CUSD80 ignores voters, wants more money to waste
- Valley Telegraph
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 2
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD80) leaders want to burden taxpayers with a massive bond issuance in a high-interest rate environment, all while continuing to fund high-paying administrative roles—including a six-figure DEI director.
What Changed Since Last Year?
In 2024, Chandler voters rejected a $487.5 million, 5-year bond proposal, expressing deep concerns about:
Rising taxes
Growing district debt
Poor spending priorities
The Yes campaign, led by the board President Barb Mozdzen, was financed to a tune of more than $100,000 in total, in large part by contractors, e.g. construction companies. These businesses may have had to gain from construction projects had the bond proposal passed.
Now, just a year later, CUSD80 is back with a $271 million, 3-year bond—a smaller number on paper, but effectively the same amount of spending per year as the rejected bond. The district may be counting on lower turnout in a special election and the appearance of a smaller ask to push this through.
What Does This Mean for Taxpayers?
At an estimated 5% interest, the $271 million bond would cost approximately $20 million per year in debt service. For Chandler’s estimated 300,000 residents, this means a tax burden of about $70 per person per year, or almost $300 per year for a family of 4—just for this one bond.
Why It Still Doesn't Add Up
Voters rejected the last proposal because of valid concerns about fiscal responsibility and lack of transparency. Cutting the bond size and shortening the repayment period does not address these core issues. Instead, it increases the pressure on residents’ annual tax bills.
Chandler kids deserve a good education but that's not the same as throwing money at the public school monopoly and bureaucracy. Furthermore, Chandler families also deserve fiscal accountability, responsible planning, and respect for voter concerns. Until those are guaranteed, this bond—like last year’s—should be rejected.
How to make your voice heard
Voters can make their voices heard having their opposing arguments included in the pamphlet that will be given to voters in November. The landing page for this is here. The individual form for submitting arguments can be found here. Arguments have to be submitted by mail or in person to:
Maricopa County School Superintendent
4041 North Central Avenue, Suite 1100
Phoenix, AZ 85012
or by email to: schoolelections@maricopa.gov
The argument form must be signed and notarized.
The deadline for submitting an argument for or against a school district election issue for the November 4, 2025 General Election is 5:00 PM on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Some arguments that could be made against the bond issuance
The CUSD80 board is led by far left politician Patti Serano supported by teacher advocate Barb Mozdzen, who advocates for kids and parents?
CUSD80 closed all its schools during Covid and actively worked to silence parents who objected-shocking video.
CUSD80 enrollment is falling, not just because of demographic change, but also because of more school choice options. The district should shrink.
While the district claims to be top-tier, more and more parents take on the time and expense commitments to send their children elsewhere.
New funding models like ESA are designed to fund students, not systems. This cuts out the chronic waste, fraud and abuse that plague public school districts.
CUSD80 wasted money on building new schools during a time of currently falling and projected to be further falling enrollment.
CUSD80 spends 6 figures, sometimes into the mid 6 figures, for each of its many administrative directors.
This includes Adama Sallu who previously held the title of Director for Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Instead of axing her, the district renamed her job to Director, Educational Access and Strategic Partnerships.
Most schools in the district are named not after great Americans, but after current and former CUSD80 administrators. As but one example: Casteel high school was named after CUD80 Superintendent Camille Casteel, while she was still in office.
CUSD80 has a history of rapid fire spending with little accountability.
Racial, gender and sexuality radicalism has been on display in school board meetings.
Some CUSD80 teachers are so radical that even leftist Kyrsten Sinema was too moderate for them.
CUSD80 is asking for more than a quarter billion dollars in new borrowing within two years, during a time of declining enrollment, rising taxes, and eroding public trust. Voters rejected this last year—and unless the district changes its approach, this bond should be rejected again.
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