By Talaina Kor During the Holbrook Unified School District No. 3 Governing Board meeting last Tuesday, July 13, Superintendent Dr. Koerperich explained to the board the different air purification system that are soon to be installed throughout the school district that will help mitigate the spread of potential virus. According to Koerperich, the district will be using three different air purification systems depending on the size of room. For large spaces such as gyms, auditoriums and cafeterias a unit called Hydro Blaster. “It’s a bigger unit that we’ll install, and it’ll operate just like all the other units, but it’ll cover a larger space.” For the classrooms, Pure and Clean units will be installed, and the AP5000 is the smallest unit that will be installed in the restrooms and small offices. Koerperich stated that they will run constantly to purify the air and will be installed on all campuses. He added that these air purifiers are based off of NASA research and kills most germs including COVID-19. “We made a large investment in this. We needed to do this anyways. I think if you ask any teacher if they would like to have air purification system in their classroom they would say ‘yes please.’” He also stated Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) were used to fund the units, which have been delivered and will be installed soon. The board also approved the HUSD 12-Point Back to School Plan. The plan includes protocols for health screenings, sickness response, classrooms, instructional platforms, facility cleanings/sanitation, staff sickness, food service, socialization, transportation, sports and activities, and visitors. In-person schooling will begin Aug. 4. Maintenance Supervisor Brian Gohl gave an overview of summer projects, which included the replacement of lighting with LEDs, painting projects and installing HVAC units into building B. Gohl also gave an update on the fencing project at Indian Wells Elementary School, stating that the fencing company should be out soon to install fencing around the buses to hopefully reduce vandalism and also fencing around the football field. He also mentioned hands free faucets are being installed. In other business, the board: * Approved the adoption of the social and emotional learning curriculum, Second Step. * Approved the textbook “Psychology: Perceptive and Connections” for the psychology course at Holbrook High School. * Held a public hearing regarding the HUSD 2022 fiscal year proposed budget. * Approved the HUSD 2022 fiscal year budget in the amount of nearly $29.5 million. * Held a public hearing in regards to the use of federal stimulus funding to provide a safe, healthy and education return to school beginning Aug. 4. * Approved school safety plans for 2021-2022 school year as presented. These plans are for lock downs and lock in incidents such as active shooters. * Approved the 2021-2022 Employee Handbook which outlines basic policies and procedures that apply to district employees. * Approved the Indian Wells Elementary School, Park Elementary School, and Hulet Elementary School Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Handbooks. * Authorized the payment of $1,000 per certified employee for retention stipends for 2021-2022 school year. The stipend will be for any eligible participant for Prop 301 for the 2021-2022 school year. New and additional Prop 301 funds will be utilized for certificated teachers and counselors. We are requesting $1,000 per administrator that participate in Prop 301 to be paid from maintenance and operations funding as well. * Approved a revised Holbrook High School attendance clerk job description with the addition of an extra duty assignment for registrar duties. * Approved the list of authorized check signers for the 2021-2022 school year, who are designated school officials who may sign checks from the various checking accounts used by the district. * Approved sole source providers. Sole source vendors are designated on the basis that they are the sole provider for the required materials or services for the school district. * Approved the American Red Cross Facility Use Agreement that requests the use of the Holbrook Unified School District facilities during a disaster relief effort such as a wildfire. The American Red Cross has outlined a facility use agreement that outlines each party’s responsibilities, as well as reimbursement procedures, in the case of a disaster relief effort that would require the use of the Holbrook Schools as a relief shelter. * Approved the Navajo Nation Division of Health request to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Indian Wells Elementary School to implement a Foster Grandparent Program. The Foster Grandparent Program allows qualified applicants through the Navajo Nation Division of Health to volunteer in the school. The volunteers will be required to be fingerprinted and approved through school administration. * Approved the 2021-2022 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Northland Pioneer College and the Holbrook Unified School District. * Approved the 2021-2022 school year Beyond Textbooks Intergovernmental Agreement with Vail Unified School District. HUSD annually utilized Beyond Textbooks as a standards-based guide to teaching the Arizona state standards in grades K-12. * Approved the 2021-2022 open enrollment capacities. The District’s Open Enrollment Policy, JFB, requires that the Governing Board make the determination for capacity to accept out-of-district students based on the superintendent’s annual estimate of excess capacity available at each grade level. * Approved the request to hire paraprofessionals and/or health aides throughout the school year, as needed, when these positions are required by a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). The District is required to provide services for special needs students ages three through five (preschool) and grades K-12. * Approved the HHS science course curriculum for a 60-day review. The curriculum review materials are open source and there are no costs associated with the curriculum. * Approved a revised Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Greater Phoenix Educational Management Council and AZ Educational Management Council. The IGA has a new fiscal agent, Agua Fria School District. This is the only change in the IGA. The IGA is valid through FY 24. * Approved the support staff employment of Karen Estridge, Holbrook Junior High School (HJHS) English language arts teacher, transfer from sixth to seventh grade; Erick Salley, HJHS industrial arts teacher; Ty Hatch, HHS science teacher; Jayme Hughey, Park Elementary School first grade teacher; Catrina Garner, IWES part time special education teacher; Ray Ann Terry, IWES school safety counselor; and Markos Serna, HJHS long term substitute and seventh grade social studies teacher. * Approved extra duty for Callie Jensen, HHS prep buy-out and math lab; Tobias Herndon, HHS prep buy-out; Ramie Hatch, HHS prep buy-out; Josh Raisor, HHS summer school; Dawna Bitsoie, IWES Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) team; Debbie Koerperich, Indian Wells PBIS Team and year one mentor; Bernice Gover, IWES PBIS Team; Beth Plumb, HJHS student council sponsor; Alicia Jimenez, HJHS student council sponsor and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Task Force; Daniel Orton, HJHS Athletic Director and ESSER III Task Force; Ramie Hatch, Jerald Nez, Paul Demuth, Ben Copollo, Ashley Mitchell, Daniel Mitchell, Sylvia Jackson and Nicole Warner, each for the HHS ESSER III Task Force; Ericka Hunt and Monica Sanchez, each for Park Elementary Grade Level Chair; Jessica Hubbard, Kara Gardner, Sandy Carlisle, and Kim Jaster, each for Hulet Elementary Grade Level Chair; Rasheed Hollins, Grade Level Chair and ESSER III Task Force year one mentor; Heidi Hunsaker, Hulet Harmonizors; Beth Self, Park Performers; Mari Smithson, Peggy Reid, Cindy McDaniel, Benita Smith, Karen Estridge, Lou Ann McLaws and Chantelle Taylor, each for Hulet Elementary ESSER III Task Force; Nichole Tow, Hulet Elementary ESSER III Task Force and year two mentor; John McDaniel, HJHS ESSER III Task Force; Loren Silver, HJHS seventh grade football coach; Suzanne Powell, IWES year two mentor; and DeVell Dunaway, Hulet Elementary year two mentor. * Approved personal leave for Dr. Koerperich, Superintendent Collaborative Network at Grand Canyon University. Estimated cost $300. * Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling $353,810 and payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $1.7 million. * Approved personnel pay for ESSER II 2021-22 retention pay, new teacher pay, Power of 5 pay, Prop 301 pay for $493,373; Terri DeHaan, $1,000 for IWES move/recruitment stipend; Noel Reimer, $2,500 for IWES move/recruitment stipend; Cheri Grau, Julie Berry, Estefana Chavez, John McDaniel, Lou Ann McLaws, Kristin Manning and Alicia Jimenez, each for $512.50 for HJHS Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) DigitalXP Summer Institute. * Approved donations from Dr. Tom of United Natives Organization, for donated sanitation supplies to Indian Wells Elementary School; and from Winslow Indian Health Care Center, which donated hand soap, hand sanitizer and facemasks to Indian Wells Elementary School.
