/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
The Snowflake Unified School District (SUSD) recently received word that they have finally qualified to receive one of four school buses made available to Navajo County through the settlement funds from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust in which Governor Doug Ducey released a $38 million plan to purchase more than 280 new school buses for low-income communities across the state last summer.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
In the SUSD Governing Board meeting on March 19, Superintendent Hollis Merrill said, “Initially, when they made the buses available for schools throughout Arizona last June, we didn’t qualify. But then they made four buses available for Navajo County and we were granted one of those buses.”
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
Business Manager Mark Ollerton shared that the required trade-in bus the district will be providing is one of the special needs buses. “We purchased that bus about 10 years ago and it is currently just sitting because it cannot be trusted on the road.”
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
Merrell noted, “We will be happy to get rid of that bus. The application has been submitted to the governor and we have been approved to get one. If they give us $120,000 for the purchase, it will be a route bus.”
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
The Technology to Advance Learning Outcomes at Northland (TALON) is expiring after the next school year. Merrell shared that in a meeting with Renell Heister, TALON grant project director with Northland Pioneer College (NPC), he expressed his desire to continue working with that program. “The program does require us to contribute and the amount of money we pay compared to the number of students involved could be a challenge. We are looking for a way to keep it going.”
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
Between the dual enrollment with NPC and the TALON program, a Snowflake High School (SHS) student can graduate with 34 college credits in addition to the high school diploma without ever leaving the campus. “That is a pretty significant cost savings for those kids and their families,” continued Merrell. “The students and their families may need to pay some of the tuition moving forward.”
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
In other business, the board:
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Received an update on the renovation of the Highland Primary bathrooms, which is on track for this summer.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved out-of-state travel expenses, which will cover the cost of travel to the Phoenix airport, for Michael Eilertson to attend the Samsung Teacher Training in New York and Andy Wood to attend the Cisco Workshop in Washington.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved the Arizona School Board Association policy update.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved a new position for a SHS teacher that would be a full-time position covering half English and half business classes.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved the hiring of Sheila Flake, Taylor Elementary third grade teacher; Travis Reddick, Highland Primary first grade teacher; Chelsey Anchondo, Snowflake Junior High School (SJHS) reading teacher; Reggie Petersen, SHS assistant track coach; and Scott Fisher, SHS softball assistant coach.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Accepted the resignations of Annette Birtcher, Taylor Elementary third grade teacher; Steve Stockton, SHS custodian; Ashlyn Isaacs, SJHS literature teacher; Cheyenne Isaacs, SHS video and tech teacher; Gabrielle Little, Snowflake Intermediate paraprofessional; Jacquelyn Garrett-Allen, district physical therapist; Brian Wheeler, SJHS paraprofessional; Lori Wimbish, Taylor Elementary paraprofessional; Brad Paxman, SHS Spanish teacher and boy’s soccer coach; and Jennifer Lofer, SHS English teacher.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved Britin Smith as volunteer assistant track coach.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved Mindy Flake, SHS music teacher, to move to a part-time position.
/wp:paragraph
wp:paragraph
* Approved the return of Don Godfrey from Educational Services Incorporated as a district employee.
/wp:paragraph
