TUSD Faces Major Budget Cuts Amid Rising Deficits, While VUSD Embraces AI to Boost Learning

The Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) is confronting significant budget challenges, necessitating immediate structural changes. A hiring freeze is currently in place as officials explore cuts across various spending categories to avert a projected deficit of $21 million by fiscal year 2030.

During a special meeting on Tuesday, the Governing Board will receive an update on the district’s financial situation. Positions exempt from the hiring freeze primarily include roles in the Exceptional Education Department, non-permanent jobs, and positions funded directly by individual schools. Classroom hires post-February 21 and those offered contracts at the March 1 job fair will also be allowed.

As enrollment trends shift, more Arizona parents are opting to pull their children from public schools in favor of private or charter options, influenced by the state’s universal voucher system. Critics argue this initiative undermines public education, often resulting in inadequate funding for traditional public schools, which rank lower than 47 other states in per-student expenditures.

In light of this reality, the district is anticipating a 3% reduction in funding for classrooms and a 6% cut in administrative costs. Departments are required to submit their proposed budget cuts by April 17. Meanwhile, the TUSD Budget Advisory Committee is advocating for the preservation of the extracurricular activities fee structure and the continuity of specific summer school programs.

Additionally, the TUSD Governing Board will vote on a significant property transaction, selling a piece of land on East 10th Street for $13 million to Ascent Property, which plans to develop apartments on the site. This sale involves a six-month entitlement period following a four-month due diligence phase, with a $200,000 non-refundable escrow deposit due at the end of this timeframe.

In related news, the Flowing Wells Unified School District’s Governing Board will consider joining a class-action lawsuit against PowerSchool, a student information system provider. The district’s decision follows a massive data breach last December that exposed sensitive records of millions of students and staff members.

Amphitheater Unified School District is returning to its 2020 sexual harassment policy, which aligns with definitions set by the Arizona School Risk Retention Trust. Furthermore, the district plans to implement new evaluation criteria for extracurricular leaders, assessing them across 36 categories to enhance accountability.

The Vail Unified School District is taking a proactive approach by crafting an artificial intelligence (AI) policy based on the premise that technology should supplement, not replace, educators. The district is currently considering a four-year contract of $75,000 per year with Magic School AI to develop AI-powered teaching tools, a step towards integrating innovative technology in education.

In Sahuarita, the Town Council is poised to vote on revisions to its land-use laws, ensuring compliance with a new state law mandating public hearings for proposed amendments within one year of application submission. This adjustment aims to facilitate necessary updates to zoning designations, reflecting the community’s evolving needs.

Meanwhile, South Tucson’s City Council is set to address its neighborhood preservation ordinance, focusing on nuisance properties and potential updates to the technical codes managed by the Building Codes office. The outcome of these discussions will shape future regulatory measures in the city.