Prop 497 – CGESD Bond

Why a bond?

CGESD’s annual capital allocation for FY26 is $3.38 million, but ongoing capital needs are $6.08 million with $4.06 million identified as critical needs. Overall, the district faces more than $200 million in long-term capital needs.

The bond will address urgent priorities in safety, learning environments, and student well-being, including:

Safety: Parent loops and parking, access control, cameras
Learning: Classroom paint, flooring, furniture, multi-purpose improvements
Flourishing: Playgrounds, marquees, shade structures, benches

District Facility Needs Assessment

Aging campuses require classroom improvements, restroom renovations, flooring, painting, and playground replacements.
Mechanical and plumbing systems are reaching end-of-life across multiple sites.
Capacity issues at schools like CGMS and Cholla require new buildings or remodeled spaces to handle growth.

Facility Upgrades

Key proposed projects include:

• Casa Grande Middle School: New electives building to improve safety and add capacity

• Cholla Elementary School: Remodel and added capacity

• Cottonwood Elementary & Palo Verde Elementary schools: Pick-up loops and parking lot expansions

• District-wide: Classroom painting, flooring, restroom improvements, mechanical and plumbing upgrades, playground and shade improvements, entry marquees.

Transportation Needs

The district operates 74 buses.

10 buses are already surplus/inoperable.
3 buses exceed 200,000 miles; 4 buses are between 150k–200k miles; 13 buses are between 100k–150k miles.
To avoid mass replacement, the district must replace 5 buses per year.
Average use is 14,873 miles per bus annually, with Arizona heat accelerating AC and repair needs.

Technology & Equipment Needs

Interactive flat panel (IFP) refresh – all classrooms
Student and staff device refresh – all schools
Device charging solutions – all classrooms
School library shelving – Cottonwood, COIL
VOIP system refresh – new phone handsets across the district
Digital signage – gyms, cafeterias, multipurpose rooms, and special education classrooms
Presentation & sound systems – Palo Verde, Ironwood, Desert Willow, Villago, SA/CGMS refresh
Classroom audio systems – all classrooms
School site makerspaces – furniture and equipment for all schools

CGESD Bond Purchase Plan


Total Bond Amount ($MM)	$48.000
Interest Rate	Up to 8% per year
Term	1-20 years
Estimated Average Annual Tax Rate	$0.2991 per $100 dollars of assessed valuation

CGESD FY '26 Budget

$64,270,747 Projected 2025-2026 M&O budget

$37mil in Salaries
$8mil in benefits
$5mil in employee insurance
$50mil total in personnel

Spent over $56mil in FY25, Projected over $58mil in FY26
Projected M&O Budget Carryover: $6.7mil
$3.4mil in Capital funding for FY26, $1.3mil carryover, spent $3mil in FY25
$900,000 cost for 2% raise in salary and benefits

Key

Dates

October 6th: Last day to register to vote

October 8th: Ballots mailed to all registered voters

October 31st: Last day to early vote

November 4th: All ballots must be returned