The Holbrook Unified School District (HUSD) No. 3 Governing Board met on Dec. 12, during which the Holbrook Junior High School (HJHS) Principal Cheri Grau gave a presentation on Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), which is an academic support program.
AVID Center visited HJHS and conducted a case study on the school last year due to the successful application of its program. “They were fascinated with our implementation process, the amount of progress we made and how quickly we were able to implement Four Levels of Success,” explained Grau. AVID Center created a video about the school, interviewing students and teachers, then made HJHS their spotlight story for the organization’s November newsletter.
The article highlighted the fact that the school made amazing strides, going from a D listed school by the Arizona State Board of Education to a B since their AVID implementation. To watch the video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJQ5fuALyA.
Holbrook High School (HHS) students Hunter Tallsalt and Johannah Holmes, who are members of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), presented on the AISES National Conference they were able to attend in Spokane, Wash., in October of this year.
According to the organization’s website, the conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers.
“After the experience, I was able to learn more about what I could do as a junior and especially as a Native American. Since our school has many Native American students, I think it was really great. I hope it expands more throughout the school,” stated Holmes.
Joel Daniels, who took the students to the conference, said this was a unique experience due to the central focus being on the students. “This was different because of the emphasis on the students. It was very welcoming and very exciting to take the students and have them meet other professionals.”
In other business, the board:
* Elected Dr. Craig Stewart as president of the governing board and Debbie Shumway as vice president for 2024 beginning in January.
* Approved a revision to the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget to reflect accurate funding for Average Daily Membership for this school year, capital budget revisions, pupil transportation revisions, and weighted student count revisions due to current year funding requirements and to be sent to the Arizona Department of Education School Finance Division.
* Approved FY24 federal grants. These grants have been approved by the Arizona Department of Education and other entities that administer the grants.
* Approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and the HUSD to provide services to preschool children eligible for special education from Jan. 1, 2024, through May 31, 2027.
* Approved The Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind service agreement with HUSD to provide services for students that attend the Holbrook school district. The agreement has been reviewed by legal counsel.
* Approved the School Year (SY) 23-24 Business Continuity Plan that outlines business continuity in the matter of a disruption to business operations. This is an audit requirement, and a tabletop scenario has been designed and discussed with the HUSD leadership team addressing business continuity during a disruption of services.
* Approved Dylan Barela for student teaching at Hulet Elementary from Jan. 8-April 26, 2024.
* Approved a 60-day review of the English curriculum, Literacy For Life, as an English language support curriculum in classes at HHS.
* Approved The New Teacher Project (TNTP) Inform attendance and data tracking program to address chronic absenteeism at HUSD. Inform has developed its own code to track attendance, as well as its own set of custom communications specifically designed to support caregivers with children in K-12 education systems. Inform will be piloted this year to evaluate the impact on reducing chronic absenteeism. Initial funding will come from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds.
* Approved out-of-state travel for HHS band and Fusion to go on tour in California during spring break, March 11-15, 2024. The concert band has applied and been approved to perform at the Disney Parks. Fusion and Color Guard have applied to perform at Universal Studios. This included approval of Suburban vehicles to be used if needed, as well as insurance coverage for all participants.
* Approved support staff employment of Cassandra Bordeaux, HHS attendance clerk; Abrian Dickson, facility lead at Indian Wells Elementary School (IWES); Sharon James and Tiffany Slade, both Hulet/Daycare assistance increase to 40 hours per week; J Martinsen, food service substitute; and Becky Naranjo, Hulet/Daycare assistant supervisor and provider.
* Approved the support staff resignations of Suzanne Heninger, Park/SPED high needs; Tina James, Hulet Daycare assistant provider; Alshina Nez, HHS registrar/receptionist; Tiffany Quezada, food services; and Cordell Yazzie, custodian.
* Approved certified employment of Riley Meeks, Alshina Nez, and Karen Perkins, all district substitute teachers; Jose Ortiz, HJHS The Learning Center teacher; Ivah Sample, HHS resident substitute teacher; and Krista Smith and Makenzi Ulibarri, both HHS substitute teachers.
* Approved extra duty for Kelsey Bartruffm, Hulet tutorial; Evan Mondragon and Estefana Chavez, both HHS athletics game help; Bernice Gover and Anne Lang, both as Office of Civil Rights coordinators; Aaren LaRose, HJHS sports official; John McDaniel, HHS athletics white fleet driver; Linda McMahon, HHS/SPED Special Olympics coach; and Daniel Orton, HJHS girls head basketball coach.
* Approved volunteers Coleen Hubbard, HJHS athletics white bus driver; and Benjamin Meeks, Donald Meyers and Josh Stump, all HHS wrestling.
* Approved professional leave for Karen Estridge, AZ Rural Schools Association advocacy workshop; Charles Haussman, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) directors meeting, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; and Julie Berry, autism spectrum disorder: trauma informed strategies webinar, cost to the district is $95.
* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $805,000.
* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $1.3 million.
* Approved personnel pay for Davina Begay and Patsy Etsitty, both health insurance waivers, $1,500 each; Kevin Fosburgh, benchmark professional development, $500; Jamal Johnson, benchmark professional development, $180; Ray Ann Terry, IWES Institute for Native Serving Educators professional development, $1,280; Hulet benchmark professional development, $5,500; Proposition 301 pay second quarter stipends, $156,132; November white bus driver stipends, $240; bus driver attraction and retention November stipends, $3,670; HJHS deseg Professional development, $7,500; and IWES deseg Professional development, $8,500.
* Approved request for National Honors Society, candy cane gram delivery, with expected earnings of $300.
* Approved donations from the class of 1973-1974 football team for $295 for HJHS Student Council; St. John’s High School Wrestling program for wrestling mats for HJHS; Hony Outink LLC for $350 for HHS athletics program; and Body and Mind for 40 T-shirts for IWES basketball students and coaches.
* Approved final adoptions for Policy BCB, Board Member Conflict of Interest; Policy BDA, Board Organizational Meeting; Policy BE, School Board Meetings and BEDA Notification Of Board Meetings; Policy EBC, Emergencies; Policy IHA, Basic Instructional Program; Policy JFABDA, Admission Of Students In Foster Care; Policy JRCA-R, Request For Transfer Of Records & JLH Missing Students; and policies JK, Student Discipline, JKE, Expulsion Of Students and JKD, Student Suspension.
* 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., P.O. Box 640, Holbrook, Ariz., 86025.
