A group of stakeholders, Citizens for Schools Accountability, is calling on the Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board to immediately halt all construction projects due to overwhelming public opposition and alarming financial projections that show the district moving toward a massive deficit.
Citizens for Schools Accountability (CSA) seeks to halt construction of the high school domed stadium, and the new district office,
CSA says that the refusal of Superintendent Jeremy Calles and Board President Steven Chapman to abide by the Board’s action requiring a full budget report before moving forward on construction “sounds the alarm even louder.”
Earlier this month, voters delivered a decisive message when they rejected both the district’s bond and override at the ballot box.
The stakeholders say that continuing construction without public support or a sustainable funding plan represents a dangerous breach of fiscal responsibility.
District Finances Show Massive Shortfall
Based on the district’s own financial figures:
- 2024 Bond Authorization: $125,000,000
• Fund Balance (10/14/25): $164,025,332
• School Facilities Board (SFB) Funds: +$130,000,000
• Total Available: $294,625,332
Planned district expenditures far exceed available resources:
- SFB Soft Costs for High School #8: –$15,000,000
• High School #8 Construction: –$220,000,000 to –$400,000,000
• Domed Stadium (associated with High School #8): –$80,000,000
• New District Office: –$75,000,000
According to CSA, even using the lowest cost estimates, the district faces a deficit of at least $95,374,668. Higher, more realistic projections place the shortfall at nearly $200 million.
“This district is on the edge of a financial cliff,” said Kino Flores, Chairman of CSA. “Any organization facing a minimum $100 million deficit would hit the brakes immediately,” Flores said. “Yet TUHSD is accelerating. The voters said no. The math says no. Fiscal responsibility demands the board stop every non-essential building until the audit is complete and a transparent financial plan is presented to taxpayers. We are calling for an immediate halt to all construction until the audit is finished, the numbers are verified, and the community has confidence that every dollar is being spent responsibly.”
A Mandate for Accountability
CSA is urging the board to:
1. Pause all construction immediately
2. Complete the ongoing financial and operational audits
3. Reassess true construction costs and funding pathways
4. Develop a community-driven facilities plan before moving forward
CSA argues “that it cannot be denied that the defeats of both the bond and override were not narrow losses but emphatic rejections of the district’s current spending and planning practices. Continuing construction under these circumstances puts taxpayers, students, and the district’s long-term stability at risk and must be stopped.”
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