With the annual budget set for approval, a public meeting was held prior to the July 10 meeting of the Holbrook Unified School District Governing Board, with no comment from the public. This allowed the board to move ahead and approve a $17.9 million budget for the new fiscal year.

According to Business Manager Jacob Boyle, the district is shifting the desegregation tax from the secondary tax rate to the primary property taxes over the current level to pay for expenditures for desegregation funding for the fiscal year that began in July. The district is not proposing a tax increase, rather providing a notification that the desegregation tax rate will be shifted from the secondary tax rate to the primary tax rate.

Some of the changes within the budget include funding allocated for instruction in the state’s fiscal year 2018-19 budget. That, in additions to the 1.5 percent increase that was given to all salaried employees for the school year 18-19 contracts, will provide an additional $2,785 for all contracts, as an addendum, to the salaried employees’ contracts. The stipend will be inclusive of all teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff supervisors/directors.

A 49-cent per hour increase was also approved for all support staff that are placed beyond the rate of minimum wage for the 2018-19 school year. The increase will be in addition to the 1.5 percent increase that was approved in April. Funding for the increase will be provided by an increase in District Additional Assistance in this year’s budget.

A new salary placement schedule was approved that increases the base level starting teacher salary to $41,500 to coincide with the increase in budget capacity provided in this year’s budget. All first year teachers that are hired for SY 18-19 contracts will have the new starting salary.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the Junior Achievement USA, Incubatoredu curriculum by Uncharted Learning and Youth Entrepreneurship for final adoption.

* Approved the payment of $334 for Indian Gaming retention stipends to all certified teachers returning for the 2018-2019 school year.

* Approved the position of a Special Services Assessment Assistant that will assist the school psychologist in administering assessments to qualify students for special services. The Special Services Assessment Assistant is not a full time position.

* Approved the Math and Reading Instructional Interventionist extra duty job description. The Interventionist position will be primarily funded through Title II funds.

* Approved the list of authorized check signers for the district.

* Approved the list of sole service providers for the 2018-19 school year.

* Approved enrollment capacities for the 2018-19 school year.

* Approved an agreement outlining guidelines of the Technology to Advance Learning Outcomes at Northland (TALON) grant that will allow Holbrook High School students to participate in courses via Interactive Television (ITV) for Math 152 and higher, Pre-Calculus 189, American History and Government.

* Approved an agreement with Winslow Health Services for the Winslow Indian Health Care center Diabetes Program.

* Approved the 2018-2019 capital plan with no new construction to be requested from the School Facilities Board.

* Approved the school year 18-19 employee handbook and Positive Behavior Intervention Support handbook.

* Approved for first reading updates to district policies.

* Accepted the resignation of Amber Martinez, Holbrook Junior High School and HHS School College and Career Readiness Coordinator, with an assessment of a $2,500 liquidated damage charge.

* Approved the student teaching placement of Mandi Chee during the Fall 2018 semester beginning Aug. 1, 2018, and ending on Dec. 16, 2018. The student teaching experience will be split between the Hulet Elementary School preschool and Indian Wells Elementary kindergarten.

* Approved the school safety plans for HUSD.

* Approved the support staff employment of Selena Benally, student bus monitor; Jami McPherson, HHS special education substitute high needs paraprofessional; and Dustin Philpott, Rebecca Smith, Jesse Knight and Kasinda Begay, substitute cafeteria workers.

* Approved the support staff resignation of Mori Judge, maintenance, transportation, driver and custodian; the retirement and return to work of Brenda Mangum, personnel director; and the retirement of Henry Jackson, maintenance facilities worker.

* Approved the certified employment of Tim Yazzie, HHS long term substitute math teacher; Steven Carbonneau, HHS long term substitute Spanish teacher; Callie Jensen, HHS long term substitute math teacher; Alicia Jimenez, HJHS science teacher; and Virginia Lindsey, HJHS English teacher.

* Approved the certified retirement and return to work for Greg Perkins, HHS teacher and Kerry Perkins, HHS teacher.

* Approved extra duty for Daniel Orton, HJHS physical education prep period daily, Year 2 Mentor; Daniel Orton, IWES summer basketball camp; Lori Williams, IWES athletic director; Theresa Yazzie- IWES volleyball coach; Luis Alvarez, IWES detention, Title II Year 1 Mentor; Suzanne Powell, IWES Fresh Fruits and Vegetable coordinator, Title II Year 2 Mentor; Gishie Arviso, HHS summer league official; Debbie Koerperich, Title II Year 2 Mentor; Roni Orton, Title II Year 1 Mentor; Sandy Carlisle, Kim Jaster and Rasheed Hollins, Hulet Elementary School tech cadre split; Dave Wright, Hulet Elementary School desegregation teacher; and Beth Self, Hulet Harmonizers.

* Approved donations including gardening tools, with an estimated value of $637 and science books, estimated at a value of $763 from crowdsourcing Donors Choose; Indian Wells, Park, Hulet, HJHS, HHS and the district office, from Books Are Fun, with each school receiving free books dependent upon the amount of books that are sold.

* Approved for professional leave for Ray McLaws, Flagstaff, Director’s Track: Learning the National School Lunch Program, June 26, at estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; and Joe Gabaldon and Brian Gohl, Flagstaff, Healthier School Renovations, June 28, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $649,252 and payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $2 million.

* Approved fundraisers for Park Elementary School and Indian Wells Elementary for Scholastic Book Fairs. Book fair money that is collected is exchanged for Scholastic Dollars, which are used to earn books for the library and classroom supplies.

* Approved a policy revision for professional staff to include the daily rate $270 per day for return to work employees once they have retired.

* Approved a policy revision for support staff to include the daily rate of postretirement return to work at $180 per day.