The recent Winslow Unified School District (WUSD) meeting shed light on the ongoing efforts and discussions surrounding the potential upgrades to school buildings or a new school altogether. This initiative was initially prompted by the school board, which requested an exploration into the possibilities of upgrading or expanding the district’s facilities.

Superintendent Connie Gover introduced the topic by sharing the journey that began in December 2022. There are several versions of the plan being discussed but one major idea that’s been thrown around since they began working on it, is a single school for kindergarten through eighth grade.

Over the past year, numerous meetings have taken place to discuss the potential new school project. These efforts culminated in the formation of a steering committee on Feb. 6. The committee was carefully selected to include a broad representation of the community, including parents from each school, city officials, business people, and various community members.

“We picked the steering committee very carefully. I tried to get a parent from every single school,” Gover said. This diverse group aims to ensure that the needs and perspectives of the entire community are considered in the planning process.

The committee’s first steps involved gathering input from teachers, students, and the wider community. Surveys were distributed, and meetings were held to discuss what stakeholders would like to see in a new school. Key concerns that emerged included the need for better parking and pickup locations, facilities that offer maximum longevity at low cost, and environments where children are eager to learn. One community member emphasized, “We just want a school where our kids can feel safe and excited to go every day.”

In addition to gathering feedback, GH2 Architects conducted a thorough analysis of the current school facilities, including HVAC systems and enrollment numbers. They found that many of the district’s buildings are outdated, with aging systems that are costly to maintain. This information was crucial as the district began to consider different options for the future.

A significant development in the process came when the School Facilities Board approved an assessment to determine if the district’s buildings are at the end of use. This assessment, which is expected to be completed by August, could potentially open up additional funding sources for the project. However, as Jason Whetten, a Northern Arizona University professor and steering committee member with children in the district, pointed out, “Even if they say yes and that they’ll provide some funding, it gives us another funding source, but it doesn’t mean we get any extra money or anything like that.”

The steering committee has been diligently working to explore various options, from improving existing schools to building entirely new campuses. They are mindful of the potential impact on the community, particularly the concern of leaving empty buildings behind. Board President Debbie Martinez stated, “I just don’t want those buildings falling apart in someone’s neighborhood.”

The committee has considered several possibilities for repurposing these buildings, such as selling them to the city for green spaces or other community uses. Winslow City Manager David Coolidge was in attendance and noted that the city would be interested in exploring the option of taking the land of these schools and make them into parks or other uses such as economic development or housing. Coolidge also said that the area that Bonnie Brennan Elementary School sits on would be a great park because the city currently doesn’t have a park in that area of town.

As the committee continues to analyze the data and refine their plans, they remain committed to involving the community in the decision-making process. Future meetings will be held to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the proposed plans and to gather further input. Whetten clarified that he doesn’t want any information to get out before they’re ready, so the committee did not present a specific plan to the board. “We want to be really clear and streamlined in future meetings. This is what the plan is so there’s one plan out there we can vote on,” said Whetten when he was explaining how telling the public about every version of the plan might do more harm than good.

The WUSD steering committee acknowledges the hard work and dedication of its members, who have been meeting regularly to push this project forward. Their goal is to develop a plan that meets the needs of the community and provides a safe, engaging environment for students. The process is ongoing, and while there are still many decisions to be made, the commitment to finding the best solution for Winslow’s students is strengthened by this committee.

In other business, the board:

* Authorized acceptance of a $10,000 donation from the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and The University of Phoenix.

* Approved the following hires: Riley Fallaha, high needs paraprofessional; Andrew Baldarrama, bookkeeper; Cheyne Lowry, English teacher; Clint Weishan, social studies/economics teacher; and Kissy Genon, fifth grade teacher.

* Approved the following resignations: Casey Ambrose, special education teacher; Joanna Venegas, alternative education teacher; Kelbie Flake, inclusion paraprofessional; and Tina Luther, bus aide.

* Approved the following transfers: Chase Edwards, from fourth grade Teacher to Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teacher; Michelle Simmons, from English language arts teacher to career tech teacher; Quentin Hayes, from career and technical education criminal justice teacher to weights teacher; Charlene Betts, from paraprofessional to inclusion paraprofessional; Kelci Valdez, from inclusion paraprofessional to Focus Zone paraprofessional; Deanna Wilcox, from bookkeeper to inclusion paraprofessional.

* Approved the following Winslow Junior High School coaches: Brian Wilcox, eighth grade softball; Lynne Sawyer, seventh grade softball; Mark Faust, football; Lahauli Serious, football; Leroy Thomas, cross country; Sheninkwa Cly, cross country; Sabrina Vasquez, Spiritline; Lindsey Williams, Spiritline; Brandi Serious, eighth grade volleyball; Tonette Nez-Benally, seventh grade volleyball; Quentin Begody, wrestling; Norwood Foy, wrestling; Mark Faust, eighth grade boys basketball; and Jerron Jordan, seventh grade boys basketball.

* Approved the following Winslow High School coaches: Jordan Payne, varsity head football; Devon Sawyer, varsity assistant football; Carlos Quesada, varsity assistant football; Chad Sullivan, junior varsity head football; Julie Thomas, varsity head volleyball; Robina Villanueva, junior varsity head volleyball; Jennifer Yazzie, freshman head volleyball; Janeen Barton, cross country; Wilburt Barton, cross country; Andrew MacDonald, head boys soccer; Mark Gerber, assistant boys soccer; Josue Barrios, head girls soccer; Bailee Hardy, assistant girls soccer; Katrina Hernandez, Jennifer Brown, Tamry Ramsey and Madison Lymer, all for cheer/Spiritline; Reese Chatwin, head swim; Cheyne Lowry, assistant swim; Venton Nelson, varsity head boys basketball; Stephanie Nelson, varsity assistant boys basketball; Ferlin Nez, freshman head boys basketball; Janeen Barton, varsity head girls basketball; Frank Stacey, varsity assistant girls basketball; Kyle Phillips, junior varsity head girls basketball; Sheninkwa Cly, freshman head girls basketball; Kendal Ybarra, head wrestling; Bryan Larson, assistant wrestling; Jeff Hartman, assistant wrestling; Chris Garrett, varsity head baseball; Jordan Payne, varsity assistant baseball; Quentin Hayes, varsity head softball; Josue Barrios, varsity assistant softball; Brian Wilcox, junior varsity head softball; Rebecca Perez, junior varsity assistant softball.

* Approved the following volunteers: Shannon Wilcox, eighth grade softball; Natalie Barrios, girls soccer; Tara Begay, girls soccer; Kristie Corum, cheer/Spiritline; Sam Hernandez, boys basketball; Paul Haydukovich, boys basketball; Wilbur Barton, girls basketball; Ermindy Hernandez, girls basketball; Samantha Sam, girls basketball; Samantha Ybarra, wrestling; Mike Branson, softball; and Eddie Johnson, softball.

* Approved $800 in extra duty pay to Chris Atwood for GATE.

* Approved a fundraiser request for summer cheer camp.

* Approved the following out-of-state travel: Penny Brimhall and Sal Hernandez to Las Vegas, Nev.; and Kelci Valdez and Tiffany Dunn to Las Vegas, Nev.

*Approved the following special education enrollment caps: Kindergarten, 26 students FTE (Full Time Equivalent); grades first through third, 26 students FTE; grades fourth through sixth, 28 students FTE; grades seventh through eighth, 200 students per grade; and grades ninth through 12th, 215 students per grade.

* Approved the following financial documents with its banks: execution of warrants; signers for checking and savings accounts at Wells Fargo; signers for checking and savings accounts at BMO; credit card usages and limits; sole source providers.

* Approved the early release schedule and a pro statement to voters for the override.

* Approved a special meeting at 7:30 a.m. for June 12, to award the food service contract.

* Approved a change in the Psychologist Support Specialist job description and salary schedule. It removes the language including social-emotional learning and increases the starting pay from $58,500 to $66,000.

The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12, in the meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.