And how that's going to hurt your pocket. So, we have to be patient with that. The biggest issue is that that 61% could take less we're in trouble, right? Because we don't know what's going to happen. We don't know what the state's going to do next year. We have no clue. The equalization aid formula, you know, everybody thinks they know what that is, but it's very simple, okay? It has to it has to all balance out. But, there's places that have lost money and they're like, "Wait a second, we have the same amount of kids, we have the same amount of poverty, why do we lose money?" Because well, when you build new beautiful buildings, right? The assessments go up and when the pilot money goes somewhere else, well, guess what? The the the uh the state doesn't know that. They just know that that new building, right, is ratable.
Okay, thank you. And with regards to the tax burden, right? As our original bond is paying down, are we looking at a large burden on the taxpayers because I believe I thought the last one it wasn't really going to be an increase in taxes. Um so we did um reach out just for an initial estimate. So just as a reminder, our current existing bonds after this year there's only 38.7 million dollars remaining in principal. So those are paid off entirely in fiscal year 28. So just a couple years left and then we will have no uh bond related debt in this district. Um we received a request um to Sorry, I can't really put that part. So it looks like the um the new rate would be about 17 cents um estimated. Again, this is very preliminary estimate, so about 17 cents on um on a 100,000 assessed home.
That's on April 2nd, and by April 6th, um families and students will let us know whether or not they have decided to be part of economic challenge for next year. Um also, in terms of professional development around high ability, three AC teachers, one instructional coach, one assistant principal, and the high ability coordinator were able to attend the Indiana Association of the Gifted in Indianapolis, and at our last professional development day, there was a breakout session devoted to high ability. And finally, Dr. Spears-Newsomeister um was here at BCSC on February 3rd as part of the external um audit of our high ability program, and we are looking forward to getting the results of that. She visited with building um building administrators, academic challenge teachers, classroom cluster teachers, and students at Southside, Parkside, and Schmidt. Um and in terms of the my role as the legislative liaison, um there is actually a meeting coming up sponsored by ISBA Thursday, April 16th, and as of this time, um Mr.
So a lot of the I would characterize a lot of the comments uh here just really to try and um create an unambiguous process where uh you know changes and things can be dealt with on the field or within the field with scratch that changes in the field can be uh addressed as necessary uh with very clear very clear process uh within this order of conditions. So, I I I'd say uh everything I don't I don't see any major uh disconnects uh with any of the conditions that were proposed and would be happy to just kind of do a page turn if that's the what the commission would like to do. >> Yeah, that's typically what we do. We can start from the top >> through the commission. I do have the applicants comments and some additional comments from uh Mr. Crouch. um on one document.
Five to two here. Four minutes left in the second. Let's hope we can win this draw control here get in the offensive zone and settle. And then maybe try to get some plays started. Yeah, we were really optimistic about what happened in the first quarter. The second quarter is going a little differently, but let's start it here with a draw control. That was a self draw control by Payton Tripp. >> Payton Tripp with beautiful draw, but then lost the ball on a pass. It got stuck in her stick or something. >> [snorts] >> It was a good ride there. We got three. Just really need two there. Excuse me. [clears throat] Sorry. Ashley Forrester loves that behind the back check. Oh boy. All right, coach, we need a timeout here gather ourselves and figure out what's going on. Yeah, it's it's clear there's a couple of scoring threats for for the Mustangs and and they are the the girls that have been taking control.
>> Okay. So when were they when was HSDA put on as a mandatory partner? >> This was um well after we had gotten the grant. So >> so in 2024 >> 20 24 2024 2025. Yeah. >> Okay. So they were put on initially and yet we you haven't been able to come to any kind of I mean the way you said it was that you know you folks had come to an agreement and then they came up with with another issue but my understanding and that that's always been the first and foremost issue. >> no it was it was originally moving forward when it was HGA. No, when >> but then when DOE invited so when DOE um when they asked when DOE asked and they brought in HSTA that's when we started they had concerns and questions about it. So that's when we had then that's when we got stuck because then um HSTA said these apprentices need to be bargaining five.
So, you need less aid. It's not how it works though, right? We all know how that all that works. So, the more developments that come in and things like that, really the less aid you get. So, look at some of the surrounding towns that maybe lost some aid. What's because they have all these buildings that are going to fill with people that are going to pay more taxes now to go to that 27%. Right? But, that's that doesn't happen all the time. So, again, you have to realize that 61% is extremely extremely extremely important to this board right now. And last year, I got up here and I told everyone during the health care stuff, I I tried to say everything I possibly could and we all know how that went. And I also said that we're in trouble. We're going to we might go in a deficit.
So when you really look at it, um last year I think the average assessed valuation in Surprise was about 205,000. So based on that, it used to be about 547. If you recall, that was at 32 cents average rate. So that would have been about 547 a month. Um running that same estimate and um increasing the assessed valuation by a slight amount, that now comes out to about $3.05 per month. So that is now about 17 cents tax rate on the new bonds. Thank you. You're welcome. Any other questions? What is our plan to engage the community um but if we put this on the ballot? Well, we'd we'd have to get busy real quick. We have to obviously we have a pack. We have to start uh doing all the the uh publicity that um we've done once we call for the election. Again, we have uh those rules that, you know, we have to stay within the rules of 15-5-11.
Steiner, Mr. Schultz, Mr. Major, Mr. Glick, Ms. Lloyd, myself, and Dr. Phillips are planning to be there, and um Ms. Wilderness is pending, but it might be that all seven of us go. That's where we get an update on the um the latest legislation and what that's going to mean in terms of our policies for the coming year. Alan, um last Thursday, March 26th, Mr. Glick and I were able to attend districting and facilities committee meeting. Um I'll I'll start with the what I learned, and uh he can add to that. Um Mr. Bergman from the city-county planning department shared a number of new housing developments, including um and I might have the names a little bit mixed up, but Chase Point, which might be the same thing as Tipton Ridge on the west side of town on State Road 46. Uh mostly single-family homes.
If you would like me to go through that in the usual fashion, I can do that and the applicant or the commission can excuse me call out a stop whenever necessary. >> Yeah. Whatever streamlines the process. >> The conditions you gave us, these are the original. >> Uh yes. So >> they don't have um the comments from the applicant. The version in front of you on paper is the non-redlined version. The version I have screen shared has everybody's comments condensed together. >> Okay. >> Uh so you're also just as a reference point for anyone watching and for the commission's benefit, anything in black is original language to your standard conditions. Anything in purple is the red lining from the applicant. The blue um appears to be what uh Jean has provided. Anything in red is removals or red lining from myself and I'll reflect it accordingly.
We can find their roster here someplace we will we will say it. Some breakdowns Kevin where where winning the draw we're getting in the zone, but then we're just bad turnovers and something's got to change here. So hopefully they can calm down a little bit relax plenty of time left in this game they can make good choices. Yeah, in the first quarter we talked about how patient they were being. They were going into the offensive set and working it around. They just haven't had the opportunity to do it here in the the second quarter and I I I wouldn't necessarily say it's because of the the Norwood defense so much as the Ashlyn's turnovers and maybe a little bit of impatience, but once again another draw control. Another crazy pass though. See if we can come up with it. That's a cover on Norwood. A little bit fortunate to get that one, but Yep, Payton with the ball Lily Vitti let's see if we can just take a deep breath.
And then when we were going back and forth with these questions um we had met a few times with uh uh do with the department of of ed as well as with the lawyers. Um we brought uh the department of labor was there. Um so we had the we had the players there but um but then when H when it switched over and HSTA came on board that's when this uh stalemated and we couldn't move forward because of their concerns and that was through >> I understand I understand my my my question for so that the fact that they came in in either late 2024 2025 you've had all this time to be able to um try to get this resolved and obviously not and it's not that it came up at a last minute. It's been a point of contention for over a year or or longer.
I wasn't sure. And then last minute, boom, we get 6%. Everybody's cheering, yay. And I'm like, woo, we just kicked it down the road for a year. And what happened? 6%? Boom uh this this year, boom, 6%. Can't keep kicking the can down the road, all right? At some point, we have to try to mend this issue and that's what we're doing with this budget. Okay? State aid, there's your state aid I just talked about. The increase was 6%. We got another another 5 million. Another 5 million on top of that. Incredible, okay? And again, when we did the preliminary budget, we talked about the health care costs, etc. that basically ate all those up. Um so, that's kind of, you know, where we're we're at with some of that. Um but, you see the state aid number one up from 82.9 to 87.9. >> [clears throat] >> And where did that go?
So um but we would have to get busy pretty quick because we have to do this, give them the language, tell them we are doing it by May 7th, um which is not very far away, um and then get our some attorneys involved. So there are costs with attorneys to get involved for the ballot language, uh those kind of pieces. We need to get our um pack up and running con you know, ask them again if they're uh going to do that. Um I don't know the situation that the pack's in right now um for the signs and raising money. I know they did a great job last time. I don't know that they can do that kind of job, to be honest with you, again in this short notice um to get going, but we would need to get going pretty quickly um in order to have a good campaign.
I think it started out as single-family with multi-family, but I think now it's narrowed down to just single-family. Uh that development would be or will be uh right across State Road 46 from uh Maple Grove. The Arbor Company is preparing a new development at Dever Road. Um that the name of that development is Timberland Springs. Uh Dever Road and uh close to State Road 11, I think um where you can access it from State Road 11. Uh several hundred single-family homes again on the west side. Uh Mr. Williams gave a preview of kind of what the criteria are for redistricting. Uh talked about the needs at the various facilities. And public information sessions are scheduled on this issue. Um They will be uh audio and visual presentations nights of April 7th at East, April 9th here at North, and April 21st at the Westside Community Church.
In highlighted is the additional new com uh conditions or change in language that was originally prepared. Um, under your initial administrative conditions, the first change is from the applicant under 21B. Um, it's just specifically calling out the reference to the plan set. It does however add an inclusion for field changes um to be uh any changes to the proposed project including field changes as the addition um shall be submitted to the Ashlin Conservation Commission administered per condition number 49 in this order as opposed to prior to the start of construction. Um the commission as a reminder the wetlands protection act does not actually have any allowance for field changes in their regulations. Any changes have to be provided in writing to the conservation commission for approval to determine if it warrants a new notice of intent or an amended order of conditions. The commission has a minor modification policy that allows for minor field changes in the reduced uh scope of review.
Chill or just go right to goal and shoot as hard as we can. That'll work too. Yeah, that was a good slide by Norwood to take away her opportunity to shoot. It looked like from the start she was going to be able to get around her defender and get a clear shot, but the Mustang defender worked over and I don't want to say what that was, but it was Leah Early with the ball here. It was Callahan had the ball for Julia Freeze cutting through a little bit of a force, but she was kind of open so we'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Ashley Forrester setting up a play here. See them get situated in their spots. It's ISO on number six sidearm slinger from Ashley Forrester. She's going to have a season huh Kev? Yeah, she sure is. She is not going to be afraid to shoot it.
Um that concerns me that we that this grant is sitting there and that you folks might have not been able to get this resolved. Um the fact that they're a mandatory partner as you folks agreed to that it would have to be be resolved, right? Otherwise, this this thing ends in 2027 already. So, we're going to um not be able to to institute this program or this grant. >> So, in terms of we sponsored it, but in terms of um again the consulting confer process, that's not something that was in our hands. That was something that was in the Department of Ed's hands. So, we could only um and we were actually asking weekly um what's going on, what's going on, what's going on. Um, we were trying to get meetings going. Um, >> okay. >> I had tried to reach >> I'll bring up HSDA after we get done to get their their point of view on this.
Okay, so, the premium increases for uh for the state aid, right now, just right now, which is important that you remember I just said that, is 3.5 million. Charter schools, 1.2 million right off the bat. Went right to right to that right to those those students. And they have a right to go there. Don't get me wrong, but let's get them to come back here. Utility costs, just like your house probably went up cuz I just paid my bill and it doubled. Sure yours went up just as well. 850,000. Almost That was like almost 50%, right? Of How much? 45% increase from last year. Okay? Again, it's it's the same thing we're all going through. It's horrible, but it it's it's unfortunately a reality. Same thing with your general fund appropriations from one year to the next. Again, I will post this as soon as we can just so you could see it.
Not saying it can't be done. We just we're going to shift some priorities and get it done. Um and so whatever the board is thinking or or wants to do, um would you know, I would say make a decision within the next month for sure, um and then we'll have to get busy real quick. Any more questions? So what is the cost again for the district to put a bond on the ballot? Um the amount last year that we spent was about $225,000. And that was including the bond and the override election. The year before was about $140,000, that was a bond only. So it varies depending on Maricopa County does give us different rates based on how many voters, um how many questions there will be on the ballot, etc. But over the last um four election cycles from 19, 20, 24, and 25, it averaged um usually about in the $200,000 range or so.