By L. Parsons During the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board meeting, Superintendent Kathryn Zanin spoke about the issue of open enrollment that has been a topic of the reopening conversations. Her remarks were to clarify her previous statements in which she told Winslow parents that open enrollment will be closed for the 2020-2021 school year. Whereas in the past, the district automatically allowed open enrollment, now the procedure was for parents to turn in an open enrollment packet that was due by July 13 to form a waitlist to ensure social distancing between the children. Those placed on a waitlist will determine if more can be allowed once the numbers are determined. Zanin proceeded to outline the open enrollment plan. “We have about 35 to 36 applications that we received. Looking at those 35 to 36 enrollments, as well as the children who are also set for the residential hall, we came up with a set of criteria. “First off, any child who has attended Winslow schools in the past and have their packet in will be accepted. If they are seniors and they have siblings, we never want to tear a family apart (so) we are going to let them have that next priority for coming in. “If they’re a high school student and they participate in NAVIT (Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology), Talon or CTE (Career and Technical Education), that they would be that next layer of students that we allow in. And then, again, if they live in the dorm, we know that the dorm has said that they are going to be closed for the first semester, those children need to go online for the first semester.” Zannin then noted in regard to those that meet the criteria above, “We are working currently with Flagstaff Unified, their legal team to create an intergovernmental agreement to allow the children that are in Coconino County to attend schools here in Winslow. Those children were given the acceptance letter. For our children who are living up in Teesto and the unorganized area, (they’re) part of our community, so they’re automatically going to be able to come.” Zanin mentioned that there has been an influx of students applying to the Winslow district because Ganado is going online and that they along with Sanders, Second Mesa and Chinle are all cancelling their sports. Transportation remains a topic of discussion in the district. Zanin said of the students coming in from outlying areas, “We are asking parents to commit to staying with us for the full year and we are asking parents to transport their children because that’s part of the open enrollment.” Sports programs are also being considered in this unprecedented time. “We are going to ask that if they are going to participate in the sports, because we are going to do sports, that the children live in the district.” She continued, “These criteria are again, not for excluding children, but including children. I’m sure families, even from the reservation, do not want to send their children into a classroom where they can’t secure a six-foot distance or create that safe environment so, we are trying to again take the safety of all the children so that’s what we are looking at.” Winslow Police Officer Alicia Marquez, the Winslow High School resource officer presented a demonstration of K-9 search tactics. In her presentation, she explained that the dog, Mescal, will be on campus throughout the school year at varying times to conduct drug searches. She also explained that those times will not be shared with anyone in advance. “We have already lost young lives to drugs in our community,” Marquez said, “We don’t want to lose any more.” In other business, the governing board: * Approved the hiring of Debra Hearell and April Martinez as paraprofessionals at Bonnie Brennan; and Josephine Begay, Misty Benham, Betty Clark, Bonnie Garrett, Ani Green, Todd Hunt, Fallon Howard, Eric Leonard, Morris Nesmith, Genevieve Salt, Janie Sandoval, Susan St. Germaine and Penny West, each as substitute teachers. * Approved the resignation of Amy Rend, Amanda Curnutte, Jessica Moncayo and Stephanie Westover, who were each employed as paraprofessionals; Virginia Nichols as a teacher at Washington School; and Todd Schipper as a science teacher at Winslow Junior High School. * Approved the transfer of Sarah Shumway from music teacher to math teacher at WJHS and Tracy Turley from paraprofessional at Bonnie Brennan to Jefferson School. * Approved the financial report from June in which 93 percent of the budget had been spent, leaving a seven percent carry over for the next school year. * Ratified vouchers in a routine procedure allowing the board to submit vouchers to the county superintendent between meetings. The next meeting of the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, in the board training room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
