SUSD votes to sue state over funding

The Sahuarita school board has voted to approve a lawsuit against a state agency over a past school funding issue, even as the district continues talks with that agency for a site for a new high school.

The board also voted to raise school lunch prices by 25 cents a meal and learned that state funding for a School Resource Officer has been cut, even though the current SRO, Mike Blevins, has been asked by state officials to teach law-related classes around the state.

State budget cuts may cost the district between $400,000 and $500,000 in the new fiscal year, which starts July 1, Superintendent Jay St. John told the board, though the exact figure will not be known until the Legislature acts on a budget for the 2009 fiscal year.

The Governing Board voted 4-1 on June 11 to approve a lawsuit against the state School Facilities Board with board President Diana Kellermeyer voting no.

The lawsuit will be filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in an effort to get more than $250,000 in state funding the district says it was denied following a low appraisal of the value of the land donation for Anza Trail School.

The district has argued in state administrative proceedings that the 22-acre school site, which was donated by Rancho Sahuarita, was seriously undervalued by SFB appraisals. If that is true, then the school district lost more than $250,000, based on its higher appraisal, because local school districts are entitled to 20 percent of the value of such donations.

St. John told the board the suit was expected to cost about $10,000 and had at least a 50 percent chance of succeeding greater, based on information from the district’s law firm. Later in Wednesday’s meeting, St. John reported that on the topic of finding a location for a second high school, district staff were “in discussions with SFB regarding procurement of land.”

SFB Director John Arnold has declined comment on the Anza Trail site donation because of the possibility of litigation, but has defended the appraisal process in general as one a fair process that is determined by state law with the goal of conserving taxpayer funds.

For those paying full price, school lunches and breakfasts are going up by 25 cents, reflecting the increased price of gasoline and other cost factors.

Lunch for grades 6 through 12 will go to $2 and to $1.75 for lower grades. Breakfast will go to $1 for students in grades 6-12, 75 cents for those up to grade 5. Milk already jumped to 30 cents from 25 cents this school year. The change will not affect the cost of reduced price meals, which will remain 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.

In a measure of uncertainty over state funding, the board approved spending between $150,000 and $200,000 for a student management system but only if, in the opinion of the top district staff, there is enough money in the budget by July 1, when the new fiscal year starts.

The new system, PowerSchool, would allow parents to get real time access, via the Internet, to student homework assignments; grades including the latest test scores; and disciplinary proceedings. The current system for entering grades does not allow parents to get access to them.

During the discussion, St. John said the state may cut up to $500,000 from the district budget as part of the state’s efforts to balance its own budget.

pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738