In fiscal year 2023, the total aggregate school district budget limit for Mesa Public Schools was $812,628,626. In fiscal year 2025, that number has gone down to $672,169,500, according to statistics from the Mesa Public Schools website.

It’s not just the budget that is going down. In the 2022-23 school year, 57,900 students were enrolled in the district. The 2023-24 school year had 57,061 students in attendance, according to data from the Arizona Department of Education.

The incoming school district superintendent and two school board members explain why this downward trend is occurring and what can be done to reverse the trend.

According to incoming superintendent Dr. Matthew Strom, one of the main reasons for the reduction in budget is the release of federal COVID-19 funds, which the

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