Candeo Schools
Minutes
Governing Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday April 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Location
Candeo Peoria
9965 W Calle Lejos
Peoria, AZ 85383
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING AND AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF
CANDEO PEORIA
Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) §§ 38-431.01 and 38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the Governing Board and the general public that the Governing Board for Candeo Peoria (“CP”) will hold a meeting open to the public at the foregoing time and place. The Board may discuss and take action concerning any matter listed on the agenda and the Board reserves the right to change the order of items on the agenda, with the exception of public hearings set for a specific time. One or more members of the Board may participate in the meeting by telephonic communications.
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) the Board may vote to go into Executive Session, which will not be open to the public, for legal advice concerning any item on the agenda. The Board’s attorney may appear telephonically.
Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting the Candeo Business Office at businessoffice@candeoschools.com. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.
Directors Present
B. Boone (remote), D. Tomlinson (remote), K. Rodriguez (remote)
Directors Absent
R. Stocking
Guests Present
D. Musser, H. Jones (remote), S. Musser
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
without discussion
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Stocking |
Absent
|
| B. Boone |
Aye
|
| K. Rodriguez |
Aye
|
| D. Tomlinson |
Aye
|
II. Academics
A.
Presentation of the Quarterly Academic Report for Candeo Peoria
III. School Finance
A.
Presentation of Financials of Candeo Peoria
H. Jones presented financial data stating that the finances are strong and enviable. Salary expense for March increased because they were entered as a full accrual, adding an additional pay period to March.
B. Boone asked about plans for NS building. S. Musser responded there are three lease offers available, and it is also listed for sale, in combination with bond covenant considerations.
D. Musser presented financial margins from 2023 to 2025 for comparison purposes.
IV. New Business
A.
Approve the Revised 2025-2026 budget for Candeo Peoria
H. Jones presented the revised budget, due to lower ADM. The original budget was calculated using a higher ADM by 33. There was also a difference from changing insurance brokers to save costs. With the decrease in revenue and increase in expenses, a revised budget was required.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| B. Boone |
Aye
|
| K. Rodriguez |
Aye
|
| D. Tomlinson |
Aye
|
| R. Stocking |
Absent
|
B.
Approve the Mileage Reimbursement Policy
S. Musser presented the policy proposal. D. Tomlinson suggested going with the government rate. The policy will be adapted to reflect approving the annual government rate.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Stocking |
Absent
|
| K. Rodriguez |
Aye
|
| D. Tomlinson |
Aye
|
| B. Boone |
Aye
|
V. Other Business
A.
Review upcoming board meeting dates and set the schedule for the regular meetings of the Governing Board for the 2026-2027 School Year.
Next is June 17, 9:00 AM.
October 14 is not available for K. Rodriguez. AFR is due October 15. October 7 was proposed as an alternate date.
Board recruitment was also discussed.
S. Musser presented the academic report for Q3. The enrollment process has improved, and there are currently 479 verified for re-enrollment, 198 verified for new enrollment, for a total of 678 enrolled, verified and accepted.
D. Tomlinson asked about trends in lost enrollment. S. Musser responded that nothing specific has been brought up. S. Musser will look into it and respond individually.
B. Boone asked about dropping enrollment and school closures in the west valley as seen elsewhere. S.Musser responded that there have been closures in the Peoria District and the ESA program is contributing to the trend. ALA opening last year resulted in some withdrawals, but many came back. ALA is opening another campus in the area. We are better managing the withdrawals.
B. Boone asked about Imagine My Path as a difference. S. Musser responded that it is connected to NWEA scores, placing intervention where students have missed standards, improving the skill-based areas. It doesn't represent what is accomplished in the classroom. Embedded curriculum assessments are more indicative.
B. Boone asked about teacher evaluations and the new process, particularly regarding increases in teacher pay. S. Musser responded that there are merit-based bonuses and merit-based salary increases. But most of the increase was from additional staff, including support staff. We are also aggressively pursuing qualified candidates with competitive pay.
D. Tomlinson asked about the timing of the increases with bonuses. S. Musser answered that bonuses come in October of the following year, including retention-based bonuses. S. Musser also spoke to the intent to return results.
D. Tomlinson asked about recruiting to fill vacancies. S. Musser responded that between Hillsdale and NAU recruiting has been excellent.