Snowflake Junior High School seventh graders and their parents/caregivers were selected to participate in a state grant from the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family for Navajo County.
County School Superintendent Jalyn Gerlich attended the April 16 Snowflake Unified School District Governing Board meeting to make a presentation and get approval for a grant for Middle School Youth Substance Use Prevention Education Pilot Initiative: Healthy Families-Healthy Schools.
Participants will be invited to attend a special two-hour substance use prevention education event as a Back to School Night or Family Night initiative, Gerlich explained. The prevention education sessions will follow highly engaging and informative curricula specially designed for an adult group and a youth group, and will give both groups a strong knowledge base about the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, as well as skills to work together to prevent youth substance use.
The goal is to have 100 percent participation by seventh graders and their parents, but 85 percent participation is expected.
“If you can address the whole family, bring them in and work with the whole family unit, you have more success,” said Gerlich.
She explained that the money goes straight to the school, not through channels. The grant will be for $25,000 to $35,000, depending on funds available, and can be used for anything, including purchasing food for the Family Night to encourage attendance.
SJHS Brian Hoopes and Superintendent Hollis Merrell visited with Gerlich. She explained the grant “is very, very simple, and over a short period of time, as well, and we would like to do this,” said Merrell. “The thing I like is we have a program with a coordinator and two coaches,” noting they would have paid training and do the presenting, “which is an advantage, because they understand our community.”
Merrell said that teachers have already approached Hoopes asking to be a part of the program.
The governing board unanimously approved acceptance of the Junior High Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Grant.
Gerlich said that she will now take this to Navajo County Board of Supervisors for approval, and if it is approved, an intergovernmental agreement with the governor’s office will be entered.
In other business April 16, the board:
* Approved insurance rates, which are increasing 13 percent for the next fiscal year.
Business Manager Mark Ollerton explained that the rates have increased due to some high dollar claims by district employees this fiscal year.
Merrell explained that this is rare, and they should get back to the normal amount of claims. He explained that because it’s a consortium, if they don’t use the allotted amount of money, it stays with the district and can be used to buy down the rates, which has happened for several years. This year there was no money left to buy down rates.
Ollerton noted that the district pays 100 percent of the employee insurance, but employees will have to pay a higher rate to insure their families.
* Approved the annual Northern Arizona Council of Governments Head Start agreement.
Merrell said the only changes in the agreement were the dates.
* Held the first reading of Arizona School Board Association policy recommendations.
These policies are a result of legislation. The principals will have a month to look at them and present proposed changes to Merrell.
* Approved the proposed 2016-17 salary schedule.
Ollerton explained that the only change from what the board previously approved will be that classified personnel’s starting salary increases to $10 an hour.
Final approval of the salary schedule is dependant on passage of Proposition 123, said Ollerton.
