During last week’s meeting of the Winslow Unified Governing Board Ken Kerr spoke during the call to the public to ask the board if it would be interested in a new scholarship honoring his wife and longtime Jefferson Elementary School teacher Carla Kerr, who passed away in November.
Kerr told the board his wife taught at Jefferson for 33 years. He said he wants to establish the KEH Kerr STEAM Scholarship and asked the district to accept a $10,000 donation from her life insurance and then issue the scholarship checks directly to seniors. “All you have to do is accept a $10,000 donation and write five $2,000 checks,” Kerr said to the board. “If the program works this year, there’s money in that account to do it again,” he said.
Board President Debbie Martinez explained that once the board accepts the donation, the district will set scholarship guidelines and distribute the opportunity to seniors for application.
The board also heard a presentation from the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT), the regional career and technical education (CTE) district that provides program support and generates funding tied to student participation in CTE courses.
NAVIT Superintendent Matt Weber opened by thanking Winslow schools for what he described as a key partnership, particularly through the work of district CTE leadership. “We do appreciate our partnership with Winslow Schools and we appreciate your willingness to share Penny (Brimhall, Winslow’s CTE director) with us.”
Weber described NAVIT as one of 14 career and technical education districts in Arizona and noted the organization’s rural footprint. “We cover over 15,000 square miles. So Winslow is one of 11 districts that NAVIT serves,” he said. He said the system is built around helping students access “marketable employment,” often through certifications, and around the funding stream districts generate through enrolled CTE students.
Weber walked board members through how CTE-related funding has shifted over time, noting that early totals were boosted by a policy that allowed districts to count freshmen, a rule later changed by the Legislature. “Things really dropped off… almost cut in half right here. And that’s because the legislature of 2011 said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to cut funding. So we’re taking away your freshman funding’.” Since then, the program has been available to sophomore through senior year.
Looking at more recent years, Weber said the funding Winslow receives through NAVIT has declined. “It’s just a little bit under $200,000. And once again, the reason why is because of declining enrollment,” he said. He also detailed direct supports NAVIT provides, including contributing toward the CTE director position and instructional resources for teachers, along with funding district access to the Arizona Curriculum Consortium, which he described as a resource for ready-to-use lessons aligned with state standards.
A major focus of Weber’s remarks centered on compliance preparation ahead of on-site monitoring expected in the fall. He explained that Brimhall’s weekly work has included helping districts prepare documentation. “So that when the state comes on site, there’s nothing to stress over.” When asked how often Arizona Department of Education conducts monitoring, Weber said the visits operate on a regular cycle. “They actually come every five years,” he said, adding that during the last cycle, COVID restrictions changed the process and the state required districts to submit video documentation instead.
In one exchange, Weber underscored that while central programs at the community college can be a strong option for some students, most rely on what’s offered at the high school. “Don’t ever forget about the high school, because that’s where most of the students are receiving CTE,” he said, noting that for many, fitting CTE into even a single class period is the realistic pathway to certification. CTE programs offered directly at the high school without needing to be transported off campus include agriculture, sports medicine, business, finance, drafting, woods and construction, and law and public safety. For students taking part in off-campus CTE programs, these include welding, cosmetology and nursing services, which can earn students certificates they can take directly into a job after high school.
Following board reports and closing comments, members moved into executive session before returning to open session to take formal action on the superintendent’s evaluation. After reconvening, the board voted to accept the evaluation of Dr. Martinez as discussed in executive session, with all five members present approving the action.
In other business, the board:
* Approved the following new hires: Octavia Warren, bus driver; Morgan Herrin, paraprofessional; and Breanna Luna, paraprofessional.
* Approved the resignation of Rebecca Reichel, fourth grade teacher and Jacquelyn Williams, secretary.
* Approved the following new coaches: Wilburt Barton, track and field; Tonia Tucker, softball; Janeen Barton, track and field; and Zachary Atchison, baseball.
* Approved the following fundraiser requests: WHS Game Club, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. tournament; WHS Spiritline, egg your yard, WHS Lady Diamonds, softball concessions.
* Approved a new physical education teaching position for the elementary schools.
* Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Greater Phoenix Education Management Council and the AZ Educational Management Council to share costs amongst Arizona districts for education management services.
* Approved a new textbook that is now on display called U.S. History published by Rice University.
* Approved a new curriculum for Navajo Language I and Navajo Language II.
