The Winslow Unified School District Governing Board met last week to hold their annual public hearing regarding the revised budget for the current school year.
In the hearing, Business Manager Shirley Lomeli explained, “The budget we are going over here is the revised budget from the 2021-22 school year. It has changed, as it usually does, quite a bit from the time we adopted it in July until now.”
One of those changes was a reduction in student enrollment as each student, on average, brings in $4,445 of funding each year.
However, according to Lomeli, despite the very slight reduction in enrollment, “The general budget limit actually went up almost a half a million dollars for last year. Most of that is the accumulation of monies after purchases stop at the end of the school year. We end up with purchases that we encumber money for and then we don’t spend it because those purchases don’t happen. This is fine, we will use this money in carry forward funds. The total increase between the general budget and the unrestricted capital budget is $549,200.”
The district remains in good standing financially, Lomeli said. In fact, moving into the 2022-23 school year the overall carry forward for maintenance and operations will be approximately $2 million. Lomeli stated, “Some of the things that have helped us this year are the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) and ESSER II grants awarded the district by the federal government. All told, when the ESSER III grant comes down, we will be at about $13 million in grants that we must spend until the end of September 2024.”
No public comment was made during the public hearing and following it, the governing board voted to approve the 2021-22 annual district revised budget in the absence of Board President Joey Hartnett and board member Dodie Montoya.
The governing board also voted to approve a procurement process exemption to Martinez Plumbing in the amount of $1,440.
Lomeli explained, “We had an incident during the installation of the touchless fixtures in the bathrooms at the junior high school where the shut off valve for the water line broke and we needed it repaired right away. Because it was an emergency, we didn’t have time to go to bid for quotes, so we called Martinez Plumbing who was able to get it fixed right away. That is why it is a procurement process exemption.”
The board also approved a stipend for the 504 coordinators at the elementary school and secondary school levels. The amount of $3,222 will be split between the two coordinators, Amber Martinez and Travis Dooley.
Superintendent Connie Gover explained, “A 504 coordinator is someone that advocates for students with medical issues or other needs that need to be met. For example, students that might need medication daily or to be able to enter school earlier so as not to be over stimulated by the noise or busyness of the hallways. Any accommodations our students may need are met by the 504 coordinators.”
In other business, the governing board:
* Approved the hiring of Tina Luther as a transportation, bus aide; Christopher Jaramillo-Monsegur and Ashlinn Therman, bus drivers; Paul Sheats, district maintenance supervisor; and Monica Hernandez, Jefferson Elementary School Focus Zone paraprofessional beginning in the 2022-23 school year.
* Approved the transfer of Jana Jordan from third grade to second grade teacher, Jennifer Colazzo from second grade to first grade teacher and Marjorie Coolidge from second grade to first grade teacher.
* Approved the retire and return to work request from Maria Perales, Winslow Junior High School special education teacher.
* Accepted the resignation of Athena Luna-Faust, Bonnie Brennan Parent Liaison effective May 6.
* Approved fundraisers for the Hoop Club and Lady Diamonds Club, both holding youth clinics.
* Approved out of state travel July 5-9 to Las Vegas, Nev., for six administrators to attend the Innovative School Summit. Funding is available through the Rural and Low Income Schools fund.
* Approved out of state travel for Sept. 18-22 to Las Vegas, Nev., for two employees and six Indian Education Committee members to attend the National Johnson O’Malley (JOM) Conference. Funding will come from the JOM program.
The next meeting of the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board will be a work session held at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 13. The next regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25. Both will be held in the district meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
