School board approves new teaching service

Paper emphasizes learning acceleration and positive academic outcomes on all subjects. HJHS will use Paper to have a particular focus on English language arts and math. “This is through real people, not artificial intelligence,” Grau explained, “This is something that would allow 30 teachers in a classroom to support 30 students, because if it’s something that they could do in the classroom, they could reach out to their Paper tutors online through any device.”

Due to Paper’s 24/7 service, it also allows families to support and help their students at home as well. The system also tracks and measures progress of individual students, as well as a component called MajorClarity.

MajorClarity helps students prepare for post-secondary opportunities such as college, trade programs and workforce by taking an assessment and providing students with resources to improve and work towards those goals. “We don’t have the academic counselors at the junior high to meet individually with every student, but this would allow for that.” Grau added that even when students decide to shift their goals, this program will still assist them by showing their strengths and struggles.

Grau explained implementation of Paper would be gradual, starting in HJHS academic support classes first.

Board member Debbie Shumway stated her approval of the program and asked about applying it at the Holbrook High School (HHS) as well. Grau explained that its starting at the junior high because it aligns perfectly with their AVID program and is desperately needed in their school. Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich also added that it is an expensive program, which is affordable thanks to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, and hopes to determine if it works for the junior high before potentially expanding.

Koerperich also added that Paper does have mechanisms in place and have open lines of communication with the school to ensure student safety.

The board approved Paper as a sole source provider for online tutorial services in conjunction with MajorClarity for post-secondary planning services. Board members Craig Stuart and Olivia Jaquez were absent from the meeting.

During the call to the public, the Hulet Elementary School staff submitted a letter of appreciation to the board thanking them for their service.

Also, in other business, the board:

* Approved final adoption of a new reading series called Great Minds Wit and Wisdom/Geodes.

* Approved the final budget revision for Fiscal Year 2023. The budget revision updated the current year budget to align with current year funding requirements including updates for current average daily membership, revised unrestricted capital budget limits and a revision of Fiscal Year 2022 budget carry forward. The public was invited to comment on the budget, to which there was none.

* Adopted a resolution ordering all matters necessary for a 10% Maintenance and Operations override election to be held Nov. 7. If this resolution is so adopted, the deadline for submitting arguments with respect to it is at 5 p.m. on July 28,

* Approved issuing Fiscal Year 2024 Notice of Appointments for non-exempt support staff for the 2023-2024 school year and a three percent raise for all support staff hourly rates.

* Approved the Fiscal Year 2024 Support Staff Salary Placement Schedule.

* Approved CWDL Certified Public Accountants to perform the annual audit for HUSD 3 for fiscal year 2024. As required by state and federal law, the Holbrook School District must contract with an outside audit firm to independently determine the district’s level of compliance with federal and state mandates.

* Approved allocating funds donated from the Vince and Libby Budenholzer family through payroll with the Holbrook School District paying any benefits associated with the stipend. The Budenholzer family donated $200 for each teacher recognized as Teacher of the Year at HUSD.

* Approved the HHS, HJHS, Hulet Elementary School, Indian Wells Elementary School (IWES), and Park Elementary student handbooks for the 2023-2024 school year.

* Approved the summer activity plan for HUSD. Summer activities will be grant funded or sponsored by clubs. District liability insurance will cover these events during the summer months.

* Approved out of state travel for six HHS students to attend the Close-Up Washington D.C. trip sponsored by former governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Cardinals.

* Approved the annual 2023-2024 intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT).

* Approved to continue an IGA with the Joseph City School District to share a federal projects manager position.

* Approved an IGA between the Holbrook Unified School District and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office for school resource officer services through the Arizona School Safety Grant.

* Approved the 2023-2024 inter-agency agreement to provide child nutrition programs between HUSD and Navajo County Instruction for Success School (NCIS).

* Approved the amended ESSER II grant. The grant proposal had already been approved through the Arizona Department of Education.

* Approved the proposed Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) 2024 political agenda items to be submitted to ASBA as consideration for the 2024 ASBA Political Agenda. Annually, ASBA develops an ASBA Political Agenda to determine legislative priorities for advocacy during the upcoming legislative session. Each school board has the opportunity to draft legislative priorities or adopt the draft political agenda drafted by ASBA.

* Approved support staff employments of Karen Barela and Shalayne Yazzie, both as food services substitutes; Meghan Carbonneau and Lelia Demuth, both HHS academic advisors; Danielle Hernandez, district accounts payable clerk; Lauren Maestas, district business manager; Brenda Mangum, retiree return to work; and Allyson Knight, Kenneth Nez and Kristina Sweet, all food service student summer works.

* Approved the support staff retirement of Karen Barela, food services.

* Approved support staff resignation of Delmar Johnson, boys’ soccer assistant coach.

* Approved certified employment of Michael Burks, HHS Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher and computer services Tech II; Christopher Ervin, HHS science teacher; Anika Francis and Jasilyn Tso, both IWES teachers; Bernice Gover, district Indian education director; and Galen Knight, HHS student services.

* Approved certified resignation of Victoria Dawson, HHS math teacher; Dashawn Holley, HHS physical education teacher and head football coach; Jennifer Holley, Hulet third grade teacher; Dan Mitchell, HHS E-sports coach; Vanessa Morgan, HHS assistant spirit line coach; and D. Benson Wallace, HHS assistant girls’ soccer coach.

* Approved extra duty for Ciara Analla, HHS assistant cheer coach; Stephanie Bridegam, extended school year services (ESY); Delmar Johnson, HHS assistant girls’ soccer coach and food services summer worker; Josh Meeks, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) garden club; Dan Orton, summer basketball camp; Leona Baldwin, Berrana Begody, Rachel Brady, Jade Espitia, Norma (Raquel) Garcia, Stella Gishie, Nikki Gonnie, Randi (Nicki) White, Velma Winslow, Evangelita Salazar, Kenneth Nez, Mary (Michelle) Scott, Margaret Smith and Alejandrina Torres, all food services summer workers; Dawna Bitsouie, Mandi Chee, Maria DeHaan, Tim Eddings, Bernice Gover, Debbie Koerperich, Annette Rothman, Jennifer Smith, Kris Taylor and Lori Williams, all IWES summer school; Brosius, Stephanie, Tobias Herndon, Shannon Knight, Ashley Mitchell, Dan Mitchell, Jerald Nez, D. Benson Wallace and Dawn Tomlinson, all HHS summer school; Byron Bateman, Galen Knight, Kris Manning, John McDaniel, Erik Salley, Chantel Taylor and Estefana Chavez, all HJHS summer school; Tiana Begay, Peggy Reid, Nichole Tow and Melissa John, all Hulet/Park summer school; and Amanda Remos and Julia Fairbanks, both Park/Special Education (SPED) summer child find.

* Approved volunteer Michaela Lee, IWES game help and game official.

* Approved professional leave for Lori Williams, athletic director meeting; Lori Reynolds, Candelen child development training, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Linda McMahon, Cary Simpson, Vicky Craig, Sierra Browning and Desi Brewer, Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Transition 201, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Laura Layden, Erika Hunt and Kara Gardner, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) literacy endorsement training, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Jennifer Holley, Indian Country School Counselors Institute (ICSCI), cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Anne Lang, Society for Human Resource Management annual conference, cost to the district is $911.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.2 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $1.4 million.

* Approved personnel pay for Tim Eddings, Athina Lewis, Andrea Tomlin and Suzanne Powell, IWES Professional Development, $120 each; Kevin Fosburgh and Nichole Tow, Hulet/Park Deseg PD Presenter, $500 each; Ericka Hunt and Laura Layden, Park Deseg Professional Development, $500 each; Kara Gardner, Hulet LETRS Professional Development, $240; Heidi Hunsaker, Professional Development, $500; Cheryl Carlson, HHS NPC Dual Enrollment, $1,940; Sylvia Jackson, HHS NPC Dual Enrollment, $1,380; Monica Liddle, HHS NPC Dual Enrollment, $810; Joel Daniels, HHS NPC Dual Enrollment, $560; Jeff Strong, HHS NPC Dual Enrollment, $320; Lori Reynolds, PALS Daycare Grant Administration, $2,500; IWES Deseg Professional Development, $5,000; PALS Daycare Longevity Stipend, $10,800; Class Size Differential Stipend, $11,172; and Hulet/Park Deseg PD, $9,740.

* Approved requests by Estefana Chavez for crowdsourcing with Donor Choose for small group sets of 103 novels, expected to earn $885; IWES student council for soccer finals concessions, expected to earn $200, field day shirts, expected to earn $500, and carnival ticket sales, expected to earn $500; HHS cross country for basketball tournament, expected to earn $1,500-$3,000; HHS girls’ basketball for girls’ basketball summer league, expected to earn $500; HHS boys’ basketball for basketball tournament, expected to earn $2,680; HHS spirit line for cornhole tournament, expected to earn $500, T-shirt sale, expected to earn $500-$1,000, and car wash, expected to earn $1,600; and HHS American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) for ice cream bar, expected to earn $160.

* Approved a donation received from Winslow Indian Health Care Center (WHICC) for height and weight scales for the health offices at HJHS and Park School; Quality First for $19,410 in items from Lakeshore to Indian Wells Preschool; Roxy Theater for three admission tickets to The Roxy Theater, Allison Maxwell for 10 Scentsy Car Fresheners, Maverick for 10 $5 gift cards, Pat’s House of Originals gift certificate, Hatch’s Corner Gas 5 Soda Punch Cards and 15-minute chair massages by Colletta Keesee all to Hulet and Park School for Teacher Appreciation Week; The Lions Club for $200 to the HJHS for two end of the year grand prize beep-beeper prizes and $100 for Special Olympics.

* Adopted Policy GDBA Support Staff Salary.

* 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.