School board hears update on Grow Arizona services

“We not only provide students with hands on experiences, we teach them how to advocate for themselves. With these tools they get a head start on creating a career network of professionals in their field of interest,” stated Kor.

Grow Arizona also shared the results of their 2023-24 school year survey given to seniors. Out of 103 student responses, 56.3% stated that they had completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), 25.2% had not, 11.7% needed assistance, and the remaining 6.8% had not planned on completing it.

Another question on the survey showed the need for more students to apply for scholarships and grants, as it showed an overwhelming 70.9% had not received any funding for college. Despite the lack of grants and scholarships, 69.9% felt certain or very certain about their post high school plans.

Of those responding to the survey, 57 graduating seniors had plans to attend community college, 27 a trade school, 37 a university, 10 joining the military and 31 the workforce.

The top career fields of interest that respondents were interested in pursuing included, 11% interested in the medical field, 10% in both welding and law enforcement, 5% cosmetology, and 4% veterinary and a computer software programing/cyber security. The broad range of remaining responses were less than 3%.

For the coming school year Grow Arizona will work to educate students on the key industries in Arizona identified by the Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP) through PipelineAZ. Some of the fields include construction trades and architecture, technology and cyber security, agriculture, law enforcement, the arts, healthcare, engineering, energy/utilities, entrepreneurism and hospitality.

One concern noted was that when the survey was presented to students in May, only 47.6% of seniors had their driver’s license, which may hinder their ability to attend college or hold a job. “So, we started helping kids (with practice testing), and letting them know that they can actually get their permit test done at home with a guardian,” stated Smith.

Additional services Grow Arizona is looking to offer in the upcoming school year are extended campus hours and meeting with individual students more often and by appointment to insure dedicated time with every student. “We do meet with every senior, at least twice a year one-on-one, and then any freshman, sophomore and junior that wants to come talk to us we would just let them come in.” Smith stated, adding it’s important to work with freshmen now to ensure they have something to put on their resumes, such as volunteer work and extracurricular activities, by the time they’re seniors.

The company is also planning to add additional staff, expand its job shadow and internship opportunities, as well as develop an off-campus center in Holbrook for more availability for those who are no longer students. In addition to a fall career fair and a spring job fair, they will also be offering a college fair in the winter.

Smith added that Grow Arizona is beginning to get statewide recognition and was awarded a $25,000 Utilities Grant provided jointly by Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power and Salt River Project, which will help expand and improve the services the company is able to provide. In addition, the company will be a presenter at the upcoming Rural Policy Forum that will be held next month.

The board also received a presentation on action research programs that Hulet and Park elementary schools’ Principal Dr. Kevin Fosburgh and Indian Wells Elementary (IWES) Principal Andrea Tomlin had done within their schools. An action research program is a study within schools on a particular problem, something that they need to study to be able to say if there are outcomes that they can improve.

Fosburgh’s research was on the effects of social academic instructional groups (SAIG) classroom survival skills and Tomlin’s explored how implementing the supplemental reading program, Reading A-Z, impacted student’s achievement on the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA).

Also, in other business, the board in the absence of President Claudia Jackson:

* Approved Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 HUSD budget after taking public comment on the budget, to which there was none. Board member Olivia Jaquez questioned the high percentage increase of 39.4% on noninstructional services, which was stated as due to an overall increase in the supply line item.

* Approved the pro-statement to be included in the ballot for the HUSD override for the Nov. 7 election.

* Approved school safety plans for SY 23-24.

* The SY 23-24 Employee Handbook. The handbook is a summation of basic policies and procedures that apply to district employees.

* Approved the SY 23-24 Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) handbook for Hulet and Park Elementary Schools.

* Approved to designate specific vendors as sole source for their products and services for FY 24. These include Postage by Phone for postage, $30,000; Arizona School Board Association for dues conference fees, policy services, etc., $20,000; Arizona Interscholastic Association for professional membership and services, $30,000; Vail Unified School District for Beyond textbooks curriculum and professional development, $25,000; Edgenuity for virtual classroom software, $50,000; Flyers Energy for the purchase of diesel fuel at Whitecone Giant, $65,000; Grow Arizona for college and career readiness counseling, $60,000; Apptegy (Thrillshare) for central hub for HUSD website, social media applications and push notifications, $12,000; Arturo Morales for temporary cement worker with experience, $20,000; Performance Matters for a new assessment benchmarking system for grades 1-12, $30,000; Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) for student learning program by AVID, $30,000; Paper for online tutorial services, $20,000; and Sun Caln Consulting for student leadership training, $20,000.

* Approved exceeding the bid limit for Home Depot as outlined in Governing Board policy BJE for purchases between $10,000 to $100,000 based on the need for purchasing bulk and specialty items that are economically and efficiently advantageous for the district to purchase from Home Depot. The overall expenses will remain below the threshold for sealed bids.

* Approved to administer retention stipends for all salaried employees. The retention stipends were written into the HUSD Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) grant for all salaried employees.

* Approved Tracy Johnson’s resignation from student services and Advancement Via Individual Determination teacher and assess $2,500 per Policy GCQC for resigning after June 15.

* Approved a leave of absence for Ty Hatch, HHS science teacher, from August 2023 through July 2024 due to deployment orders. Policy GCCD Professional/Support Staff Military/Legal Leave outlines the leave of absence guidelines which the governing board must be approved to reemploy Hatch upon returning from his military service.

* Approved the hiring of paraprofessionals and/or health aides throughout the school year, as needed, when these positions are required by a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

* Approved a Food Service Permanent Service Agreement ADE Contract N. ED09-0001 between the Holbrook School District and the Arizona Department of Education. The agreement allows the Holbrook School District to operate in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Summer Food Service Program, and At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component Program.

* Approved the support staff employments of Nikki Gonnie, food preparation, food services; Brenda Mangum, substitute, food services; and Deveny McGee, accompanist.

* Approved support staff resignation of Lena Begay, bus driver; and Velma Winslow, food services.

* Approved certified employment of Victoria Dawson, HHS math; Julie Fields, federal projects; Theresa Holmes, IWES preschool teacher; Deseree O’Loughlin, Hulet Elementary teacher; and Kevin Self, HHS resident substitute biology.

* Approved extra duty for Aira Austria, Stephanie Brosius, Eric Carlson, Monica Liddle and Ina Overson, all HHS curriculum planning; Zoe Daniels, Sharon James, Tina James, Becky Naranjo and Lori Reynolds, all daycare worker setup; Anne Lang, transportation supervisor; Lauren Maestas, cafe supervisor; and Cayla Serna, HHS secretarial work.

* Approved volunteers Randall Begay, HHS football; Toby Christensen, HHS volunteer; Ortencia Salazar, Julianne Frausto, Kimora Yazzie, Lyniyah Greasewood, Aident Elisha Yazzie, Trevor Begay, Noland Dick, Janelle Hudson and Tyson Lester Jayden Kinlecheenie, all summer work through chapter houses.

* Approved professional leave for Josh Meeks, Jayme Hughey and Kelsey Bartruff, Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA) beginning teacher institute, cost to the district is $508 each; Michaela Saxton, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Arizona summer conference, cost to the district is $1,023; Cayla Serna, ACTE Arizona summer conference, cost to the district is $1,155; Brianna Allison, nonviolent crisis intervention, cost to the district is $4,417; and Bernice Gover, Navajo Nation Johnson O’Malley (JOM), cost to the district is use of a school vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.3 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $3 million.

* Approved personnel pay for Callie Jensen and Mari Smithson, both Power of 5, $600; Anne Lang, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) professional development, $500; Beth Plumb, AVID Ignite professional development, $600; Hulet PAX Summer Professional Development, $840; Park PAX Summer Professional Development, $560; and SY23-24 Retention Stipend, $301,852.

* Approved requests for concessions during sports seasons August-May, expected to earn $1,000 to $3,000 per event.

* Approved a donation received from Soulstice Publishing for five copies of Voices of Navajo Mothers and Daughters: Portraits of Beauty to HUSD. Total value $214.

* Approved adoptions of Policy IGA Curriculum Development, IGD Curriculum Adoption and IJJ Textbook/Supplementary Materials Selection and Adoption and Policy JLCD Medicines/Administering Medicines to Students.

* Approved consent agenda items and expense vouchers.

Detailed information for all District expenditures may be obtained by contacting the School District business office.