At the Holbrook Unified School District (HUSD) No. 3 Governing Board meeting in Indian Wells on Tuesday, Oct. 6, Business Manager Lauren Maestas presented on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Annual Financial Report (AFR). The AFR encompasses budgeted and actual expenditures for the preceding fiscal year. In total expenditures, Maestas stated, “Overall, for 2025-26, we spent nearly $26 million.” The district also reported approximately $6.2 million in Maintenance and Operation (M&O) reserves, $1.2 million in Classroom Site Funds, $1.5 million in unrestricted capital, and $9.7 million in Impact Aid.

The board then approved the FY 2026 AFR for submission to the Arizona Department of Education by October 15. It included the food service annual financial report, desegregation report, school level report, career and technical education report, K-3 reading report and classroom site fund narrative.

Superintendent Dr. Koerperich was approved by the board to present the Fall 2026 Tribal consultation report as part of the district’s Indian community participation policies. Dr. Koerperich stated that of the 1,645 students enrolled K-12, over half were reported to be Native America. “You can see the demographic of our students: 21% Hispanic, 60% Native American, we have a small Black and Asian population, 12% white, 6% multiracial.” He added that the total count of Native American staff members was approximately 39%.

Tribes represented by students were Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache, Assiniboine, Pueblo of Jemez, Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Assiniboine Sioux, Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, Gila River Indian Community, Pima-Maricopa, Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Zuni, San Carlos Apache, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux, Tohono O’Odham and Yavapai-Apache Nation. “Sometimes we just think we’re a Navajo district, but the reality is we got kids that come from all over and are representing many, many tribes. We still serve a very geographically diverse district,” stated Dr. Koerperich.

Following the presentation, Board Vice President Linda Yazzie made a comment about receiving a complaint pertaining to a burning tire smell as well as smoke from a gravel pit near IWES. Board member Alfred Clark responded that the chapter is trying to mitigate it and Dr. Koerperich offered a letter of support from the district if needed.

The Impact Aid Program Indian Policies and Procedures (IPP) that are a required measure for Impact Aid compliance was then approved by the board.

Indian Education Director Bernice Gover provided a Johnson O’Malley (JOM) grant update as well as a summary of upcoming cultural events put on by the organization.

The JOM grant approved by the Indian Education Committee allocated $65,719, which is a $43,418 increase from the initial contract award of $22,301. “We did put most of that into student activities,” stated Gover.

Member Claudia Jackson was absent from the meeting.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the final adoption of Step Up to Writing, which is a supplemental writing program for elementary writing instruction. It was posted on the district website under 60-day review materials.

* Approved policy IHBJ, IHBJ-R, IHBJ-EA, IHBJ-EB, KGJA and KJG to ensure that it meets all minimum standards in continuing to provide adequate levels of Indian community participation throughout the district.

* Held a public hearing on updates to the HUSD Instructional Time Model (ITM) aligned to instructional time flexibility provided by HB 2862. There was no public comment.

* Approved HUSD ITM to be submitted to the Arizona Department of Education School Finance.

* Approved Zoe Daniels to student teach at Hulet Elementary School during the second semester of the 2026-27 school year (SY). Daniels has proper fingerprint clearance.

* Approved elementary education major at Northern Arizona University Arlinda Johnson to student teach at IWES during the fall semester of SY 26-27.

* Approved Noah Johnson as a qualified evaluator. Johnson completed the Arizona School Administrator qualified evaluator training.

* Approved the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act minimum wage increase of $15.65 per hour for minimum wage employees beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

* Approved the clerical assistant/student activities assistant job description. It is a 12-month position at 40 hours per week.

* Approved updates to Policies DGD, DGD-R, & DGD-E Credit Cards; DIE Audits/Financial Monitoring; EE & EE-R Transportation Services; EEAE, EEAE-EA, EEAE-EB, EEAE-R Bus Safety and Student Conduct; EEAEA Bus Driver Requirements, Training and Responsibilities; EEAEB Bus Inspection and Maintenance; EEA Student Transportation; EEB Business and Personnel Transportation Services and Records and Reports.

* Approved a first reading for the deletion of EBAA and EBAA-R Reporting of Hazard/Warning Systems; EBCD and EBCD-R Weather Related and Emergency Closings; ED Materials and Equipment Management; EDBA Maintenance and Controls of Instructional Materials; EEAA Walkers and Riders; EEAEAA, EEAEAA-E, EEAEAA-R Drug and Alcohol Testing of Transportation Employees; EEAEC Student Conduct on School Buses; EEAF Special Use of Buses; EEAG and EEAG-R Student Transportation in Private Vehicles; and EEBD Business Transportation Records and Reports.

* Approved the classified resignation of Charmarie Begody, HHS, academic advisor; Jessica John, district office, student activities assistant, effective Sept. 28; and Sandra Padilla, HJHS, A-Team, effective. Sept. 25.

* Approved the classified employment of Daniel Baker, transportation, mechanic helper; Jayden Baloo, Lance Begay and Ellizabeth Eldredge, all HHS, custodian student workers; Erika Chee, IWES, before school supervisor; Adrienne Belin, food services, substitute cafeteria worker; Landen Jumbo, HHS, custodian; Jimmy Lano, transportation, bus driver and maintenance return to work from ESI; Nathaniel Medina, food services, delivery driver; Rochelle Nez, IWES cafeteria and special education, transfer from cafeteria worker and paraprofessional trainee to preschool aide; Eric Redinger, transportation, CDL bus driver and warehouse; Teri Tafoya, district office, temporary and substitute student activities assistant; Leighla Tsosie, transportation, monitor student worker; and Raylene Tsosie, Park Elementary special education, transfer from paraprofessional trainee to high needs paraprofessional. Vice President Yazzie abstained from voting for Rochelle Nez.

* Approved the certified employment of Wendy Woodward, HHS, science teacher return to work after ESI.

* Approved extra duty for Philip Bannister, Heather Morgan and Ruby Zambrano, all HHS, tutorial; Stephanie Charley, HJHS, game help; Gypsi Gover, IWES, tech cadre; Virginia Hardes, HHS, tech cadre; Jessica Hubbard, Hulet, third grade tutorial; Callie Jensen, Ramie Hatch, Jerald Nez, Stephanie Thompson, all HHS, freshman transition program, tutorial; Alicia Jimenez, HJHS, student council advisor; Ty Hatch, Ashley Mitchell, Daniel Mitchell, Josh Raisor and Cayla Serna, all HHS, freshman transition program; Daniel Orton, HJHS, athletic director stipend; and Adicia Paschal, HJHS, student council advisor. President Dr. Craig Stuart abstained from voting for Cayla Serna.

* Approved volunteers Francis Ambrose, HHS, assistant football coach; Tamryn Baldonado, HHS, volleyball game help; Nathan Johnson, HHS, White Fleet driver and boys assistant basketball coach.

* Approved professional leave for Julie Berry, Karen Estridge, Connie Gover and Laurel Visser, Flagstaff regional one-day showcase, Flagstaff, Oct. 30, estimated cost to the district is $100 and use of a district vehicle; Joel Daniels, engineering advisory meeting, Snowflake, Oct. 28; Abrian Dickson, West – MEC, Glendale, Sept. 23–24, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 and Oct. 19–20, estimated cost to the district is use of a district vehicle; Callie Jense and Annie Jones, 2026 ACT regional conference, Tempe, Dec. 2-3, estimated cost to the district is $358 and use of a district vehicle; Craig Remos, advisory meeting, Snowflake, Sept. 24; Rebekah Wilson, ArSHA (Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Fall conference 2026, Flagstaff, Oct. 24, 2026, estimated cost to the district is $170 and HHS HOSA future health professionals leadership conference, Williams, Oct. 19-21.

* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $881,226.

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

* Approved personnel pay for Personnel Pay No . 8, coaching, freshman transition and professional development, $24,263; personnel pay No. 9- coaching and athletic director, $47,265; August 2026, White Fleet driver’s stipend, $720;
September 2026, White Fleet driver’s stipend, $1,400; and September 2026, bus driver incentive, $4,860.

* Approved fundraisers for Indian Wells Native American Night for light refreshments, estimated to earn $159; HHS girls basketball for popcorn sales, Nov. 6-24, estimated to earn $5,000; IWES student council, Oct. 26-29, estimated to earn $75; and IWES student council for after school craft with concessions, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1, no estimated earnings.

* Approved BCB & BCB-E Board Member Conflict of Interest; EEAEA-R Driver Requirements, Training and Responsibilities; EEA Student Transportation; EFD Pricing of and Payment for Food Services; EGAEA-R Electronic Mail; DIE & DIE-R Audits/Financial Monitoring; ECAC & ECAC-R Vandalism and Reporting Suspected Crimes; IHAL Teaching About Religion; GCF Hiring; GCS Professional Research and Publishing; GB Personnel Policies; GBA, GBA-R and GBA-E Equal Employment Opportunity; GBEA Ethics and Code of Conduct; and GBEAA & GBEAA-E Conflict of Interest.

* 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 N. 8th Ave. Phone 1-928-524-6144.