PHOENIX — As the Isaac School District manages a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, it is looking for more ways to bring in funding.
During Thursday’s meeting, the Phoenix district’s governing board approved a lease deal for the Estrella Brillantes Center for Learning building.
The building will be leased to an education company called STEER that works with children with special needs or behavioral issues.
The lease agreement will be for three years at a time, with a monthly rate of $10,250.
Isaac is working to increase revenue after facing a nearly $28 million budget deficit. In another decision made during Thursday’s meeting, the district will close two of its elementary schools.
How does leasing building help Isaac School District?
Jim Serbin, Isaac’s chief financial officer, said the lease will help with income and will also save money in transportation costs due to the proximity of the specialized school, which already serves the district’s students.
“We are responsible for transporting the students one way or another, either paying an outside service, paying STEER, or doing it ourselves,” he said during Thursday’s board meeting.
Serbin said the deal also could boost Isaac’s enrollment with STEER sending kids who have completed the program back to district classrooms.
“The goal of the program is to basically get things in good shape with the students — let the students know there’s a positive reward, so to speak, for getting it right — and then at that point in time, when everyone agrees, the student then comes back as our student in the district.” he said.
The building STEER is leasing is located at 4006 W. Osborn Road in Phoenix.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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