ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
School District Redistricting Commission
Minutes of the Meeting
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
2:00 p.m., House Hearing Room 5
Members Present:
|
Martin Shultz, Chairman |
Jay Kaprosy |
|
Susan Bitter Smith |
Rita Leyva |
|
Jay Blanchard |
Dave Naugle |
|
Dr. Sandra Dowling |
Thomas Schoaf |
|
Doris Goodale |
Kent Scribner |
|
Art Harding |
Joseph Thomas |
Members Absent:
|
Vicki Anderson |
|
Chairman Shultz called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m. and the attendance was noted.
Review of Senator Gray Meeting on Relevant Issues
The Committee members reviewed issues discussed during a recent meeting with Senator Linda Gray.
Report on Elections and Legal Issues
Ken Behringer, General Counsel, presented information regarding elections and legal issues and answered questions posed by the Committee members.
Mr. Shultz submitted letters to the record from the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce (Attachment A) and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Attachment B), both in support of school district unification.
Report on the Progress of Calculating Property Tax Rates
Mr. Scribner presented a comparison of the current and consolidated tax rates of the Central Maricopa proposals, referring to a handout entitled “SDRC (School District Redistricting Commission) Central Maricopa Proposals #1 & #2 Tax Rate Comparison Current vs. Proposed (Based on 2006 Annual Financial Report)” (Attachment C). Mr. Scribner also answered questions posed by the Committee members.
John Schmadeke, Assistant Superintendent – Operations, Agua Fria Union High School District, provided information regarding the combined property tax rate for the Agua Fria Union High School District Area, referring to a handout entitled “Agua Fria Union High School District Area Historical Data Related to Unification Scenarios” (Attachment D).
Mr. Schoaf further explained the impact of growth in the Agua Fria Union High School District Area.
Review of Responses to SDRC Proposed Plans from Districts, Individuals and Groups
The Committee members reviewed and discussed the SDRC proposed unification plans, referring to a handout entitled “The School District Redistricting Commission State of Arizona” (Attachment E).
Mr. Shultz submitted to the record a letter from the Fort Mojave Education Department in support of the Mohave Plan 2 (Attachment F) and a letter from Emma Jean Watson (Attachment G) recommending River Valley High School be unified with the Mohave Valley Elementary School District.
Public Testimony
Dr. Beverly Hurley, representing self, testified regarding the Maricopa West Valley Plans 1, 2, and 3 and answered questions posed by the Committee members.
Phil Sauceman, representing self, testified regarding the Maricopa West Valley Plan 2 and answered questions posed by the Committee members.
Douglas Pike, representing self, testified regarding the Maricopa North County Plan and answered questions posed by the Committee members.
Janice Palmer, Arizona School Boards Association, testified regarding the SDRC unification plans and answered questions posed by the Committee members.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:36 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Ritz
Committee Secretary
(Audio recordings and attachments on file in the Secretary of Senate’s Office/Resource Center, Room 115).
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School District Redistricting Commission
November 6, 2007
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