The recent Winslow Unified School District Governing Board meeting covered a range of important topics and decisions that have significant implications for students, administrators, and the community.
During the meeting, board members and Superintendent Connie Gover discussed their recent participation in a law conference, where they gained valuable insights into various critical issues facing schools today. The conference covered topics such as teacher housing and bullying, providing the attendees with a broader perspective on how other schools are addressing these challenges.
Board member Allen Leonard spoke about an initiative one school implemented where they gave maps of the school to students and told them just to mark where they have been bullied or seen bullied, which gave administrators a good idea of where to be on the lookout. President of the board, Debbie Martinez, commended the conference as one of the most informative and well-organized events she had ever attended.
A major highlight of the meeting was the approval for administrators to participate in an action research project. This initiative empowers school administrators, including the superintendent, to select specific areas for improvement within their respective schools and develop strategic plans to address them. As Superintendent Connie Gover put it, “We’ve seen in the past where they look at their data and say we need to increase more instructional time at a grade level. So, next year when they start doing their plan, they were able to increase instructional time, which brought assessment scores up higher.” Action research is a voluntary endeavor, emphasizing a commitment to enhancing the overall performance of the district.
Superintendent Gover also provided a crucial update during her report, focusing on the ongoing renovations at the high school’s track. She explained that work on the track is set to commence on Sept. 25, but there is a caveat: after the track is completed, it cannot be used for a month while the weathering process finishes curing. Gover emphasized that she is closely monitoring this situation, as any delays could interfere with the track team’s activities. As she stated, “This project must be done before it gets too cold, or they would most likely have to wait until April to finish the track which would interfere with the track team.”
Another significant decision made during the meeting was the official adoption of a revised policy. This policy change reduces the “walking” radius from 1.0 mile to 0.5 miles for Jefferson Elementary School students. The board recognized that this adjustment aims to enhance transportation safety and convenience for these students, reflecting the district’s commitment to student welfare. This policy has been implemented since the fourth day of school but is officially being adopted into policy since the required two readings at board meetings are required for the adoption of a policy.
Additionally, the Board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Navajo County Superintendent of School. This MOU solidifies the reimbursement rate of $2.89 per mile for transporting students from an unorganized territory to a district school, marking an increase from the previous rate of $2.83. This financial agreement ensures that students in remote areas have great access to education without financial barriers.
In the realm of financial management, during the business manager’s report, Casey Hancock, the district business manager, delivered promising news. The district successfully finished the previous fiscal year while utilizing only 78% of the budget. In the current fiscal year, they have completed 17% of the year and have used only 9% of this year’s allocation, which shows that the school is managing their money well within their means.
In other business, the board:
* Approved the following donations: $300 from Winslow Lodge No. 13, F&AM; $743 from DonorsChoose and $2,172 from inmates at the Arizona State Prison Complex- Winslow.
* Approved the hiring of Melvin Greg Hacker, substitute; Nina Ortiz, emergency substitute; Stephanie Nelson, Navajo language teacher; and Amber Goldtooth, custodian.
* Approved the transfer of Jerlynn Chatter from bus driver to bus driver/custodian.
* Approved the following resignations: Nizhoni Johnson, emergency substitute; and Annette Feldman, paraprofessional.
* Approved Norwood “Woody” Foy as a volunteer for junior high wrestling.
* Approved extra duty pay for Toynette Nez-Benally, seventh grade volleyball; Quentin Begody Jr., wrestling; and Bryan Larson, wrestling.
*Approved the following fundraiser requests including: WHS Cross Country Club’s carwash on Sept. 22, with donations; WHS Football Club’s Bulldog cards from August through May 2024, priced at $10; WHS National Honor Society’s ETeam Sports from August through April with donations; WHS Anime Club’s ice cream sales @ dance/events from August through May 2024 ranging from $1 to $3; WHS Anime Club’s Halloween candy grams from Oct. 2-31 priced between $2 and $5; WHS Class of 2025’s dunk tank on Sept. 22, with a cost of $3-$5; WHS Class of 2025’s Student vs. Teacher volleyball game on Nov. 17, for $5; WHS Class of 2025’s cornhole tournament on Oct. 21, for $20; WHS Class of 2026’s Chick-Fil-A cows from 9/23-11/23 for $25; WHS FBLA’s Bulldog Brew from August through May 2024, ranging from $3 to $7; WHS FFA’s AYSO concession from September through November with prices from $.50 to $3; WHS First Priority’s Christmas cookie grams from Dec. 1-14 with a cost of $2-$3; WHS First Priority’s birthday/greetings grams from August through May 2024, priced at $2-$3; WHS Football Club’s concession from September through October, ranging from $.25 to $3; WHS Game Club’s game tournament on Sept. 23, with prices at $5 and $10; WHS Lady Hoop Club’s alumni concession on Oct. 21, ranging from $1 to $8; WHS Lady Hoop Club’s alumni game on Oct. 21, priced between $3 and $5; WHS National Honor Society’s Krispy Kreme donuts from Oct. 31 – Nov. 17 and Feb. 5-23, 2024, for $16; WHS S-Club’s Valentine Dance on Feb. 9, 2024, with costs of $8 and $12; WHS S-Club’s Valentine Grams from Jan. 29 – Feb. 14, 2024, ranging from $2 to $5; WHS S-Club’s St. Patrick Day grams from Feb. 22 – March 9, 2024, priced between $2 and $5; WHS Student Council’s Winter formal on Dec. 16, for $10 and $15; WJHS Student Council’s softball concession from Aug. 29 – Oct. 4, ranging from $.25 to $2; and WJHS Student Council’s Halloween grams from Oct. 16 – 31, priced at $1-$2; with additional information including WHS Social Committee-Staff Jean Days on Nov. 13-17, and Dec. 11-15 at $10, a fundraiser by the Booster Club for WHS Dance Line Booster Club-Sponsor T-shirt from Sept. 5-18, and facility use for WHS National Honor Society-Induction ceremony @ WHS Performing Arts Center on Sept. 27.
* Approved out-of-state travel for Brayannen James, human resource specialist, to travel to Anaheim, Calif., for the American Association of School Personnel Administrators 85th Annual Conference.
The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the meeting room located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
