The Holbrook Unified School District (HUSD) No. 3 Governing Board met last Tuesday, during which Food Service Director Ray McLaws gave a report on food services in the district, in which he went over funding, pricing, nutrient requirements and what food options are provided to students.

Discussion was also had on the agenda item pertaining to charging $2 for a second entree at each school through the food service lunch and breakfast program. Food such as fruits, vegetables, juice and milk will not incur an extra charge. The first entrée will remain free. “And if there is somebody that’s struggling and they really can’t afford it, we would make it work,” explained McLaws. “But with the amount of food that we serve, if kids eat the fruits and vegetables, there’s no way they’re going to be hungry. It’s just not possible.” The motion was later approved.

McLaws also stated parents should encourage students to eat school provided meals instead of using delivery apps like DoorDash, citing monetary and health disadvantages.

Board members Olivia Jaquez and Claudia Jackson were not in attendance.

During call to the public, Louanna Benslow, School Health Coordinator for Winslow Indian Health Care Center (WIHCC), introduced herself to the board and explained her initiatives to create a rapport and open communication with the schools in WIHCC service areas, which includes HUSD. “Our main thing is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of our school aged children.”

The board received another report from Holbrook High School (HHS) student Hunter Tallsalt, in which he talked on his experience attending the College Horizons Program this summer.

According to their website, College Horizons is a pre-college program for Native American high school students where they work with college counselors and college admissions officers in a five-day “crash course” on the college admission and financial aid process. The individualized program helps students select suitable colleges. Students’ complete college essays, resumes, the Common Application, and the preliminary FAFSA as well as receive interviewing skills and test-taking strategies and financial aid/scholarship information.

“One of the most important pieces of information, I believe, that they gave us was how to stand out more in the eyes of a college recruiter,” stated Tallsalt, “I believe this program will heavily benefit Indigenous students at Holbrook High School, as it has taught me many things that I will take with me for the rest of my life.” Tallsalt also noted that he was fortunate enough to receive financial aid to cover his flight expenses, which made the trip free of cost.

Facility services presented reports providing an overview of the various maintenance and improvement projects done over the summer.

In other business, the board:

* Approved Drama Teacher Academy as a curriculum resource for Stagecraft I and Drama courses at HHS for School Year (SY) 2024-25.

* Approved qualified evaluators for SY 24-25 to serve as evaluators for the district teacher performance evaluation system. The following qualified evaluators have attended qualified evaluator training: Charles Haussman, Robbie Koerperich, Clete Hargrave, Cheri Grau, Nichole Tow, Galen Knight, Bernice Gover, Andrea Tomlin and Jeff Meeks.

* Approved the continuation of the Class Size Differential Stipend for SY 24-25.

* Approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Extra Duty Daily, Hourly & Periodic Pay Rate Schedule as presented. The schedule outlines rates of pay for tutorials, professional development, mentoring and other extra duty rates of pay for certified staff.

* Approved the Education Specialist Effectiveness Performance Evaluation System (ESPES), Leader Effectiveness Performance Evaluation (LEPES) and Teacher Effectiveness Performance Evaluation (TEPES) as performance evaluation systems for SY 24-25.

* Approved an emergency procurement with Mountain Roof Repair for emergency roof repairs at IWES. The emergency repairs to stop existing leaks exceeded the $10,000 bid threshold at $22,000. Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich explained it needed to be done quickly due to rain and leakage.

* Approved the SY 24-25 Contracted Mileage Administrative Procedure.

* Approved the list of Risk Trust qualified hearing officers for school districts to use in matters of student discipline and employee related issues that arise throughout the school year.

* Approved Heather Morgan for a 15-week leave of absence to complete student teaching in the English Department at HHS. The leave of absence request will enable Morgan to retain her paraprofessional position upon completion of her student teaching. The leave of absence will conform to Policy GCCC Professional/Support Staff Leave of Absence.

* Approved Morgan Mehrtens, a current Northern Arizona University (NAU) student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, to complete a practicum under Karalyn Reidhead for the fall semester. Mehrtens has an Identity Verified Prints (IVP) clearance card and student liability Insurance for the practicum experience.

* Approved a first reading for revisions to ASBA policies which include: Policy JFB & JFB-R Open Enrollment, Policy BBBA Board Member Qualifications, GCF Professional Staff Hiring, GBK Staff Grievances, GDF Support Staff Hiring, IHA Basic Instructional Program, IJNDB Use of Technology Resources in Instruction, IKF Graduation Requirements, JHD Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance and JII Student Concerns, Complaints and Grievances.

* Approved Board Member Linda Yazzie to represent HUSD at the 2024 Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) Delegate Assembly on Sept. 7. The assembly is where votes on legislative priorities for advocacy on behalf of public school districts for the 2025 legislative session are held. Each member district is allowed one vote for each action item.

* Approved the support staff resignations of Eric Clark and Nikki Gonnie, both food service; Kenneth Nez and Trevor Taylor, food service student worker; Aiyana Trujillo, Hulet/Daycare; and Earlene Tsosie, transportation bus monitor.

* Approved the support staff employment of Jace Allison, computer services tech 1; Shawna Bailey, Park/SPED high needs para increase hours to 37.5 a week; Kendall Bakurza, transportation white fleet/NAVIT driver; Lang Bartruff, HHS in school suspension SY 24-25; Charlotte Begay, IWES/SPED bus monitor; Rachel Benally, transportation driver and custodian; Britney Burgan, SPED special services secretary; Meghan Carbonneau and Lelia Demuth, both HHS academic advisor 2024-2025 SY; Amelia Dennie, Park/SPED high needs para increase hours to 37.5 a week; Joan Duran, district payroll and leave benefits clerk; Niko Espitia, facility services student worker SY 24-25; Rico Espitia, transportation white bus driver, bus monitor, bus driver, sports, NAVIT and maintenance worker; Patricia Fischer, food services cafeteria worker; Stella Gishie, food service transfer from Hulet lead to HJHS satellite worker; Susan Hayden, SPED special needs assessment assistant; Cheryl Justman, HJHS/SPED special needs assistant transfer from Park to HJHS; Laura Kohler, Park/SPED high needs para transfer from Hulet to Park; Tawnya Lindsey, IWES/SPED high needs paraprofessional; Ben Meeks, facilities and grounds worker; Shurell Nardi, Park/SPED high needs para increase hours to 40 hour a week; Tina Nez, transportation driver and NAVIT driver; Wilma Padilla, Yvette Purley, Susan Stapel, Carmarie Thomas and Tina Hamlin, all food services substitute workers; Amelia Rascon, HJHS/SPED special needs assistant; Alysia Richards, HHS registrar/receptionist; and Melissa Robertson, transportation driver, administrative assistant and sports driver.

* Approved the certified employment of Gladys Butaslac, Park Elementary contract prorated for 178 days; Vanessa Castillo, district substitute teacher SY 24-25 / Park school long term sub for Gladys Butaslac SY 24-25; Madison Chappell, Park/Hulet resident substitute teacher SY 24-25; Margarite Ciofani, Mollie Daly, Donald Davis, Ayla Hayden, Mike Lymann, Deveney McGee, Brittany McGee, Brian McMahon, John Nicholas, Alshina Nez, Journey Yazzie and Tim Yazzie, all district substitute teachers SY 24-25; Ivah Jeffers-Sample, HHS resident substitute teacher SY 24-25; Monica Liddle, HHS substitute teacher SY 24-25; and Katelyn Willis, Park kindergarten teacher SY 24-25.

* Approved volunteers Jesus Aguilera, HHS assistant boys soccer coach; Tony Aguilera, HHS head boys soccer coach; Francis Ambrose, HHS football assistant coach; Alex Baker, Jacob Baker, Ray Patterson and Nicole Young, all HJHS/HHS softball coach; Scott Baker, HJHS/HHS head softball coach; Kendall Bakurza, HJHS football coach; Alex Baldonado, Joshua Dillard, Daniel Moore and Mark Oberriter, all HHS football assistant coach; Jeraldine Barnes, Park/Hulet classroom aide; and Jose Quezada, HHS boys soccer assistant coach and HJHS boys soccer head coach.

* Approved professional leave for Ann Terry and Shelly Nez, AZ Human Trafficking Summit 2024, cost to the district is $1,748; Lauren Maestas, Anne Lang, Ryan Fraley, Nichole Tow, Clete Hargrave, Andrea Tomlin, Cheri Grau and Robbie Koerperich, AI Professional Development/Helios, cost to the district is $1,446; Andrea Tomlin, 2024 Arizona Assessments Conference, cost to the district is $1,000; Ray W. McLaws, School Nutrition Administration AZ (SNAAZ) Annual State Conference, cost to the district is $525; Jeff Meeks and Sierra Browning, Arizona Department of Education (ADE) IDEA conference, cost to the district is $1,439 each; Gabriel Nells, athletic directors meeting; Jeff Strong, Convocation/Division meetings; Cheryl Carlson, ED PREP faculty; Cheryl Carlson, advisors boot camp FCCLA, cost to the district is $690; Lauren Maestas, School ERP Pro, Northern AZ User Group Meeting, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Anne Lang, Arizona School ERP Pro User Meeting, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Anne Lange, Kairos human resources conference, cost to the district is $131; and Anne Lange, Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA) fall conference, cost to the district is $823.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.7 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $1 million.

* Approved personnel pay for Rico Espitia, transportation bus driver sign on bonus, $500; Rasheed Hollins, Hulet teach like a champion trainer, $750; Delmar Johnson and Jessica Lano, both substitute teacher training, $180 and $70 respectively; Lauren Maestas, business manager professional development, $500; W. Ray McLaws, summer food program, $1,000; Michael Nilsson, Power of 5, $1,800; Michaela Saxton, 23/24 insurance buy out, $125; Hulet/Park curriculum review, $2,160; District retention stipends, $523,765; District new teacher pays, $51,750; HHS AVID summer institute, $3,000; HJHS AVID summer institute, $4,500 and HHS July curriculum development, $6,920.

* Approved requests by HHS volleyball for cookie sales, expected to earn $4,000; and HHS Spirit Line for car wash and cornhole tournament, both expected to earn $300 each.

* Approved donation from the Arizona State University First Lego League (FLL) Masterpiece Grant awarded to Holbrook Junior High valued at $345.

* Approved consent agenda items and expense vouchers in items A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, B, C, 1, 2, 3, D, E, F, and G. Detailed information for all District expenditures may be obtained by contacting the School District business office located at 1000 North 8th Ave.