March 12, 2023 | www.santansun.com
Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
New report shows CUSD spent more per pupil in the classroom BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor
The Chandler Unified School District continues to be a state leader in the latest report from the Arizona Auditor General, which found that it put 72.1% of all spending last school year in the classroom. CUSD exceeds both its peer group and state averages in measures such as standardized test scores and teacher salaries. And while its per-pupil spending in the three categories the Auditor General uses to define classroom spending, there was a drop of nearly $400 in how much the district spends per student and a decline in the percentage that goes to instruction.
The report said 58.2% of the district’s 2021-22 spending went to instruction as opposed to 61.7% of the previous year. The 58.2% on instruction is the lowest percentage reported since the Auditor General began releasing these reports in 2001. The cause for the decrease appears to be the free lunch program, according to Kyrene School District Chief Financial Officer Chris Hermmann, who explained how his district and CUSD are similar during an event sponsored by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce March 3. “Last year, the federal government had
Chandler Unified spent nearly three-quarters of all its money last school year in the classroom. (Arizona Auditor General) a program where they offered free meals for all students, breakfast and lunch in the classroom,” said Hermann. “And so for us, we typically don’t have a lot of participation in the federal programs because we have very few students in poverty that qualify for free or reduced priced lunches.
But when all the meals are free, we saw a huge increase in the number of students that were taking advantage of that for the year.” He said a similar dynamic was likely hapSee
SCHOOLSon Page 8
City program turned around dying strip malls BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor
About a dozen years ago there were serious worries about the fate of retail centers around northern Chandler. The Loop 101 and Loop 202 freeways had opened, changing commuter patterns, leaving some retail centers that were once on heavily-traveled streets with fewer trips past them. Businesses were shutting down, vacancy rates were up. At the intersection of Alma School and Elliott roads, 53% of the retail space was vacant. The strip mall at
Cooper and Ray roads had a 68% vacancy. The city started its 4-Corner project to address the problem, looking for ways to help existing retail businesses stay open and attract new businesses to bring jobs and tax dollars to the city. The City Council got an update on how that project is going during a Feb. 23 work session. And members learned the city has mostly turned it around. The Cooper-Ray intersection has gone See
MALLS on Page 6
Nailed it!
The abandoned Fry’s supermarket building on the northeast corner of Warner and Alma schools might be better giving way to multifamily development, the city’s top development official said. (File photo)
Bird supplier for Ostrich Fest has weathered hard times BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor
The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival March 16-19 will be the second straight one to feature Black Neck Ostriches. How they got to Chandler is an interesting story filled with hot air and heartache. “Old man Chandler (Dr. A.J. Chandler, the founder of the city) has always fascinated me,” said Rooster Cogburn, the
man supplying 12 ostriches for this year’s festival. Dr. Chandler became an ostrich farmer, raising the birds to supply feathers for women’s hats. He was like many Americans throughout history to think they could get rich with ostriches, Cogburn said. Another one of those Americans is Rooster Cogburn, who now runs an os-
F E AT U R E D STO R I E S Oscar Lozano uses a nail gun to show Ronnie Minyard how to fasten down a prefabricated building piece at the McCarthy Building Companies’ new Innovation and Craft Workforce Center in Chandler. It’s an effort to attract people to the construction trades, as you’ll read on page 18. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
S. Chandler lawmaker stirs ire of both parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Churro expert serves them your way in Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24 Valley Christian, Perry win state titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28 Chandler man touts benefits of doing business with Israel. . . . . . . . . Page 30
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OSTRICH on Page 16
More Business . . . . . . . 24 Sports . . . . . . . . . 28 Neighbors . . . . . 30 Faith. . . . . . . . . . . 34 GetOut. . . . . . . . 36 Classifieds . . . . . 38