>> Yeah, the regional school campus as well because there has been some concern about the safety uh of the pedestrian crossings there as well. Um and um there has been some suggestions that we start making some changes immediately and Kevin has come up with a proposal instead to do an assessment of actually what the need is. Um that makes sense >> and get that get that clarified first uh before we start just willy-nilly making changes >> that could be wrong or the wrong >> that could be. Yeah. Um and um so we think that that this is the appropriate um path to follow. Um Mike, I don't know whether you've got any other other comments you wanted to add on. >> No, I I think you you hit it. Um, you know, I think it's it's a good representation of the working group from uh DBW, public safety planning, um, the schools, also some um, area residents, and um, you know, this again in the scheme of things, this is not a huge ticket item, but we are going to work with the schools to see if we might be able to do some shared costs for this.
Okay. >> So, if Mr. M, if I may, I appreciate John's thought. I think uh just add another clarification. So two of the studies are together. So the climate action plan and the master plan, the building study is with the other capital items. We felt that it's a it's the appropriate place for that to live. So that's why they're not all three backto-back. Two are back toback. >> Okay. >> Uh but we thought capital should stay with the capital items. >> Okay. Well, why don't we keep it the way it is? Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. Any other questions or comments? Yes, sir. You know, I took your comment earlier and I'm going to ask a pointed question here rather than town meeting. Um, I'm going to be honest. Every time I hear you say the goal is to finish in one meeting or by 10:00 or whatever it is, I cringe a little bit because it seems to me this is the one opportunity we have as a town.
Selected from a national pool of hundreds of qualified coaches, this honor reflects the elite level of respect she has earned across the high school basketball landscape. Her selection also places her among a very small group of Arizona coaches who have ever received this opportunity. Since the inception of the McDonald's All-American Games in 1977, only a handful of coaches from Arizona have been chosen to lead a team, underscoring the rarity and prestige of this recognition. At Mosqu High School, Coach Gonzalez emol embodies the Alpha standard, accountability, legacy, preparation, humility, and attitude, building a program rooted in culture, development, and student centered leadership. Her work has elevated the Wildcats girls program and strengthened the broader Mesa athletics community. This honor brings national visibility to mosqu high school and stands as a powerful reflection of her leadership, culture, and commitment to excellent. And it defines Mosquite athletics and the alpha mindset.
Next slide. As recommended by the advisory committee, the town budget for FY27 is balanced in that the o in that an operating override approved at the ballot is not needed to fund the budget. Massachusetts law so-called proposition 2 and a half constrains the increase in property taxes from year to year. The maximum allowable property tax levy is limited to an increase of 2 and a.5% plus new growth from year to year unless an increase is approved by ballot uh by an override vote. This chart shows the last five fiscal years with proposed fiscal year 27 to the far right. The dash line on the chart shows the maximum allowable property tax levy per prop 2 and a half. The green line shows the property tax levy needed to fund the town budget. To be balanced, the green line needs to be below the dash line.
Uh, but we're asking your approval that if if we do need to pick up the whole cost, we want to do that because we do think this is important um, to move forward. So, >> well, I think I really commend this suggestion, Kevin, because you know, we tend to do things in a vacuum without looking at it holistically and then sometimes what you did was absolutely not the right thing to do. >> Sure. >> And you know, and I think also that sidewalk was the citizens petition that we had for two years was trying to solve just a portion of the problem. >> Right. Exactly. Correct. And then that in and of itself created a bigger problem. Right. >> So this is and and this is why we formed this committee to look at it holistically >> in a comprehensive way. Yeah. >> Um and we did start considering potential changes uh on the Chering school campus uh and then felt that u maybe we're putting the cart before the horse and that we should really do an assessment of the need.
And that's not exactly true because the planning board and others set up public hearings and so forth leading up to and the select and the war committee have public hearings. So there are other opportunities, but the town meeting is really the largest gathering of everybody. And um if you said what I thought you said, which in 40 years we haven't gone into a second night, I got to believe we missed something or something got brushed over. Is is there anything that other towns are doing that we aren't doing other than having multiple night meetings? Uh are they limiting the number of articles? Are they having maybe two town meetings every 6 months apart? Are there other things we can consider uh in the case of of expanding the forum? >> We have done that and uh you How long have you been is are you Mr.
Congratulations, Candace. Congratulations, Mosquite High girls basketball team on a championship. Well done. in shake hands and we'll take another picture. >> Congratulations. Good job. >> Congratulations. I got you still. Congratulations, Mosqu High. >> Thank you guys for being here. >> Congratulations. >> Good luck with your retirement. I will. >> Thank you. >> Uh governing board members, that concludes our recognitions for this evening. Thank you guys. Thank you for everybody being here. A lot of lot of options. Get a good seat. All right, thank you for that. We're going to move on to agenda item number five, superintendent report. >> Thank you, Mr. President Board members. Uh before I start, I'd like to recognize a few people from our Aspire program. Michael Ryder, Sean Kerr, Bren Chapman, Dr. Whitley, Jeff Singer, and Clinton Wright. If you guys are around, stand up. Thank you guys for being here.
The difference between these lines is the so-called excess levy capacity. The initial draft budget submitted by budget makers in December, as noted by uh Chair Sai, uh would have created a budget deficit requiring an override of $850,000 to fund. It's shown uh on this graph uh in red showing the line above the dash line showing the budget deficit. The hard work of the budget makers and advisory and the advisory committee has developed consensus budgets providing level service that are funded within the tax the allowable tax levy not requiring an override vote. The recommended budget for FY27 is shown uh by the green line on the fire rate. You have the blue blue arrow. However, if the FY27 budget is approved, the town's excess levy capacity will essentially be exhausted. Next slide. Uh since uh FY22, the town's excess levy capacity has been in decline. The proposed FY27 budget will essentially use the remaining excess levy capacity.
And uh this way we we're talking from real data as opposed to um um suppositions and um um and pre preconceptions. >> I'm sure the schools want to do that as well, right? I mean it's their campus. So we to get onto their campus and start dictating. >> That said, the schools have have been somewhat skeptical about um making changes. they feel that the need is much smaller than some people have portrayed. Um and um they're doing that every day. So one one needs to listen to them. On the other hand um I'm somewhat concerned that if we do have some an accident there and a child is injured then uh we're going to be facing some some challenges and we need to look at it seriously. Look at it from all sides. get do a numbersbased assessment and then we can make some decisions on the basis of that.
Savage? >> Yes. >> Hi, nice to meet you. [laughter] >> Nice to meet you. >> Uh the we have had um I've been the moderator 14 years now. And in the 14 years, I would say at least 10 of them, we've had special town meetings in addition to the annual town meetings. And that's been our way to try to spread things out and and avoid going into two nights one week after the other. You know, from attending town meetings that very often we're scrging to try to meet our quorum requirements. uh we're on our cell phones calling people, asking people to arrive. One of the problems that we have is very often the quorum doesn't happen till 7:30, which frankly drives me crazy. You know, I want to start at 7:00 so we can move and get people out of there by 11:00. And um but we're on the phone calling people, asking people to come.
They're in our Aspire program and they are learning all about leadership and uh what it takes to be an administrator in Gilbert Public Schools. So, thank you guys for being here. Again, good evening and thank you for joining us. Uh the end of the school year is fast approaching and we have about 17 days left of school. An enormous thank you goes out to our students, staff, and families for all your dedication, love, and devotion to the public education in Gilbert Public Schools. We thank you for that. Just a few announcements tonight. For the seventh consecutive year, Gilbert Public Schools has been honored with the best communities for music education designation from the NAM organization, the foundation. NAM stands for National Association of Music Merchants for its outstanding commitment to music education. The best communities for music education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
Future budgets starting in FY28 may be limited by the requirements of Proposition 2 and a half. Budget increases beyond 2 and a.5% plus new growth, which equates to an annual increase of about 2.7% for Sherburn, would require operational overrides approved at the ballot. Thank you, Mr. Moderator.
>> It makes sense to me. Let's think before we act and study before we act. >> Yeah. >> Great. And make sure that the need is real >> because maybe schools are right and maybe the citizens are right. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. And this takes all the subjectivity out of it from all parties. It's a non-biased professional organization that's going to do the traffic counts. They're going to look at movement throughout the entire parking lot and make those suggestions back to us. >> Speed and traffic. >> Yeah. And then the committee will take that back and if that's something we want to adopt and obviously in conjunction with the schools then then that'll be phase two for implementation. >> Right. >> So to ask an obvious question the schools are all on board. >> Okay. Just want to make sure. >> Good question. >> Well, >> right.
If we go into a second night and it's the same warrant, there's a real concern that we're not going to have a quarrel. And uh and that's why we try. It may be this might be the night that we're going to have to go twice. I hope not. But uh the way we have tried to deal with in the past is by having special town meetings. Now, it might be that in hindsight, we should have thought about having a special town meeting for some of the items that are presented here because it turned out that there is some controversy involved, but the warrant has gone out, so we'll deal with it. [snorts] But, um, if you have any ideas about how to expedite it, let me know. >> Can you limit the number of >> No. Okay. >> We cannot. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I wish we could.
To qualify for the best communities designation, GPS answered detailed questions about finding about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instructional time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music making programs. Responses were varied by school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute of the University of Kansas. Gilbert Public Schools is one of six school districts in Arizona to receive the National Honor this year. At GPS, preK through 12 students have access to an extensive array of musical offerings. Our music students and programs are continually recognized at the state and national level carrying the district's legacy of excellence. So, congratulations to all of our music programs. Uh the Gilbert Education Foundation scholarship night uh was held last Thursday, April 23rd, at the Mosquite Junior High Auditorium. We honored approximately 40 high school students for their academic achievements and volunteerism, as well as GPS educators for their dedicated service.
>> Thank Thank you. Uh and we'll now hear from the school committee. I don't know who's here from the school committee. Oh, very good. Good evening. My name is Angie Johnson and I am the chair of the regional school committee. Um, so yeah, if you want to put our slides up. I think we need the school committee slides if somebody has those. >> Yeah. Are they on there? >> I have the numbers, but it's just better to see what you're looking at. >> Have it. You have it? >> Yeah, we'll just wait till this little technical detail is worked out. >> Okay. There we go. >> There we go. >> Very good. Thank you. >> So if you go to the first slide, we can talk about the budget assumptions. So we assume that there are regular school operations and we base those on projected enrollments and of course we comply with the town's budget guidance.
So then I'm going to move to approve the scope of service between Dover and Tech for a Chering. Well, it's for a schoolwide, right? >> It's the study >> for Okay. >> Yeah. So if I can add some Madam Chair some to add something on on the regional schools >> context. So this is specifically for the Chering findings. Uh currently we have a grant submission in to actually address the uh crossing at Donley to Farm Street and actually put a ADA compliant sidewalk into the campus. Um so uh DOT at a conference I was at last week indicated we know by the end of April. So within the days I should we should know if we have the funding for that. Um so that'll be construction funds to build that. >> Right. So that'll be construction funds for that project um to put a rapid flash beacon.
Um, I wish we could. Yes, sir. Point of >> order. It often seems that we barely get form, right? >> I'm sorry. >> It often seems that we start the meeting late because, as you said, we we need to >> get form and then people leave, right? And sometimes significant number of people leave because they have one issue they're trying or whatever. Right. >> Um then you don't have really form anymore. >> Right. have that I mean I've never seen them address that. >> Yeah. Under the rules of for Massachusetts town meetings until somebody challenges the quorum we we're able to proceed. So if somebody were to raise their hand and say we challenge the presence of a quorum at that point we would have to stop do a count to see if we still have a quorum. If we don't have a quorum at that point we would have to recess to a a later date.
I'd like to thank Terresa Dudesen, who leads GEF, for unwavering commitment to our students, staff, and community. And thank you to all of our business sponsors who contributed to the scholarships and for making the evening of celebration a success. There will be a GF business leader breakfast next Wednesday, May 6, at 8 a.m. in this very room. So, if anybody's interested in joining, please come over. And Mr. Thompson, that concludes my report for this evening. Thank you. >> We're going to um go to action item 9.01, appointment of Johnny Stagall, Steagall. Steagle. Okay, I'll get that eventually. All right. Uh, appointment of Johnny Steagle as principal of Mosqu Junior High for the 2026 2027 school year. Is there a motion >> to appoint Johnny Steagle as principal of Mosqu Junior High for the 2026 2027 school year? >> Thank you, Miss Humphre. Is there a second?
Um we align with the district strategy which is excellence and innovation in learning to challenge and support all of our students. Also having professional learning and growth for our um staff and family and community engagement and safe and sustainable spaces. The budget drivers with relation to this are payroll and related benefits for the region. That represents approximately 85% that's in the next slide of the operating budget. Um and the key budget drivers are contractual salary increases for all district employees. Um and that is accounted for in a reserve for contractual increases as negotiations for all bargaining groups um which we have just finished. um salary savings from retirements and staff reductions based on student needs, enrollment levels and curriculum needs, health care costs, and an increase of 8% for the region and continued funding for OPED liability trust at the region, which is approximately $250,000 of an annual contribution.