HUSD works to provide solar power to Indigenous students

The board also received a report on various improvement projects done within the district during the summer. Repairing gymnasium floors, and resealing and coating parking lots, as well as modernizing classrooms were among the projects listed. According to Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich, the efforts made took 54 workers and approximately 17,000 hours of work time.

Tech Director Ryan Fraley presented on the technological projects completed during the summer, stating, “The major project that we did is we upgraded about 99%, at this point, of the PCs throughout the district to Windows 11.” Audio upgrades were completed at Park Elementary School as well as Indian Wells Elementary School, with plans to continue at the Holbrook Junior High School (HJHS) and Holbrook High School (HHS). Maintenance to as well as adding more security cameras throughout the district were also listed amongst other improvements.

Current HHS American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) club leader Hunter Tallsalt provided a summary on the AISES National Conference, as well as his participation in the University of North Dakota Indians into Medicine Program (INMED) Summer Institute. According to the university’s website, it is ranked first in the nation for graduating American Indian/Alaska Native physicians.

“This was a great opportunity for me, as I found I really do love the medical field, and I do want to become a doctor. What kind of doctor that is, I have not determined yet, but as a person of Native American heritage, I am proud to say that I do want to join the medical field after this program.” Tallsalt also noted the benefits of seeing colleges that offer support to Native American students, who can often feel alone when they leave the reservation. He went on to encourage students to join AISES for its ability to provide them opportunities to attend events geared towards Native success.

The board held a public hearing for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, during which no one spoke. The board then approved the FY 2026 HUSD budget.

In other business, the board:

* Approved ‘Voyager Passport’ for final adoption. Voyager Passport as a supplemental reading program that focuses on phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development and comprehension to increase reading proficiency. The program will be used as a supplemental reading resource in the district elementary schools.

* Approved ‘Book Taco’ as a curriculum for final adoption as a supplemental instructional material. ‘Book Taco’ provides access to over 56,000 comprehension quizzes for books available in the classroom and school libraries.

* Approved the list of district employees who are qualified to serve as evaluators for the district teacher performance evaluation system for the 2025-2026 school year including Charles Haussman, Robbie Koerperich, Clete Hargrave, Cheri Grau, Connie Gover, Nichole Tow, Rasheed Hollins, Galen Knight, Bernice Gover, Andrea Tomlin, Sierra Browning and Jeff Meeks.

* Approved the continuation of the class size differential stipend for School Year (SY) 2025-26.

* 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 2025-26.

* Approved the SY 2025-26 contracted mileage administrative procedure.

* Approved out-of-state travel for Jamie Justman, Callie Jensen and Cayla Serna to attend Link Crew training for the HHS Freshman Transition Program, Sept. 9-10 in Denver, Colo.

* Approved the list of Risk Trust qualified hearing officers for matters of student discipline and employee-related issues that arise throughout the school year provided by the Arizona Risk Trust.

* Approved a special services consortium agreement for counseling services for SY 2025-26.

* Approved a special education procedures manual, which outlines special education procedures including educational philosophies, child identification, eligibility categories, Individual Education Plan guidance, open enrollment procedures, extended school year procedures, discipline guidelines and other special education procedures utilized at HUSD.

* Approved the book listings for book purchases for

students through the IWES and Hulet Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Book Program. The program allows students to be able to earn free books from the schoolbook vending machine. Purchases of books will come from scholastic dollars earned at book fairs.

* Accepted the resignation of Audrianna Quezada, school nurse. The board also approved to assess the liquidated damages as per the resignation policy.

* Approved first readings for policy update revisions for the following policies: Policy GCF Professional Staff Hiring, JLIF Sex Offender Notification, JII Student Concerns, Complaints and Grievances, JFABC Admission of Transfer Students, IHA Basic Instructional Program, GBK Staff Grievances, ABAA Parental Involvement, BGB Policy Adoption, BGE Policy Communication, BHC Board Communications, BIA New Board Member Orientation and Resources, BIBA Board Development Opportunities: Conferences, Conventions, and Workshops, IJNDB Use of Technology Resources in Instruction, JLF Reporting Child Abuse and Child Protection, JR Student Records and JFB Open Enrollment.

* Approved Board Vice President Linda Yazzie as a delegate to represent HUSD at the 2025 Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) delegate assembly on Sept. 6, with Board President Craig Stuart as an alternate. The annual assembly is where delegates vote on legislative priorities for advocacy on behalf of public-school districts for the 2026 legislative session. Each member district is allowed one vote for each action item.

* Approved the classified resignations of Leona Baldwin, HJHS cafeteria worker; and Ashley Begay, Derek Bitsilly, Niko Espitia, Allison Knight, Tony Manriquez, William Nez, Makayla Shendo and Syrus Warren, all student workers.

* Approved the classified employment of Nicole Carroll, special education (SPED), special needs assistant; Thomas Castillo, SPED, high needs para increase from 35 to 40 hours; Jade Espitia, Maria Quezada and J N Martinsen, all lead cafeteria workers; Marcus Espitia, HHS, resident substitute; Star Gonnie, head cook; Ellianne Lang and Shalayne Yazzie, both as substitute cafeteria workers; Walter McClaws, addendum: summer food program; Moss Parker, transportation, temporary administrative assistant; Marissa Richards, cafeteria worker; and Randi White, central cafeteria worker.

* Approved the certified employment of Sierra Browning, SPED, special education teacher with 15% increase to contracted days and an increased addendum for SY 25-26; Lona Haussman, substitute nurse SY 25-26; and Monica Liddle, district substitute.

* Approved extra duty for Paul Agramont, HHS football head coach and HHS track assistant coach; Elizabeth Baloo, HJHS cross country head coach; Dylan Barela, HHS baseball assistant coach; Davina Begay, IWES cross country assistant coach; Saraphania Benally, Stephanie Bridegam, Sierra Browning, Clete Hargrave, Charles Haussman, Rasheed Hollins, Noah Johnson, Amanda Ramos, Andrea Tomlin and Nichole Tow, all SPED Liaisons SY 25/26; Dawna Bitsoie, IWES department head; Desiree Brewer, HHS sophomore sponsor; Michael Burks, HHS Broadcast Club and auditorium manager assistant; Meghan Carbonneau, HHS freshmen sponsor; Steven Carbonneau, HHS wrestling head coach; Madison Chappell, HHS girls basketball assistant coach; Mandi Chee, IWES volleyball assistant coach; Zoe Daniels, HHS volleyball assistant coach; Maria DeHaan, IWES English language learner tutor; Tim Eddings and Marilyn Francisco, both IWES English language arts and math tutors; Chris Ervin, HHS football assistant coach and HHS track head coach; Dennis Fortuna, HHS E-sports head coach; Anika Francis, IWES cross country head coach, ELA and math tutor; Kyle Gardner, HHS Swing Thing sponsor and auditorium manager; Connie Gover, SPED liaison SY 25/26 and custodial supervisor; Gypsi Gover, IWES English language learner tutor; Shawn Goza and Roni Orton, both IWES department heads; Kassandra Grabowski, HHS spirit line head coach; Ramie Hatch, HHS math department head and math prep buyout; Ty Hatch, HHS volleyball assistant coach and HHS baseball assistant coach; Callie Jensen, HHS link crew coordinator, outdoor club sponsor and prep buyout; Alicia Jimenez, HJHS student council sponsor; Delmar Johnson, HHS girls soccer assistant coach and HHS boys basketball head coach; Courtney King, IWES flag football head coach; Shannon Knight, HHS junior sponsor and IAT coordinator; Galen Knight, seasonal athletic director addendum and SPED Liaison SY 25/26; Debbie Koerperich, IWES department head and ELL tutor; Anne Lang, district wellness coordinator; Aaren LaRose, HHS volleyball head coach; Caleb Layden, HHS softball assistant coach; Jeremy Madison, HHS golf head coach, CTE department head and Roadrunner Nest; Sarah Meeks, elective department head, band sponsor and Fusion sponsor; Ashley Mitchell, HHS science department head; Daniel Mitchell, HHS social studies department head and National Honor Society sponsor; Nicholas Moyte, HHS cross country head coach; Gabriel Nells, IWES athletic director; Sophia Nells, IWES cross country assistant coach; Arletta Nez, HHS cross country assistant coach; Michael Nilsson, HHS yearbook sponsor; Joshua Novak, HJHS cross country assistant coach; Adicia Paschal, HJHS student council sponsor; Jessica Paz, HHS girls basketball assistant coach; Victor Paz, HHS girls soccer head coach and HHS boys basketball assistant coach; Greg Perkins, HHS girls basketball head coach; Joshua Raisor, HHS Drama Club; Karalyn Reidhead, SPED liaison SY 25/26 and speech-language pathology assistant mentor, IWES stipend; Cayla Serna, student council sponsor; Stephanie Thompson, HHS English department head; Benson Wallace, HHS assistant boys soccer coach and key club sponsor; and Theresa Yazzie, IWES volleyball head coach, ELA and math tutor.

* Approved volunteers Tony Aguilera, HHS boys soccer head coach; Francis Ambrose, HHS football assistant coach and HHS track assistant coach; Alex Baker and Ray Patterson, both HJHS and HHS softball assistant coaches; Scott Baker, HJHS and HHS softball head coach; Ryan Baldonado, HHS baseball head coach; Toby Christensen, HHS sports; Kasey Dill, HHS Spirit Line assistant coach; Ron Eisele, HHS baseball assistant coach; Trent Larson and Farrel Yazzie, both HHS wrestling assistant coaches; Bryant Manygoats, IWES cross country, basketball and softball; Adriana Monroe, HJHS sixth and seventh grade softball assistant coach; Chris Moore, HJHS football head coach; and Daniel Moore, HHS football assistant coach.

* Approved professional leave for Meghan Carbonneau, Advisor Leadership Academy, Aug. 25-27, Tucson, cost to the district is $839 and use of district vehicle; Cheryl Carlson, the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Boot Camp, Aug. 25-27, Tucson, cost to the district is $625 and use of a district vehicle; Cheryl Carlson, Northland Pioneer College educator prep meeting, Holbrook; Connie Gover, Arizona Department of Education Essential Standards Workshop, Aug. 27, Phoenix, cost to the district is $30; Jeremy Madison and Conner Prestwich, Advisor Leadership Conference, Aug. 27-29, Tucson, cost to the district is $558.57 each and use of district vehicle; Nicole Moyte, science fair conference, Sept. 19, Holbrook; Cayla Serna, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology advisory board meeting, Snowflake, Sept. 11; Ashley Smith, Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ) Summer Conference, July 10-16, in Tucson, cost to the district is $1,375; Chantelle Taylor, pick up HJHS instruments, Aug. 1, in Mesa; Andrea Tomlin, Roni Orton and Debbie Koerperich, school leadership and competency, Sept. 18, in Scottsdale, cost to the district is the use of a district vehicle; Nichole Tow, Danelle Garner and Jessica Paz, essential standards workshop, cost to the district is $339 and a district vehicle; and Jeremy Madison, Conner Prestwich, Cayla Serna, Jamie Justman, Joel Daniels, Michael Nilsson, Charles Haussman, Kyle Gardner, Meghan Carbonneau and Cheryl Carlson, all ACTEAZ summer conference, July 10-16, in Tucson, cost to the district is use of district vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.8 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $675,329.

* Approved the acceptance of donations from the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation in the amount of $1,000 to HHS softball; Beverly McDonald from Chandler for 132 hats and scarves to IWES; Ronald Gomez, Community Outreach Manager with Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona, for 75 school bags, note pads, index cards, pencils, rulers, notebooks, folders, etc. to IWES; and Board Member Claudia Jackson for 25 school bags, folders, notebooks, glue, erasers, pencils/pens, highlighters, etc. to IWES.

* Approved the following policies for final adoption: DA Fiscal Management Goals; DB and DB-R Annual Budget: Schedule, Preparation/Planning, Format and Posting; DBC & DBC-R Budget Planning, Preparation, and Schedule; DBF Budget Process, Adoption and Implementation; DBI Budget Implementation; DBJ Budget Reconciliation and Transfers; DD & DD-E Budget Funding Sources; DDA Funding Sources Outside the School System; DEC Funding From Federal Tax Sources; DFA Revenues and Incomes; DFB Revenues and Incomes; DFD Gate Receipts and Admissions; DFF Income From School Sales and Services; DG Banking Services and Authorized Signatures; DGA Authorized Signatures; DGD Credit Cards; DI Fiscal Accounting and Reporting; DIB Revolving and Auxiliary Funds; DIC Financial Reporting and Statements; DID and DID-R Inventories; DIE and DIE-R Audits/Financial Monitoring; DIE Audits/Financial Monitoring; DJ Purchasing Ethics; DJE and DJE-R Bidding/Purchasing Procedures; DJGA and DJGA-R Sales Calls and Demonstrations; DK, DK-EA and DK-EB Payment and Payroll Procedures; and DN School Properties Disposition.

* Approved consent agenda items and expense vouchers. Detailed information for all District expenditures may be obtained by contacting the School District business office located at 1000 N. 8th Ave., in Holbrook. Phone 1-928-524-6144.