Montecito school is undergoing a major renovation that will turn the outdated building into a state-of-the-art learning facility geared specifically toward Montessori learning (photo courtesy of Osborn Elementary School District).
At a September school board meeting, Osborn Superintendent Dr. Michael Robert said achievement in academics is our biggest challenge right now.
The Osborn Elementary School District board voted to sell $40 million in school modernization bonds on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Robert said the action will reshape classrooms, cafeterias, and playfields for families across central Phoenix.
“These investments in school facilities and learning spaces are not about facilities; it is about the space to bring students to success,” he added.
The bond authorization, part of a $100 million package approved by voters in 2023, comes as the district faces double challenges: narrowing academic proficiency scores and modernizing facilities. Most Osborn schools are currently B-rated, but district administrators have A-level aspirations, Robert said.
Focus on students, pressure on families
The new bond sale would fund renovations to child nutrition services, renovation of instructional learning facilities, and modernization on campuses like Longview and Montecito, Violeta Ramos, board president, said.
One campus is being renovated from top to bottom, and Ed Hermes, board member, said students and teachers would participate in design components such as playgrounds.
Board clerk Rhiannon Ford said the bond sales are not taxpayer-friendly, but the district will still maintain the total capital tax rate below $1.70 for every $100 of assessed value.
“We know that these choices have an impact on families’ wallets,” Ford said. “But we have older buildings, and without this bond, we couldn’t deliver secure and modern learning environments. We’re weighing budget realities against what our children need.’
Policy overhaul on the horizon
In addition to bricks and mortar, the board also deliberated how to bring district policies into alignment with state and federal law. A presentation from the Arizona School Risk Retention Trust brought in a model policy program to replace services currently provided by the Arizona School Boards Association.
The Trust program, offering annual legislative reports on issues like Title IX compliance and cell phone usage, was marketed as a customizable, apolitical model, Ford said.
However, board member Eric Thompson was concerned about preserving Osborn’s unique policies, such as its meet-and-confer agreement with teachers and accommodations for LGBTQ+ students.
Ramos said that the district will be forced to weigh efficiency against its values.
‘Policy isn’t paper, it’s a declaration of who we are as a district,” Ramos said. “If we move to a new system, it needs to honor the promises we’ve already made to staff and families.”
Teacher and union voices
The Osborn Education Association (OEA) report at the meeting reiterated that teachers want their negotiated policies not to be interfered with in any transition. OEA officials Storm Gerlock further stated that employee concerns over class size and leave policies were raised in their September meeting.
Representatives of the union said they welcomed cooperation with the board.
“We want to pursue this policy work,” Storm Gerlock said. “Our unique policies need to be preserved, and we believe we can do that together.”
Looking ahead
The board also voted to rename Montecito Community School Montecito Montessori School, which will precede its switch to Montessori education, and in the future, board members asked that the substitute teacher policy be reviewed mid-year and for parental feedback on the new school calendar.
At their governance workshop, they admitted to “pretending behaviors” such as not reading board packets or overestimating how much they know.
Ford considers honesty to be an essential part of building community trust.
“We cannot all ask our students to grow up unless we do not want to grow up ourselves willingly,” she said.
