By L. Parsons Following an executive session during the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board meeting last week, it was determined that Winslow schools will start in-person instruction beginning Sept. 14. The reentry will be staggered and will begin with kindergarten, first and second grades on Sept. 14, followed by fifth and sixth grades on Sept. 28. Winslow Junior High and Winslow High School will resume after fall break on Oct. 12. There was no explanation on why the staggered schedule. Parents will still have the option of keeping their students at home however, the logistics of the new model are unclear. In a letter posted on the WUSD website, Superintendent Kathryn Zanin referred to the opening as a, “soft reopening,” and said, “Navajo County has reached the three suggested health metrics to reopen schools.” Last month, Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) put forth benchmarks for schools returning to in-person instruction that include percentage of COVID cases, percentage of positivity in relation to testing and percentage of COVID like illnesses present in the community. These benchmarks are not requirements, only guidelines according to Dr. Cara Christ, director of AZDHS. Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee confirmed the county’s status on meeting the guidelines. Administrators from each school presented updates to the board concerning in-person services for students and online participation. Each leader expressed that the main concerns from students, staff and parents is poor connectivity as it relates to online learning. Zanin assured them that hot spots and more computers are on the way to the district to alleviate that problem. Also expressed by all of the administrators was the appreciation for their teachers and staff. Winslow Junior High School Principal Deb Lopez said, “Some of our teachers are doing five live classes per day. Some of them are recording their lessons. All of them are in constant contact with their students and offer office hours during the day. When we got into this new way of doing things, we knew it needed to be teacher directed. Our staff members have also been taking on a whole lot, like walking students and caregivers through the process of getting online for their classes or making sure they all have what they need.” Discussions involving the annual football camp held at WHS and fundraising done in the district also took place. In regards to football camp, Zanin made it a point to mention that in years past, the camp has led to damage to WUSD property. The damage has, at times, cost the district large amounts of money and caused the auxiliary accounts to report in the negative. As part of the discussion, board members along with Zanin mentioned requiring deposits from visiting schools in order to use WUSD facilities. Fundraising at WUSD schools is an annual occurrence. Zanin said, “As you know, our community is fundraised to death by our activities and sports.” She noted that it was brought to her attention that some fundraising events occurred that were not approved by the district and that fundraising procedures would be reviewed. That process includes submitting a request to a site leader for approval then to the student council. “Then,” she continued, “it can be taken to the superintendent or school board for approval if the administrator disagrees. To clarify, there have not been any fundraisers across my desk.” In other business, the governing board: * Heard a presentation on redesigning the district website by media relations consultant Ty Hancock. * Accepted two $1,500 donations for the purchase of an annual subscription to PlayOn, a service that provides live broadcasts of sporting events. The donations were made by Jeff Hancock of Handee Laundromat and Jason Hendricks of Rayline Installations, Inc. * Designated Business Manager Shirley Lomeli as the applicant’s agent for the purpose of applying for a grant through the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. The grant in the amount of $130,000 would be used to reimburse WUSD for purchases of PPE related to COVID-19. * Discussed governing board goals. The top three goals were outlined as school safety, communication and academics. * Approved the hiring of Venton Nelson as head boys basketball coach at WHS; Jim Maclean, assistant boys basketball coach at WHS; Stephanie Nelson, junior varsity boys basketball coach at WHS; James Richins, freshman boys basketball coach at WHS; and Zachary Pollard, substitute teacher. * Approved the resignation of bus driver Larry Davis. * Ratified vouchers in a routine procedure that allows the governing aboard to submit vouchers to the county school superintendent between meetings. * Approved the cancellation of the scheduled governing board meeting on Oct. 7. In last month’s meeting, the board approved a contract with Ty Hancock as a sole source provider for the district as the district’s media relations consultant from Aug. 20 through June 30, 2021, at a rate of $40 per hour for services as needed. Last month the board also reviewed a contract signed by the superintendent with Unity Consulting, LLC to serve as the human resource director for the district from Aug. 24 to June 30, 2021, at a rate of $51,000, plus expenses. The duties include employment branding, employee relations, equal employment law compliance, staff performance management, policy and procedure management, professional development, and the assurance of effective communication through the district for all employees.
