Two East Valley school districts, including Chandler Unified, which serves part of Queen Creek, say Proposition 320 would force them to move millions of dollars inside their budgets, and likely cut jobs such as counselors and school resource officers, if voters pass it on Nov. 3. Supporters say the measure would push more money toward teacher pay.
Prop. 320 was referred to the ballot by the Legislature. It would require covered districts to spend at least 60% of their operational spending on direct instructional expenses, with the Arizona Auditor General deciding what counts.
According to the state's official ballot language, it applies to districts with 7,500 or more students and to any district operating in a county of 500,000 or more people. KTAR News reported that this reaches districts in Maricopa and Pinal counties, the two counties Queen Creek spans.
What the districts told their boards
Administrators at Gilbert Public Schools and Chandler Unified laid out their estimates at separate board meetings last week, the Gilbert Sun News reported this weekend. Based on 2024-25 spending, Gilbert puts 57.6% of operational dollars into direct instruction and Chandler 55.2%, by that measure.
Chandler said meeting the rule would mean closing an estimated $26 million gap between how it now classifies spending and the required threshold.
Gilbert's business chief, Crystal Zachary, told her board the measure sets no deadline to reach 60% but requires a district below it to gain at least half a percentage point each year, with two waivers allowed over 10 years. A district that misses the mark loses 25% of its state Classroom Site Fund money each year, under the ballot language.
Gilbert board member Jill Humpherys objected that the auditor general, "who is not an educator," would decide what qualifies. Chandler board member Kurt Rohrs called the measure "very ill-conceived" and said he opposes it even though it is a conservative proposal. Chandler Superintendent Anna Battle said the definition of instructional support is not final.
