HUSD News Stories

School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) in Arizona is an innovative civic learning initiative recently implemented across Higley Unified School District (HUSD) to strengthen student agency, collaboration, and critical‑thinking skills. Through SPB, students receive a designated budget to research, propose, and vote on a real project that will benefit their school community. This is the district’s first year participating in SPB, and it’s sure to leave a lasting impact on students as well as their campus.

Gateway Pointe Elementary Principal Katy Harris highlighted the program’s potential to empower students, stating, “This opportunity gives students a meaningful voice and a true sense of ownership, allowing them to see firsthand how their opinions shape real school decisions. Through this authentic experience, students strengthen their civic understanding, increase engagement, and build a deeper sense of responsibility within their school community.”

Earlier in the school year, HUSD schools launched their Participatory Budget Committees and began collecting project ideas from students. Committees first focused on brainstorming and gathering student input to identify meaningful campus improvements. As the second quarter began, the committees transitioned to researching vendors, estimating costs, and meeting with administrators to determine the feasibility of each proposal

In January 2026, student committees began promoting the selected proposals across their campuses, ensuring students had a clear understanding of the choices. Each school highlighted projects tailored to its unique needs. For example, Sossaman Middle School showcased a proposal featuring the addition of misting fans for outdoor comfort, new permanent shade structures, repairs to outdoor equipment, and custom wraps for both the locker rooms and gym walls.

Voting is now underway, allowing students to determine which improvement project will be funded at their school. Students from each steering committee will present their winning projects at a Governing Board meeting this spring.

Center For Future of Arizona and Arizona State University will gather information and feedback to evaluate this year’s implementation of SPB in Higley Unified School District, supporting continuous improvement of the program for future years. This directly advances HUSD’s Portrait of a Graduate focus on developing Responsible Citizens by engaging students in informed decision‑making, ethical leadership, and community contribution through a real budget process that improves their schools.