to renew our love of reading, cherishing books, and supporting our libraries. Thank you to our libraries, our li I'm sorry. Thank you to our librarians, library technicians, and our dedicated volunteers who make our school libraries welcoming havens for our students to discover the joy of reading and what amazing friends books can be for all of us.
>> Thank you for that point of clarification. We can move on to agenda item 1.5. information item W interim W assistant superintendent Shakoff. Good afternoon, board president Buchanan, members of the board, Superintendent Reichman, Assistant Superintendent Cooper, and the ASDB community. Last week, the ASDB leadership in this board received a notice from the Arizona Auditor General that ASDB Sunset Review has officially been initiated. That sunset review will result in a publicly released audit report, which is due to the legislature no later than October 1st. I'm assuming that if this report is due on October 1st, the auditors will gather will finish gathering everything they need no later than August, maybe sooner. Remember that August is only 6 months away. So why does that matter? Over the next four to six months, the Arizona Auditor General, we will be determining, and I quote, the efficiency and effectiveness of ASDB's operations and how well it is meeting its statutory responsibilities.
Finally, as we [clears throat] excuse me, finally, as we approach the difficult decisions regarding our school, our district's deficit spending this February, our primary objective must be to restore fiscal responsibility and long-term solveny. However, fiscal stability cannot come at the cost of our mission. Our focus must remain steadfastly on our students. We must prioritize student needs by ensuring that any necessary cuts are made as far away from the classroom, school sites, and core programs as possible. Above all, student safety must remain paramount. Even as we balance the budget, we have a fundamental duty to ensure our students continue to thrive academically, specifically by protecting and increasing their comprehension in the essential essential pillars of math, reading, and writing. We must make these hard decisions and these hard choices with one guiding principle, keeping the impact away from the students we serve. And I believe that every person sitting here, the most important thing is our students.
Just as a reminder, during our sensor review, which will happen in the legislative session starting in January and [clears throat] will be based on that report that the Otter General will be finalizing by October, legislators will be deciding if ASDB, which includes the two campuses, our deaf mentor program, our itinerant program, and our birth to five programs will be, and I quote, continued, modified, or terminated. In this Sunset report, the one that's due in October, there's about 14 specific things that they're going to be looking into. Two which are pertinent for tonight are one, and I quote, "The extent to which changes are necessary for the agency to more efficiently and effectively fulfill key statutory objectives and purposes or to eliminate statutory responsibilities that are no longer necessary." The second item, and I quote, is the extent to which the agency has addressed deficiencies. If this administration and this board cannot come up with a plan in the next couple of months to address these items and show proof of implementation by August, in January during our sunset review, our elected officials at the capital will make a plan themselves.
We value our students, our staff, and our communities. Thank you. >> Thank you, Maria Akara. >> Thank you so much for coming this evening. Um, as hard as it is, um, I think the oxygen that I I take when I come to a board meeting is to see the people and because of the situation that we faced um that oxygen was taken away um by somebody who is hiding behind something um to threaten lives. >> [clears throat and cough] >> I'm not taking it easy or or trying to pretend that it didn't happen. Um, but I have lived in this high desert since 1985. And in the 1985, I have loved your children. I have soothed their wounds. I have cried with you. I have cried with your families. Uh but at no time did I ever imagine that somebody will threaten to take my life.
Any of us can look up JLAC's December 2024 meeting to get an idea of what that plan is. And you all can make a decision yourself if you think that's the better plan. Over [clears throat] the last three years, ASDB leadership has met with the leaders of the early learning program, itinerant services, and the two campuses to discuss the student count, IEP minutes, their staffing needs for next year, and where we [clears throat] could potentially tighten things up to find cost savings. We've tried lobbying the legislature, finding funding sources, requesting capital improvements to repair the buildings, and all these external requests have been shot down. At this point, there is no easy way to find substantial savings and address $3 million in deficit deficit. My board report does list some of the ways our educational programs including our birth of three program which everybody in this room knows that's one of the most important areas to start services and how those are being impacted.
So as I sit here today, it is not a happy place for me because my passion is still Apple Valley. I still love Apple Valley very much. The question I have is does Apple Valley feel the same thing about me? Does Zappo Valley is Zappo Valley willing to stand up and say you cannot hurt people who are here trying to do their best for for our children? And so as I sit here, I am not in a a pleasant place as opposed to what everybody's been talking about. My mind is everywhere. Every time the door opens, I wonder who's coming in and what they're going to do to me. I have heard quite a bit about [clears throat] the conversation regarding the par educators and the support staff. I also started in this district as a teacher who had the benefit of a par educator and I didn't take that for granted.
I think all of us here tonight on the board, on this stage, and in the audience agree that we need to look at ASDB differently than we have in the past. But how we do that remains the area of debate. Tonight, the board gets to vote on one plan and decide if this plan being proposed increases our efficiency and effectiveness of ASDB's operations and addresses our deficiencies and puts us in a more fiscally stable position when we're in front of the sunset committee less than a year from now. Unfortunately, here in Arizona, over the last two years, many school boards have been asked to vote on plans like this. They too have been asked to close schools or relocate schools. They've been asked to vote for a reduction in force to the disapproval of those in the audience and the hardworking employees who potentially will no longer have a job.
And every day that I get up and go to schools, I let the par educators know that they are the root that waters the plants and I don't take it for granted. But I'm particularly troubled by a [clears throat] statement that was made by one of the speakers today and that is how we use our par educators in our in our schools. And I'm not going to rest until I get an answer on that particular use. So I'm going to leave it alone until next board meeting when it's supposed to be presented to us on what that use is. I have also contacted the department of ed to get information on what the instructions are. As a university supervisor, I have been informed that general education teachers must know how to handle special education students. That is their responsibility. But a child who comes to us with special education needs and has a specialized support in the classroom has to get that special education support where they belong.
When amphitheater board approved closing of four schools last month, members of their community were rightfully upset, saying, "I don't feel like anybody's listening to what I have to say, or I feel like the district's already made its mind up a long time ago about what was going to happen." When the Cave Creek board voted in February to close two schools, the community was quoted in the paper saying that the vote felt rushed and that more time was needed to make the best decision for students as well as we need time to pause until we have more uh representatives to look at these factors. When Scottsdale Unified voted in December to close two schools, that community accused their board of being deliberately dishonest and chastised them for not allowing all stakeholders to look at ways to cause cuts. In December, Kyne voted to close six schools, six schools over the next two years.
Unfortunately, we are going about it the wrong way. when [clears throat] a special education teacher now has to handle 10 or 15 students in their class and their per educator that has been assigned to them is being sent out somewhere. It is a time for the parents to ask the question who is giving my child the services that is written in their IEP. If that service is not being provided by the teacher who is credentialed to provide that service, the parent needs to ask begin to ask questions. So, I think we need to really as a district pay attention to the importance of our par educators. I've heard enough. I've seen enough. But I want to assure you that any decision we make here today is strictly for the benefit of the district. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Good evening. [snorts] Tonight is a difficult night for our district, our employees, and our community.