Native American Students Find Success In Holbrook’s Schools

With the district bordering the Navajo Nation, the majority of students who attend its schools are Native American. The enrollment figures show that 62 percent of the district’s students are Native American, while 19 percent are white and 14 percent Hispanic, with the remaining six percent of the population identified as mixed race, black and Asian.

The challenge facing the district regarding the students living on the reservation is ensuring that that each student is able to attend school, with some traveling hours just to reach a school each day, and many living in remote areas in homes that have no electricity or running water. Despite that challenge, the district has had impressive graduation rates. Its four-year graduation rate is 86 percent for the Native American population compared to the state average of 66 percent.

The district also out performed or was comparable academically to eight other districts in the state with a similar student population, with the exception of one district in the area of science.

Superintendent Robbie Koerperich welcomed the opportunity to visit with the families and discuss these figures, as well as any concerns that they may have.

“It was a very informative meeting. There were some concerns addressed by parents regarding the buses. Right now we are down two bus drivers, so we’ve had issues with getting kids to school on time. But it’s something we’re working on,” said Dr. Koerperich.

The district operates in a unique environment, something that caught the attention of Voice of America, an external broadcast institution of the federal government that provides programming via radio, television and the Internet to an international audience. According to Koerperich, a crew was recently at IWES, as well as Holbrook High School, to report on how the district promotes the development of the Native American culture amongst its students.

“After Labor Day they interviewed Sylvia Jackson regarding her Navajo language learning course and the students at Indian Wells so that they could present that culture to their audience,” he explained, adding that the program will be aired on Saturday, Oct. 10. More information on that broadcast can be found at voanews.com.

In other business Oct. 6, the board:

* Approved policies to ensure all minimum standards in providing adequate levels of Indian participation throughout the district are in place.

* Approved the annual financial report for fiscal year 2015.

* Authorized Business Manager Jacob Boyle to attend the Brustein and Manasevit Fall Forum scheduled Dec. 2-4 in New Orleans, La.

* Authorized the district to apply for Erate funding for the 2016-17 school year.

* Approved the support staff employment of Raymus Franklin and Jeremiah Sam as support services student workers; Timmie Yazzie and Richard Peterson, HHS game help; and Jana Young, Hulet Elementary School substitute daycare.

* Approved the support staff resignation of Toni Ghormley as a Hulet School special education high needs paraprofessional; and Enfamio Billie, bus driver.

* Approved the certified employment of Lelia Demuth, Greg Caffey and Florence Trujillo as substitute teachers; and Rick Hurst, HHS tutoring.

* Approved extra duty for Hoby Wilhelm as IWES game help; Luke Weeks and Loriel Beck, HHS game help; Vicky Craig, Tobias Herndon and Carey Kester, HHS special education file reviewers; Jerald Nez, Derek Eckman, William Bain and Jeff Strong, HHS math tutors; Dwayne Hawk, HHS Roadrunner mural; Debbie Powers, substitute daycare; Stephanie Bridegam and Tim Eddings, IWES special education file reviewers; Estefana Chavez, Holbrook Junior High School English Language Learners and Title I tutor; and Adicia Paschal and Aaron Allooh, HJHS Title I tutors.

Also, Bernice Gover, IWES game help and official; Scott Baker, HJHS game official; Daniel Orton, IWES sports official; Dana Hendrix, HHS color guard sponsor; Becky Madden, Nichole Livingston and Nikki Alley, Park Elementary School Intervention Assistance Team; Aaron Garisto, HJHS assistant wrestling; Eldon Ferguson, HHS chess assistant; Erik Carlson, HHS eighth hour English and yearbook coordinator; Gretchen Madison, auditorium ticket taker; and Dan Mitchell, HHS National Honor Society coordinator.

* Approved volunteers, including Mary K. White as a Park School non-parent volunteer; Gabriel Aguilera, HHS soccer; and Sabrina Alvarez, Zumba at Hulet School daycare.

* Approved gifts and donations, including the donation of books by the Parent/Teacher/Student Association valued at approximately $4,000; and 20 jerseys for the seventh and eighth grade cross-country team valued at $184.80 by Ramona Joe.

* Approved professional leave for Robbie Koerperich to attend the Beyond Textbooks Super Conference scheduled Oct. 9 in Vail at an estimated cost of $137, plus use of a district vehicle; Charles Haussman, Principal and the Law Conference, Sept. 24 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $334, plus use of a district vehicle; Charles Haussman, Career and Technical Education Administrators Updates, Sept. 16 in Mesa at an estimated cost of $16; and Cindy Percy, Arizona State University Dreamzone Certification, Sept. 23 in Tempe at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle.

Also, Julie Fields, Mega Conference, Nov. 17-19 in Tucson at an estimated cost of $947.01; Jeri McKinnon and Tanya Phaturos, Regional GEAR UP/AZ Career Information System Training, Sept. 22 in Flagstaff at an estimated cost of $28, plus use of a district vehicle; and Hoby Wilhelm and Cale Allen, Wild About Grand Canyon Wildlife Workshop, Nov. 6 and 7 at the Grand Canyon at an estimated cost of $278, plus use of a district vehicle.

Also, Julie Fields, Luis Alvarez, Kara Gardner, Cale Allen, Sandy Carlisle, Tanya Phaturos, Cheri Grau, Connie McPherson, Mike McClellan and Jeri McKinnon, Office of English Language Acquisition Services Conference, Dec. 9-11, in Tucson at an estimated cost of $8,558.88, plus use of a district vehicles; Teri White, Career Tech Meeting, Oct. 13 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; and Teri White, Arizona Department of Education/Career Technical Education Enrollment Data Reporting, Oct. 8 in Flagstaff at an estimated cost of $11, plus use of a district vehicle.

Also, Charles Haussman, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology Local Administrators Meeting, Sept. 29 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Daniel Orton, Empower Youth Fitness Program, Oct. 21 in Flagstaff at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Michele Baker, Audrey Morris and Brooke Hancock, Public Health & Nurse Meeting, Oct. 7 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; and Carey Kester, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Nov. 2-4 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $889, plus use of a district vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $672,554.12, and payroll and expense vouchers totaling $1,281,815.85. These totals include HJHS Professional Development Day, $12,000; Jeri McKinnon-HJHS Professional Development Day, $500; Barry Lambson-HJHS Google Docs Training, $250; HHS Professional Development Day, $21,500; Target Ed Professional Development Activity, $100; Dwayne Hawk-painting mural, $1,200; Title I Math Tutorial, $1,081.25; HJHS English Language Learner tutoring, $175; and HJHS Title I tutoring, $1,137.50.

* Approved fundraisers, including HHS junior class sale of Homecoming T-shirts Sept. 16-25 for estimated earnings of $1,200; Scholastic Book Fair at IWES Oct. 5-8; and HHS Wrestlerettes, See’s Candy pre-sale Oct. 26-Nov. 20 for estimated earnings of $600.

* Approved policy revisions involving the public records fee schedule, the best practices for managing the behavior and discipline of pupils with disabilities, and student fees, fines and charges.