Sale Approved by Overwhelming Voter Support

The Sedona-Oak Creek School District (SOCSD) in Arizona has begun formal procedures to sell the closed Big Park Community School property. The district's governing board unanimously approved issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for selecting a real estate brokerage firm at its July 1 meeting.

This decision follows up on voter authorization granted through a November 5 referendum, where 75% of voters approved giving the district authority to sell the property to a third party. District officials announced plans to issue the RFP this month and review proposals by mid-August.

$9.5M Appraisal, Roof Repairs Extra

The property was appraised at a market value of $9.5 million (approximately 13 billion won) as of April 3 this year. However, this amount reflects "as-is" condition, factoring in $300,000 (approximately 400 million won) in deferred maintenance costs for roof repairs.

The district approved the property appraisal at its December 3 meeting last year and officially announced the appraised value at the May 13 board meeting. Stacy Salvo, director of finance and personnel, stated that "another public meeting schedule to discuss the Big Park site with residents has not yet been set."

District Budget Tightens Due to Declining Enrollment

Separate from the sale discussions, the district has released its fiscal year 2025-26 budget proposal totaling approximately $10.1 million (approximately 13.8 billion won). This budget is scheduled for official adoption later this month.

Major Budget Items:

• Facilities maintenance and operations: $6.37 million
• Classroom Site Fund (including teacher performance pay): $731,875
• Unrestricted capital outlay: $224,205
• Federal projects: $422,000
• Food service: $250,000
• Auxiliary operations: $75,000
• Debt service: $36,000

The district plans to reduce its previous 5% budget carryover target to 3-5% due to "challenges including declining student enrollment, district priorities, and federal grant allocations." Next year's budget reflects an anticipated decrease of 28 students in Average Daily Membership (ADM).

Teacher Salaries Rise 2%, Below Inflation Rate

Average teacher salaries will increase 2% from $55,845 to $56,962. However, this falls short of the current annual inflation rate of 2.4% announced by the U.S. Department of Labor on June 11.

Board member Sam Blohm asked how the $17.6 billion state budget signed by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on June 27 would impact the district. Director Salvo explained that "the state provides budget forms several months before actually adopting the budget," adding "we used $200 per student in additional funding as our base template, but haven't heard yet whether additional funding will actually come through."

Federal Education Grant Payments Delayed

Superintendent Dr. Tom Swaninger reported that on July 6, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) notified the district that federal budget allocations for Title II, III, and IV programs have not yet been transmitted to the state.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne explained that ADE currently cannot access federal funds for these programs. According to ADE, reimbursement for allowable expenditures may only be possible if and when grants are released by the U.S. Department of Education.