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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .................................. 4 The monsoon may have left him feeling ill.
COMMUNITY ............. 17 Gilbert woman helps church mark 125 years.
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Local duo has 'shirts for good' PAGE 23
| GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Clock winding down on Campaign 2018 ‘Year of Teacher’ in LD12 races
Training center on center stage
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
I
t’s the "Year of the Teacher" this midterm election year as hundreds of current and former educators run for state offices around the country. It’s no different in Legislative District 12, which encompasses most of Gilbert and Queen Creek. The three Democrats running for Senate and the two House seats in the Nov. 6 election all have teaching backgrounds in the public-school system. “We are seeing a large number of teachers more than in the past running for office,” said Noah Karvelis, the co-founder of the grass-
see ELECT page 7
Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)
Whether they vote or not, one thing Gilbert residents can look forward to after Tuesday is an end to the proliferation of political signs throughout the town.
G
ilbert voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide on a $65 million bond to help fund the construction of a training facility for current and future cops and firefighters. The facility, proposed on a 50-acre site own by the town near Power and Pecos roads, has a $84.6 million price tag. Voters in the August primary gave the town approval to sell off 36 acres with the proceeds going toward the facility’s construction. The town says a majority of its public safety force will retire in seven years and more than
see PUBLIC SAFETY page14
GPS board details millions in bond spending BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
SPORTS .......................... 33 Highland High QB leading playoff charge.
COMMUNITY................. 17
BUSINESS ..................... 23 OPINION .......................30 SPORTS ......................... 33
GETOUT ........................ 38 CLASSIFIED .................. 43
I
t wasn’t too long ago that students in Gilbert’s largest school district were riding in buses that were older than them, broke down frequently and barely got three or four miles on a gallon of gas. But thanks to a $98 million bond, Gilbert Public Schools could buy 40 full-size buses and 13 special-needs buses for $8.1 million. “Before the new buses in the first few days of school, there would be a number of buses breaking down as we waited for the new buses to come in,” said Jill Humpherys, a member of the GPS governing board. “Since then we’ve not heard of buses breaking down. “We do rely on these bonds tremendously because we are not receiving the same amount of money from the state as we had in the past.” Staff updated school board members last week on projects funded by the 2015 voter-approved bond. Voters that year also approved a 10-percent maintenance and operations override, which allowed the district to increase spending for its day-to-day operations such as teacher raises and programs. The override generated 18.5 million for the district in the fiscal year
see BOND page 11
(Gilbert Public Schools)
Bond monies paid for improvements such as hot water lines and a fume hood to this science lab at Gilbert Classical Academy.