The Winslow Unified School District (WUSD) has voted to place override before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot, seeking authorization to continue the override that allows up to a 10% increase past the district’s maximum spending limits imposed by the state. If approved, this override would result in an additional nearly $1.27 million in property taxes being collected across the district. The proposed tax rate is set at $2.40 per $100 of assessed property value, calculated as 10% of the Limited Property Value (LPV)—a figure that is often significantly lower than what a property might fetch on the open market.

For example, a home with a market value of $140,000 might have an LPV of just $77,000. Under the new rate, this would result in an approximate annual increase of $185 in property taxes. To understand how this change might affect a specific property, check the Navajo County Assessor’s website to find the LPV for a home or property. The school district states that this funding is necessary to maintain all-day kindergarten, keep class sizes manageable, ensure that all class supplies are provided, retain quality teachers and continue offering a robust curriculum in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

The governing board also voted to approve a new Winslow Junior High School (WJHS) cross country team as requested by WJHS Principal Debra Lopez. The team will begin competing in the White Mountain League in the fall.

During the meeting the board also endorsed the 2024 political agenda set forth by the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), highlighting a commitment to major educational priorities aimed at improving the state’s school system. This agenda is centered around several key areas designed to significantly enhance the quality of education for approximately one million schoolchildren in Arizona.

Firstly, the agenda calls for adequately and equitably funding district schools to at least the national median per pupil funding level. This includes increasing state funding to attract, recruit, and retain a diverse and talented teaching workforce, and providing schools with the necessary resources to support the academic, social, and emotional development of students. Key funding areas highlighted include up-to-date curriculums, technology upgrades, exceptional student services, and comprehensive transportation solutions.

Additionally, the agenda emphasizes the importance of local control, advocating for school districts to maintain autonomy over budgeting and operational decisions. It proposes legislative changes to improve the efficiency of school district voter-approved bonds and overrides, and it seeks to preserve local authority against any measures that would consolidate or unify school districts into larger entities.

The ASBA also focuses on legal and regulatory advocacy to protect desegregation funding, eliminate unfunded mandates and fully support distance learning initiatives. It also highlights the need for school districts to have the ability to provide affordable housing for faculty and staff.

The agenda supports educational and professional development, promoting the professionalization of teaching and opposing any legislative efforts that limit school employees’ free speech rights. It also calls for a redefinition of the role and purpose of standardized testing to create more meaningful assessments.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the following hires: Curtis Gordon, English teacher; Marvin Nacionales, English teacher; Sheninkwa Cly, science teacher; Santina Barrientos, special education inclusion; Elfrida Francis, custodian; Charlene Betts, paraprofessional; Angela Payne, paraprofessional; Jordan Payne, varsity football coach. Also, student Tanner Short from June 3 to Aug. 2.

* Approved the following resignations: Deanna Burns, special education teacher; Bryan Lang, activities coordinator; Stacey Berg, career tech; Jaydon Payne, paraprofessional; and Caitlin Quinonez, WHS paraprofessional.

* Approved the following transfers: Denise Estudillo, from district federal programs director to WJHS/WHS chorus teacher; Natalie Barrios, from WHS Career Technical Education (CTE) sports medicine teacher to WHS CTE digital media teacher; Allyson Puhuhefvaya, from WHS bookkeeper to WHS paraprofessional; Deanna Wilcox, from Jefferson High Needs paraprofessional to WHS nookkeeper; Monica Skaggs, from district occupational therapy aide to WHS high needs aide.

* Approved the following summertime bus drivers, Kyle Decker, Marguerita Gally, Cheryl Jodie, Ernestine Mora and Jose Mora.

* Approved extra duty pay for Ginger Fischer, orchestra teacher.

* Approved the following fundraisers: Class of 2024 Senior Sunset; Student Council’s water bottle fundraiser and Social Committee’s Jeans Week.

* Approved out of state travel for employees, Loretta Chischilly and Connie Gover and nonemployees Nikki Nez, Louanna Benslow and Orlynda Tully to attend the national Johnson O’Malley conference in Dallas, Texas.

* Approved a change in the standards-based grading system to allow for equivalents for the more traditional percentage-based grades.

*Approved to continue intergovernmental agreements with Northland Pioneer College to continue the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) and the CTE programs.

* Approved a revision to federal programs director job description to better align with actual responsibilities.

* Approved the revised budget for the last months of the 2023/24 fiscal year.

* Approved the audit summited by CWDL auditing firm for the 2022/23 fiscal year.

* Approved a $390,472 bid for a new travel bus.

The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, in the meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.