001this meeting to order. Oo, that works. Excellent. You >> want me [snorts] second? >> Uh, one second. Uh, good evening. Thank you. I apologize. There's, you know, been a minute since I've been in the classroom. I would like to call this meeting to order. Um, before we continue, Miss Van Hook, can you hear us? >> I can. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. Thank you. Uh, we would like to thank music teacher Jeremy Brewer and the trash can bands from Power Ranch, Bridges, and Coronado Elementary Schools for such an energetic and welcoming performance as we arrive tonight. [snorts] [applause] And Mr. Lotsenheiser, may I have roll call, please? >> President Wade, members of the board, let the record show that we have all of our board members in attendance tonight. four in person
002here and one via the phone. >> Thank you. [clears throat] Please join me in a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. >> [clears throat] >> I motion to approve the agenda. >> That would be Miss German is seconding. Do we vote on that in here? Can we just verbally vote for right now while that comes up, Miss Zimmerman? >> Okay. >> I can't do it right now. >> Well, you'll have to do an I. That's fine. [clears throat] No worries. When it comes up, we'll do it and then it'll be fine. [clears throat] >> Did you get it? >> I got it. I got it. Try to refresh. Mine doesn't show up. Miss Zimmerman, can I >> Yeah, I'll just verbally do it. [clears throat] Um I for motioning approve the agenda.
003Miss Schultz also needs one. Go ahead. [snorts] >> Miss Schultz votes I. Miss Van Hook, how do you vote or is it on? Did yours work online? >> Okay, perfect. Does that count? Do you have it? So, is it five? Perfect. Motion carries 5-0. I appreciate it everybody. Mine's not working. [sighs] >> Mr. Lennonheiser, we turn to you. President Wade, members of the board, as we start our superintendent report with Higgley Hafings tonight, um I would like to ask the members of the audience as we go through this tonight, uh there will be multiple different presentations. We would appreciate you, uh staying in the audience until there will be a time when then we dismiss you before we get to the business part of the meeting. So, we would appreciate that if you could help
004us uh throughout. And just a reminder for those of you who are called to the front, you might be asked to um share who brought who you brought with you tonight. So, just be prepared for that in case you get a microphone shoved in your face. But anyway, we'll just keep moving. All right. So, for Higgley happenings, uh, first I would like to invite up the Higgley High School thespians. If you guys would come up to the front, please. [applause] While they're coming up, I'd like to just talk about this wonderful group from Higgley High School. They have some exciting news from the recent annual Thesbian state festival. The advance company received a superior rating in the one act competition. The troop 697 achieved gold honors for the seventh consecutive year. Riley Close and Francisco
005Navaro served as student thespian officers, helped manage the event for nearly 2,700 attendees and Higgley High earned the award of distinguished for the fourth year recognizing their community service and their performance quality among over 100 schools. In addition to this, our assistant principal from Higgley High School, Pam Simmons, was named the administrator of the year. So, could we give a round of applause to the FPS? [applause] All right. So, here's what I'd like you to do. We'll just start on this end. Could you introduce yourself to We won't do who you brought with you tonight. It's too much. And then what year in school you are and just pass it all the way down, please? >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> I'm Jay Bernett. I'm a senior at Higgley High School. >> I'm Karia Then. I'm
006also a senior. I'm Elizabeth Neville and I'm a senior. I'm Zoe Bellose. I'm also a senior. I'm Lindsay [clears throat] French and I'm a senior. >> I'm Hank Cop and I'm a senior. >> I'm Jacob Ronald and I'm a junior. >> I'm Sky Cornado. I'm a junior. >> I'm Francisco Navaro. I'm also a junior. >> I'm Riley Close and I'm a senior. >> I'm Sean Kelly and I'm a senior. >> I'm Zachary Ashton. I'm a senior. >> I'm Cassidy Clifford. I'm a junior. >> I'm Jack Livka. I'm a junior. I'm April French. I'm the troop director. Pamela Pamela Simmons, assistant principal. >> You know, I thought one group that would not be afraid of the microphone would be the thesans to come up here and you guys. April, if you could just say a few
007words about what happened at the conference a little bit more. >> Yeah, this is our annual conference that we go to. Uh we have over a hundred schools that come out from our state and we have a two-day event. So we have competitions, we have performances. Um they actually performed their one act uh but directed by Shawn over here and they got a superior uh we have our gold troop status which was taken care of by Francisco and Riley by putting together a massive application which also helped us to get the award of distinction for the fourth year in a row. We're very proud of that. And even more we are proud of our administrator Pam Simmons. Uh she does so much for us. She does so much for all the fine arts in the
008CTE and we really do we really appreciate you and everything that you do and I appreciate all of you and all that you do. Thank you. [applause] >> We're going to have to get a picture. So I need everybody to back up. Go to the front. >> [applause] >> All right, for our next uh Higgley happening, could I have uh Zara Buana come to the front, please? Let's give her a round of applause. [applause] [applause] So, we'd like to recognize Zara, a senior at Williamsfield High Schools who achieved a remarkable honor by being selected as one of the 10 health occupation students of America to serve on the Voices of Youth Commission. This national role focuses on promoting safe and healthy drug-free communities. Zara just returned from a conference in Maryland and will participate in
009another in Tennessee this summer. She will also compete and implement a capstone project in our community. This prestigious recognition is a significant achievement for Zara and enhances the reputation of our HOSA chapter, school, and district in the medical and bioscience pathways. Well done, Zara. We're proud of your achievements. Let's give a round of applause again. [applause] All right. So, we have Zara and we have Mr. Brock, our hosta sponsor. But Zara, can you tell us a little bit about your experience, please? >> Yes. So, I recently got back from my trip on Thursday, and it was in National Harbor, Maryland, and I went to CADKA's conference for that promotes teen anti-drug use. and I met with a lot of teens across the nation, mostly in the like e mostly on the east coast, but we
010went to some workshops to help us learn about how to uh look at community health and kind of like a holistic approach and that some people um like being healthy means different things to everyone. And I met a lot of different people. A lot of the people who are on the committee with me are hostess state officers in other states and are also on the international executive council. And it was overall just a really amazing opportunity to be able to I guess travel outside of the West Coast and see different perspectives. [applause] >> Okay. Since you're just by your And who did you bring with you tonight? >> Oh, I brought my my HOSA adviser with me. Um Mr. Brock. >> Oh, Chris. Sorry. >> All right. Anyone else out there? >> And my and
011my dad in the [applause] >> [laughter and clears throat] [applause] >> All right, for our points of pride tonight, uh, first from the Little Cougars would Mrs. Coaches and Mrs. Hoffetler, please come up. [applause] >> Thank you so much. We're so excited to be here tonight and celebrate these incredible um individuals in our community. First, we have Miss Shelby Campazano. Come on up. [applause and cheering] Congratulations. Shelby is a dedicated and compassionate preschool para educator who consistently goes above and beyond to support her students and staff. She approaches even the most challenging that is true case loads with grace and flexibility and a positive attitude. Always willing to assist absolutely whenever possible. She is a collaborative team member who contributes to a safe inclusive environment and we could not do it without her. Congratulations Shelby.
012[applause] And who did you bring with you? >> Uh my husband, kids, and my friend. >> Congratulations. Thank you. >> All right. Our second um is Miss Haley Fontes. Come on up, Miss Haley. [applause and cheering] I like how you're running up here [snorts] with child. Congratulations. Haley exemplifies professionalism, open-mindedness, and a solutionsoriented approach in everything she does. As a member of our leadership team, she leads technology initiatives and champions our annual Veterans Day event with our Kohley Middle School, beginning her career here in HUSC preschools as a paraprofessional and now completing it as an incredible educator. Haley has also entrusted all three of her children with us in our ECDC centers. We are so proud of you. Congratulations. Thank you, Haley. [applause] So I'm proud to announce our volunteer recipient Nin Y if she
013could join us. [applause] >> Congratulations. >> So Nin consistently supports and extends a generous presence in our school community. She regularly volunteers in the classroom during centers, celebrations, and whenever extra support is needed. She goes above and beyond by not only supporting her own children, but by thoughtfully providing supplies and supports for teachers and pair professionals in both of her children's classrooms. Her kindness and generosity and willingness make her truly a valued partner, an important part of our school community. Thank you so much, N. [applause] And Nin, who have you brought with you today? >> My husband and my two sons. >> Congratulations. So, if we could have um uh Miss Turner and um uh Athena come on down. She is our recipient for our student award. Yay, Athena. Yay. You So this is our
014wonderful bright light just uh brightens the room Athena. She's m she has a magnetic personality um with her peers and staff. You light up the room, don't you, sweet girl? And you inspire growth in others. She has taught other students so much about being inclusive and having a positive outlook. She's taught her peers to understand that each individual is unique and an important addition to our preschool. She's have even learned how to communicate with her peers as you can see um every and to help her with her communication vice she actively seeks out friends and ensures everyone feels like they belong often. She often demonstrates empathy and compassion. So Mrs. Turner, who has she brought? Do you know her family? If you're Athena's family, would you wave? Hi Athena's family. [applause and cheering] Congratulations. Thank
015you so much for all of our recipients tonight for our points of pride. [applause] Good job. [applause] [cheering] All right. Now, we have the Assassame Little Spartans program. All right. So, we are going to start. There it goes. It's scrolling with Miss Tracy Robertson. Come on up. Congratulations. Tracy is an outstanding pair professional in one of our special education classrooms and is a true asset to our school community. She consistently supports all students, especially those challenging behaviors. and she supports them with patience, compassion, and a deep love and understanding of their individual needs. Tracy's dedication, intuition, and heart for all makes her truly deserving of this. Congratulations, Tracy. [applause] And before I forget, who did you bring with you? I actually bought my second family, the Sue Sausman Early Childhood Development Girls. My Julie, my
016Nicole, and my Sammy. Love you. >> Thank you. And next we have Miss Shell Blair. [applause] Shell is a shining example of excellence in the special education classroom and a tremendous asset to our school. She consistently demonstrates exceptional professionalism and deep knowledge of student development, behavior management, and effective interventions. [snorts] She approaches every challenge with a positive solution, focus, and mindset. Beyond her classroom, she's a respected teacher and leader and mentor who's willing to share her expertise. We're so proud. Congratulations, [applause] And Michelle, who did you bring with you? >> These superstars on the front row, my parents and my cute Autumn and Griff. And then of course our whole team. Thank you for coming. [applause] So for our volunteer recipient, can we have Patty Chan join us? [cheering and applause] So Patty is a
017dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer who brings her energy, expertise and and posit in positivity to our classroom. She jumps right in and leads games and centers, actively engaging students and supporting their learning. And the children genuinely love when she's present. Patty has a committed presence at our center for many years and has a strong passion for supporting our classrooms. As a former TE coach for our preschool curriculum, she brings a valuable insight and experience and her decision to enroll her grandson in our center reflects her confidence in our program. Patty consistently supports her grandson's classroom and makes a meaningful impact on both students and staff and we're very fortunate to have her a part of our school community. >> [groaning] >> So, Patty, who have you brought with you tonight? >> I brought my grandson, Atlas,
018and my husband and son and daughter-in-law. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. [applause and cheering] Congratulations. Can we have Miss Creall and Oliver Bashford join us tonight up here? Way to go, Oliver. Congratulations. >> So this is our Oliver. He is more than deserving of this points of pride award. Through perseverance, determination, and hard work, Oliver has made incredible progress in a short period of time. Oliver consistently pushes himself to overcome challenges and does not give up when learning becomes difficult. He has developed meaningful friendships and navigates the playground independently and confidently advocates for himself. His kindness, positive attitude, sense of humor. Such sinches of humor. Um, and joyful personality brings warmth and laughter the classroom every day. Oliver's growth, resilience, and character truly exemplify the spirit of the points of pride award. Congratulations, Oliver.
019[applause] So, if you're with Oliver tonight, can you give us a wave? Oliver's family. [cheering] All right. >> And his sister helps as a middle school TA with us as well. >> Yeah. Congrats. [snorts] There you go, buddy. All >> [applause] >> right. Could I have uh Mr. Pepper, Mrs. Hansen, come on down with the Chapperel Sharks. [applause] >> [clears throat] >> All right. Good evening, President Wade. Where did she go? Oh, President Wade. Sorry. Members of the board and cabinet and uh this awesome audience. I'm excited so many of you came out. I am Christine Hansen, proud principal of the Shark Tank. >> And I'm Terry Pepper, assistant principal. >> All right. So, first up, we have our certified staff points of pride, Miss Annarie Nicks. Come on up. [applause and cheering] All right.
020Mrs. Nicky consistently demonstrates strength in building positive collaborative relationships with families and general education teams, ensuring students receive the support they need to succeed both academically and socially. Her deep commitment to inclusive practices and her strong understanding of special education best practices guide her work each day. She actively pursues ongoing professional learning most notably through her participation in letters further elevating the quality of instruction and she that she provides to her students. uh her recognition by the special education department speaks not only to her professional excellence but also to her leadership and willingness to support and mentor her colleagues. Mrs. Nicks, we are so lucky to have you in the Shark Tank and thank you. Congratulations. [applause] >> All right. Uh it's my pleasure to recognize our classified staff points of pride. Uh, Miss Meg
021Dunwitty. [applause and cheering] Uh, Miss Meg has quickly become a point of pride in our school community, joining our campus in the second quarter of this year. She's already made a remarkable impact, bringing positivity, professionalism, and a genuine love for students to her role. From her first day, she's been a ray of sunshine, personable, approachable, and committed to getting to know the students, families, and staff she served. Her dedication has extended far beyond the health office. She's volunteered her time and enthusiasm at numerous school and community events, including stepping into the role of Sammy the Shark for the Gilbert Day Parade, volunteering at our winter carnival, attending staff meetings and assemblies, um, and supporting our school action team. She's provided extra layers of care for um our staff by bringing uh homebaked goods and ensuring
022every restroom is stocked with Bath and Beyond uh hand soaps. Her presence's uplifting and her sense of humor brings ease and comfort to those around her. Uh whether she's assisting a student who isn't feeling well or helping a staff member who has a question, she she never seems bothered, only help to help, only happy to help. She communicates clearly, stays visible and connected, and exemplifies what it means to be a team player. We're proud We are proud to recognize her as a true point of pride. [applause] >> I I apologize. I forgot the most important part. Mrs. Nicks, who did you bring with you this evening? Um, my husband, Jeff, and fellow chaperel shocks. [applause] >> And Miss Mag, who did you bring? else. Well, I brought my wonderful son, Seth, who um traveled down
023with us. We recently just relocated from Seattle, Washington in August, and I absolutely love it here. I'm never leaving. [applause] >> Thank you. >> All right. Next, we have our volunteer points of pride, Miss Andrea Klitsky. >> [screaming] [clears throat] >> Andrea is our PTO president and she is an exceptional PTO president whose leadership has made a remarkable impact on our school community. She's personable, professional, and consistently prepared. She leads efficient and purposeful meetings that keep our organization focused and productive. She has cultivated strong partnerships with local businesses, bringing valuable resources and support to our campus for the benefit of both students and staff. She actively engages in fellow HUSD with fellow HUSD PTOs, sharing best practices and leading by example of our district motto, together we got this. So, Mrs. Klitsky, you have elevated
024our PTO and enriched our experience for every student and staff that you serve and you are truly deserving of this recognition. Congratulations. >> Thank you. [applause] >> And who did you bring with you this evening? >> I brought my husband and a few of my kids >> in the back. All right. Awesome. >> All right. And last but certainly not least, uh our student points of pride is Mr. Braden Batista. [applause] Braden is an outstanding sixth grade leader whose actions, character, and commitment to our school community makes him truly deserving of this recognition. As a dedicated member of our student lighthouse team, he plays an integral role in planning and leading schoolwide activities, including our super shark assemblies, Veterans Day breakfast, and leadership day. His presence bring confidence, organization, and a sense of fun to
025every event he supports. He is consistently responsible, polite, and respectful, demonstrating leadership, not only when others are watching, but also in the quiet moments when he believed no one notices. His positive choices in integrity set a powerful example for his peers. And a fun fact about Braden is that he and his younger brother Bryce currently hold the distinction of being the only sibling pair chaperel with perfect attendance. Currently, [clears throat] [applause] >> we are we are very proud to honor Braden as our points of pride student. And who did you bring with you, Braden? >> Um, my mom, my dad, my brother, and my grandma and grandpa. [applause] [laughter] >> [applause] >> Yeah. Thank you. All right, to finish up the superintendence report tonight, uh you can see the upcoming events. Uh tomorrow we have
026two different events going on. We have the elementary cheer competition as well as the Lunar New Year concert. One of them's at Williamsfield, the other at HCPA. Our business partner breakfast is Thursday, February 19th at Kulie Middle School. On February 26th, we have a school visit from Superintendency and the board to Kulie Preschool and Middle School. And on Friday, February 27th, we have the Best Buddies Carnival at Hegley High School. So, this concludes the superintendence report. And so, at this time, President Wade, if it's okay, I will uh we can take a small little break to allow everyone who would like to leave at this time, we want to say thank you for uh being in attendance. And one more round of applause for all of our recognitions tonight. So thank you. No thanks. I'll
027make no [clears throat] Okay. Next on the agenda are requests to speak. Please play the video. [music] We value input from our constituents. This time on our agenda has been set aside for anyone from the audience who wishes to address the board. [music] Those that wish to speak should have filled out speaker cards which are due prior to the start of our meeting. Members of [music] the board may not discuss, comment, or take action on matters raised that are not specifically identified on the agenda. Therefore, [music] pursuant to ARS 38-431.01i, action taken as a [music] result of public comment will be limited to directing staff to study the matter, responding to any criticism, or scheduling the matter for further consideration [music] and decision at a later date. Also, we ask that audience members practice [music]
028proper public meeting decorum, refraining from either negative or positive responses, [music] including clapping or verbal outbursts to ensure fairness to all points of view. Those that [music] refuse to follow these rules may be asked to leave. In accordance with [music] policy beedh public participation at board meetings, if considered necessary, the governing board president shall set a [music] time limit on the length of the comment period in order to ensure that each individual has an [music] opportunity to address the board. The president may also set a time limit for individual speakers. [music] Thank you for your cooperation. >> [music] >> First up, we have Linda Payne. >> Hi, my name is Linda Payne and I've been here several times. I want you to gra to congratulate I mean to congratulate the district on that amazing program,
029especially those young special needs kids. I have a friend who works with them and I know she puts a lot of effort and time into trying to make that program an amazing program but it was with a lot of the other programs too. I really liked it. Um, I just am concerned because there seems to be so much division, especially among some of the board members. And I just I don't know how many of you actually go back and research a lot of the things that you're discussing, but I know that in the past Anna has, and she's really researched a lot. And I just feel like she's not here tonight and I wish she was because I just wanted to thank her because as I've gone back and listened to a lot of the
030um recordings could I've been out of town quite a bit. I know that she has really done a lot of the research and I feel that sometimes the rest of you don't really listen to her um expertise on that because she knows how to do it. But I I hope that together as a board that we can come together because our district is falling apart. I used to have nine children in this school district and now I'm down to two. Um well, I'm sorry, three. There's one that's graduating this year. But there's so many kids that are leaving the district because of what is happening. So, I hope that as a district and as a board that you can really work on becoming more united instead of more divisive and try to I mean I
031like I said these programs tonight were wonderful but sometimes the decisions especially one that was made last year with a dress code when so many parents came out against it and you guys completely ignot ignored us and went ahead and voted to have it passed. some of you were not on the board at that time, but um that was just one, you know, one example. So, as a board, I really hope you will cuz I think the district I've been here for 30 years and it just seems like it's the whole district is kind of going downhill a little bit and I would really like to have it go back to the freedom loving um community that we used to be to where we're all together instead of so divided because the parents are taking
032their kids to different schools because of what is happening in the district. So, I hope that you'll consider that and I thank you for what you've done. I do because I think there's been a lot of really good programs, but I think that we need to really work on becoming more united. Thank you. Up next, we have Noah James. It looks like Martha. I'm sorry if I did not read that right. Oh, this one is smog. [laughter] Um, aloha. Um, Higley Public Schools. My name is Noah James Markham. Um, I would like to talk about Higgley schools. And as a Democrat, we need to do a better job with DEI. And if you don't know what that means, diversity, equity, inclusion. Even if we have Mormons going to these schools classes, these classes of Higgley
033public schools, the DEI policies will make it stronger. We know that as a Democrat, what Tom Horn and the Republicans have done with the ESA vouchers and how they don't want to fund public schools around Arizona. I am sorry that people just don't know how important that funding was for Higgley public schools. I would also like to make sure that we make sure at this public schools that all special ed kids get the accommodations they need. I have a lot of stories that my mom had to fight for in the Gilbert public school system. Another thing is Democrats are here to stay in Gilbert and Higgley. And I hear you out here and keep standing up for what is right in your school system. It is a shame that the public schools of Higgley gave
034these students an unexcused absent for protesting their rights on campus. Shame on you Higgley public schools. I know not all of you guys, but whoever did it, shame. Mahalo and thank you for listening to me tonight. That concludes our request to speak for today. This brings up uh consent agenda items. I motion to approve consent to sorry consent agenda items 5.1 through 5.12. Second that would be Miss Garman is seconding. [clears throat] Uh all those in favor I vote I for the cons. Oh wait wait wait no mine came up. Woohoo. Motion carries 5. We'd like to thank K's Chicken, Bridges PTO, and Baseball Boosters Club for their generous donations to the district and all its students as well as Mr. Glover. You said you had something you wanted at this point or did I?
035>> Yes, I thank you. Um, I just uh just want to point out and thank the we had track and field. did some overnight and uh out of state travel. So, track and field softball and I think the color guard percussion. >> May 27 employee contracts. May 27 employee contracts. >> President Wade, members of the board, uh tonight information item 6.1 is our annual review of the first read of our employee contracts for the 2627 school year. Do we have any questions or comments from any of the board members before we move on? >> You have one. >> I do have a quick question. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. Go ahead, Miss Van Hook. >> Okay. Um, I'm just curious if these contracts are reviewed by legal at all. Um for board member
036President Wade, members of the board, uh yes, the contracts are submitted to legal annually to be reviewed. >> Okay. I just there was just so many errors in in them as far as titles. So I'm just curious if um they reviewed them before tonight or they review them after. Thank you. [clears throat] With these contracts, President Wade, sorry. With these contracts, um how often do we update kind of the language? Is it just uh when things pass through the state, stuff like that? Is >> um >> board member President Wade, board member German. Uh annually the contracts are reviewed. Um the information in there is is annually reviewed but any changes legislatively would be uh taken into consideration on an annual update before they're uh submitted to the board for the first read. [clears throat]
037>> Okay. So annual update also is there any kind of when it comes to behavior and um such like that is that in the contract or is that more um behavior toward uh in the other the agreements and such? No, there there's language in the contract that uh is the expectation to abide by all governing board policies and then within governing board policies is language that talks about various uh violations of staff conduct. >> Okay. And then uh like with legal and HR, we're utilizing the opportunities to kind of make it really uh clear exactly the consequence of of you know incorrect behavior uh with the finances and touching base with uh any actions, inappropriate behaviors with the students. All that kind of stuff is covered in these. Utilize it you utilize these. That way
038you can have more of a swifter, firm action. Yeah, from from a HR perspective, the the overarching uh staff conduct policies encumbered in the rest of the governing board policies that all employees are expected to adhere to and then the specific consequences and the uh ramifications of violation of policy then is is enforced through the contract by way of the governing board policy. >> Okay, wonderful. So, it's very transparent to them what they're signing up for and the actions for that kind of conduct. Okay, thank you so much. [snorts] >> All right, there's no more questions or comments. Thank you, Mr. Walker. This brings us to 6.2 fiscal year 2025 audit reports. Miss Rush Camp, you have somebody to introduce. >> Uh good evening, President Wade, members of the board. Uh this evening we are
039going to review our fiscal year 25 audit. That is the year that ended June 30th, 2025. Although it took us till about early mid January to get everything actually completed and printed. Um it is work from not only the finance department who does a phenomenal job but also many depart uh many departments in the district provide information. So tonight um from Heinfeld Meech that's our audit firm Josh Jumper. He's been with the firm 17 years. He's been all six years I've been here auditing. I have been with Josh as well. So Can you hear me? Okay, great. Uh, good evening, uh, President Wade, board members. Uh, it's good to be here this evening to present, uh, the audit results for the year ended June 30th, 2025. I do have a few prepared slides just to
040keep me on track. Uh, but they will be brief and then I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have as well for me. Uh so just a summary of the audit. So we are I'm with Heinfeld Meech. We are uh an independent accounting firm in Arizona. Uh we are the external auditors for the district and the audit contract is procured through competitive proposal process following district and state rules and regulations over procurement. Uh fiscal 25 the year uh I'm presenting on was the fourth year of the audit contract. Uh this uh slide summarizes the timeline for the audit. So the audit began last May. Uh we came on site performed audit procedures. Then we come back on site after the fiscal year end has ended in October. Uh additionally from there we uh
041prepare the audit reports uh and they were issued in December of this past year. And so when we speak about the annual audit, what does that mean? Uh so these four items listed here are the the items that we issue as part of the annual audit for the district. So there's a communication to governance. So that's a letter that's addressed to you, the board, included in your packet. I'll touch on that in a minute. Uh the big one is the annual comprehensive financial report. So that is the district's audited financial statements. Uh it includes uh it's the biggest document that's part of the audit uh 150 or so pages uh includes the district's financial statements and our audit opinion. Additionally, there's the single audit reporting package. So this is a required document uh that's required
042for uh reporting to the federal government over the district spending of federal grants that the district receives. uh it's required to be submitted to the federal government uh and done annually. And then finally, the uniform system of financial records compliance questionnaire. So this is a lengthy questionnaire that every district must have their auditors complete and submit to the Arizona Auditor General each year. So every uh public school district has to have this questionnaire completed by their auditors and submitted Uh so what is included in the scope of audit services? Uh so we follow government auditing standards and uniform guidance and then also to complete the USFR compliance questionnaire. Uh what standards do we follow and what guides the annual audit? So uh this sliding just includes a lot of different sources as to what guides
043audit and audit procedures uh and the requirements that are included in all the reports that are issued. So federal guidance uh governmental accounting standards board guidance uh AICPA auditing standards governmental auditing standards. So long story short, there's a lot of rules and regulations and laws that we have to follow as part of the annual audit. Uh so responsibilities of auditor as us as the external auditors and then uh district management. So fraud communication. So as part of the annual audit, we inquire about knowledge of fraud or non-compliance. Uh it's a standard audit procedure we do every year with various uh uh different employees as part of our normal audit procedures but uh ultimately the annual audit is not geared to detect fraud and ultimately the responsibility of fraud rests with district management and the board
044and the day-to-day operations. But just know as part of the annual audit, we do ask about that and if we become aware of anything, we can integrate it into our audit procedures. Uh and audit responsibilities, we provide reasonable but not absolute assurance as part of an annual audit. Uh so audit adjustments. So please report this past year there were no uh audit adjustments that were due to an error or uh an issue related to the financials. Uh so that's something if there was something that uh was a material adjustment required due to our uh detection, we'd have to notify you. Uh also as performing the audit, we had no disagreements with management over financial accounting reporting or other audit matters. Uh the representation letter that's signed at the conclusion of the audit is included in
045your letter to governance as an attachment. Um and we just are continually assessing uh to ensure compliance and uh ensuring our independence and we're meeting e our ethical requirements each and every fiscal year for under audit. Uh so I'm not going to dig into each report into detail but uh just some highlights. So the annual comprehensive financial report again that big one uh that includes the district's financial statements. So this is just a highlight of the different sections of the report. Uh the one that we're responsible for is the independent auditor's report. It's our opinion on the financials. Our opinion was unmodified. It's the technical accounting term. Uh the non-technical accounting term is a clean audit opinion. Uh so meaning the we provided reasonable assurance. The financials are free of material misstatement. So, uh the
046the uh best opinion you can receive when having an annual audit single audit reporting package. So, again, that's the one that's submitted to the federal government. We look over uh the grant, the federal dollars that flow into the district. This year, we specifically tested the child nutrition cluster, so the federal dollars that fund uh food service operations. I'm pleased to report we had no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses noted in this report. So no findings noted uh which is important. This is what's submitted to the federal government. And then I'll uh end with the uniform system of financial records. So again this is a compliance questionnaire every district has to have their auditors uh perform procedures on and submit. It includes over 170 questions of various areas of district operations. Uh just a few listed
047here. So just general management procedures, accounting records, cash and revenue procedures, procurement, student attendance processes and procedures, travel, credit, purchasing cards. So just anything that touches business operations even a small amount we're required to uh ensure we can answer the question that's being asked by the Arizona Auditor General. So there were items noted in that questionnaire. Uh but I'm not going to specifically touch on any of them. Uh in all my years of experience and no district has zero comments. Uh it's just due to the nature of uh human error most commonly uh and just the nature we don't audit 100% of all transactions for the district for the whole year. We do sampling uh each year and it sometimes it's just dependent on the sample we may uh derive and the transactions we review.
048So those were my prepared remarks but overall the audits were submitted on time. uh and uh the audit was completed efficiently. Uh Miss Rush Camp and her team uh was uh very helpful in ensuring we could perform and complete all our audit procedures this past year. Thank you. Um I also would like to express uh I appreciate the the explanation of some of those parts. Uh Mr. Jumper, so thank you for that. Do we have any questions or comments from anybody else on the board before? Go ahead, Mr. German. >> I'll go. President Wade, thank you so much for presenting that. Now, when you said kind of some samplings, can I get an idea of that because I I really like to utilize this insight um because I think this is going to be our
049big tip um and clues. So, can you provide more insight on the samplings? Is it a variety? who chooses that etc. >> Uh yes, thank you for the question. Uh sampling so it I would say first it depends on the question. So there's different areas that we have to answer the questions on. So uh for example, I'll use attendance. So there's some questions over student attendance and just ensuring the district is following state laws in terms of uh uh withdrawals and of students if they leave the district. They have to follow fill out certain forms, follow certain timelines and so uh the auditor general provides some guidance as to what sample sizes to utilize. From there it's our audit discretion in terms of which uh schools and then from there uh it the sample itself
050is just haphazard. Uh so we're not specifically looking for certain students in this case but it's just a haphazard selection. >> Thank you. Um so what the auditor general kind of pivots how to kind of dip in those anomalies. Okay. Thank you so much. Um, another thing that I wanted to ask you is, um, are there ways are there, uh, flags or how are you notified in certain accounts? Um, I in general, I know that you can kind of get a tone and get a pulse like anybody in their career, they have like an idea of what to look for and stuff like that. Can you expand on that and how the district is doing maybe compared to anybody else etc? >> Uh yes, thank you for the question. Uh I would say the the
051items noted uh in the questionnaire specifically uh this past year were uh things very commonly noted uh in questionnaires by uh either Higgley in the past or other districts. um in terms of the number of uh what we'd say no. So every question is a yes or a no. It's black and white. It's either if we find one transaction that uh may have an error, the answer has to be answered no in the questionnaire. So knowing that the number of no answers I would say for Higgley are uh less than uh the average that we see in all the audits of public school districts. >> Okay. Thank you so much for your honesty. I I really appreciate the fact that we I mean obviously we have to legally do this. The fact that we go
052through and we really assess and I really think that this um helps the community really know that we do our due diligence and we're pretty proactive on seeing where the anomalies and we have very experienced people who are looking for these things. So I appreciate that. Thanks for your time. Go ahead, Miss No, I was going to ask you else. Go ahead, >> Mr. Just one thing, Mr. Jumper. Thank you um for being here and and thank you, Miss Charman, for your comments as well and to Miss Rush, Miss Rush Camp, and and the superintendent for taking time and also posting these documents. There's almost 200 pages that if people are interested that are posted on here in item 7.1 that people can look at if they need any more information or have more questions
053as well. So, but thank you for taking time to be here this evening. Do we have any more questions or comments for Mr. Jumper? >> I do have a couple questions. Um, just for the benefit of the board and the public, can you briefly explain the difference between a clean audit and a full statutory or operational compliance? >> Uh, yes, thank you for the question. So when I was uh referring to a clean audit opinion uh that was in reference to our opinion on the financial statements which is unmodified which is the technical term uh but clean uh is solely in reference to the uh district's audited financial statements meaning we we've provided reasonable assurance they're free of material misstatement. So that notion of clean is only a relation to the audit and the financial
054statements. Uh your other uh reference is probably more in relation to the USFR compliance questionnaire. Um and so that's to meet statutory requirements and uh within the questions there are uh specific uh items noted uh but those uh we're making no opinion or providing no opinion on that. It's truly we sample these transactions. If we found an error, we're required to answer no on the questionnaire and report that to the Arizona Auditor General. Now, what the Arizona Auditor General does with that is up to their discretion and uh if they were to uh use that uh to ask further questions of the district, that's their prerogative. >> Did that answer your question? >> Um yes. And then when you say reasonable assurance uh what are the specific limitations uh that would remain for the governing
055board to be aware of? >> Well, when we say reasonable assurance that's uh common thing used in accounting terms. Uh we uh we do uh a detailed audit of the district's financial statements uh and are confident in our unmodified audit opinion. However, we cannot provide 100% complete assurance on it. So that's it's just uh the technical requirements. We're only allowed to provide a reasonable assurance on the financial statements. >> Thank you. And then one more question. Um were any of the USFR areas that you reviewed directly tied to governing board procedures or statutory duties? Uh, thank you for the question. Uh, I am actually looking at that section of the questionnaire right now and no, none of those were answered. No. >> Perfect. All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> You have
056something to say. Go ahead. M. >> Since you're here, President Le, let me just ask. So the whole purpose of this I can imagine is just to establish district's health to see how it's running to see if it's accommodating and kind of rolling with its budget within its means and then also that we're utilizing the appropriate accounts right that is kind of the whole purpose of this right >> that is one of the main purposes of the questionnaire a lot of uh the questions are geared towards the accounting specific in in terms of the funding sources and the specific uh restrictions that a lot of the funds that the district has and the restrictions in terms of how you are allowed to spend those monies. A lot of our questions are in relation to that
057to ensure the district is complying with the state laws and regulations that you're under. >> Okay. Thank you so much. >> Thank you for your time, Mr. Jumper. I appreciate it. And I also appreciate the fact that we as a district do this. I think it helps continue to project confidence in that at the end of the day we are doing what we are supposed to in the areas that we are supposed to be doing it. So I appreciate you and your time here today. This brings us to action items. Um we are on 7.1. Uh, I'm assuming we have no questions or comments from the board before I motion, but I will uh still give an opportunity for that. Um, audit approval specifically calls for a roll call vote. So, please wait for your
058name to be called and then verbally state your vote and enter it into the portal. Uh, does anybody have any comments before I motion? I motion to approve the fiscal year 2025 audit reports as presented. >> Second. >> That would be Mr. Glover seconding Vice President German. >> Yay. >> Board member Tiffany Schultz. >> Say yay audibly. Yeah. And then you can mark it in your portal. >> Yay. >> Uh board member Scott Glover. >> Yay. >> Board member Van Anna Van Hook. >> Yay. >> And uh board member Amanda Wade also is a yay. Let me maybe you did it. Motion carries 50-0. This brings us to 7.2, approval of GCFC professional staff certification and credentiing requirements. This is our second read. Do we have any questions or comments from the board before I
059motion? President Wade. Um I just want to utilize uh just I want to make sure this is pretty cladlock and uh protecting the the safety of the students um in all the touch touch points basically. Um and communication is a big one. So I didn't know James if you can help me out with this or legal um but I just want to utilize obviously communication through social media, text message, stuff like that. I really want to make sure that we are utilizing this um document so that our staff and everybody etc know exactly what's expected. >> Uh sure um President Wade um Vice President Gar um this policy is actually in regards to the fingerprint clearance card criteria as uh indicated from the Department of Public Safety. Um what you're referring to about maybe misconduct
060through social media that's addressed through our employee conduct and staff conduct with students policy. This this one deals with being able to be uh cleared through DPS and not have any specific crimes in your background. And so this is our criteria before we hire um a a certificated employee that they have to have a DPS fingerprint clearance card that's approved in good standing. >> Okay, I appreciate that. Sorry about that. Um okay, and then obviously this is a rolling background check. like this is constantly rolling and in this um they have to if anything changes they have to be proactive in letting the district know. Right. >> This is correct. So we are in uh communication with the department of public safety. fingerprint clearance card is issued for seven years and if any of the
061crimes that are listed in the policy presented before you are violated then the fingerprint clearance card gets revoked uh or suspended actually would be the technical term and then DPS notifies us that there's an an individual with a a suspended fingerprint clearance card. >> Okay, thank you. Um, now I'm of legal has touched base with this and also HR has touched base with this and utilize this opportunity to kind of get as much in as we can. Right. I want to confirm that. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> I can confirm from legal. Yes. >> Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Do we have any other questions or comments before I motion? I motion to approve GCFC professional staff certification and credentiing requirements. >> Second. >> That would be Miss Schultz seconding. [snorts] Motion
062carries 5 to zero. This brings us to item 7.3, approval of GDFA support staff qualifications and requirements. Second read. Uh do I have any questions or comments from the board before I motion on this one? >> I do have a question on page two. Uh I had requested uh at the last meeting to add that no administrator or supervisor may wave the fingerprint clearance requirement except as expressed expressly permitted by state law. And I noticed that wasn't added. But then I also noticed we removed the language that says the district may release the results of background checks and communicate whether the person has been issued or denied a fingerprint clearance card to another school district for employment purposes. And I'm curious why that was removed and why we wouldn't uh share that information. Uh, President
063Wade, uh, board member Van Hook. Uh, as far as the, uh, the first inquiry, um, you'll notice that language has been included on page one in the first paragraph that no administrator may wave, uh, the requirements. In regards to, uh, your second question, we'll be happy to look into that and and and give further clarification as to uh, why that language was removed. >> Um, thank you for the first part. I missed that portion completely. Um, but yes, if you can please let us know cuz I believe that that's um that was in there last time and that wasn't recommended to be removed, but it was. [clears throat] But what do we do for tonight since this is an action item? Yes. Um, Miss Van Hook, will you do me a favor just so I
064can write it down for so I can follow along? What part is it that you're talking about that was switched? Um, so on page two, it's uh where it says the district may release the results of a background check. [sighs and snorts] I'm just reading the second paragraph that's underneath it so we can see as far as language that is changing one way or the other. So just give me a minute. >> Yeah. And it wasn't like combined with another paragraph. It was just the whole paragraph was completely removed. >> [clears throat] >> It's because it's >> I mean right now as far as legal at the end of the day I still don't um I mean this wouldn't be any of our employees. So I still think that we have the capability of passing
065it and we can ask our inquiry and then per legal at the worst that happens we can bring this policy back up to make that change if there was some sort of something that should not have been done. Considering we've had legal look at it multiple times between here and now, my assumption is there is a logical reason for it that we can ask when >> well the appropriate thing would be to table it and then bring it back for approval instead of approving it and then bringing it back to change. Uh but that language was in there at the last meeting and it was not requested to be removed and um and I think it's appropriate to to table it um to find out why it was removed and then bring it back for
066approval. >> So I can follow up to find out why this language was removed. Um, as board president Wade did state, we could move forward with the agreement and to the extent the language wants to be added back in. That is an easy fix and amendment at a future meeting, uh, it wouldn't necessarily require us to delay adopting this tonight. Um, so to the extent the board would like to implement the policy, the substance of the policy, and update it at a later date with that additional language, we can do that. um as valer also for just to make sure as we go through uh the part specifically that we're talking about wouldn't be any of our current employees. These would be individuals who would be going elsewhere. So I just as far as the
067ability for us to adopt this policy should we have to at the end of the day we are still adopting all things that are for any staff member whether they are certified or not. In this case, this would be not certified staff are following the appropriate fingerprint clearance requirements. Every staff is required to have all of that. All of that is still encompassed within within this policy. The specific language that may or may not be added back is talking about any employee that has left the district and is elsewhere and whether or not we as a district release that information. Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> Thank you. >> Yes, and that is correct. I just um what concerns me is if let's say somebody was denied a fingerprint card and now they're
068going to for whatever reason. Let's say there was a crime committed and now they're going to another district and and it's not in our policy that we should convey this information to the new district. >> Well, I think that's a concern. Sorry for talking over you. I thought that completed your thought. >> Um, well, concerning the policy and the language in question, it's discretionary. It says the district may release the information. So, the removal of it doesn't prevent the district from ultimately releasing that information anyhow. >> President, it also says when the former employee has requested the information be provided as well in there. So it's if they were trying to hide something, wouldn't they not request it? >> Does that make right? >> Well, it's saying Miss Schultz, correct me if I'm wrong in
069summarizing what you're just expressing. It's also the language expresses that the employee can ask for it. >> Right. >> But to cover that basis, >> when they has when the former employee has requested the information be provided. >> Correct. But it is also state law that any person who comes into contact with a child, whether that is a certified teacher or not, no matter what district you are in, should go through the fingerprint clearance card. So at the end of the day, right now with our policies and the way things are, if there was an employee who was a former employee of ours and either did not get their fingerprint clearance card or it was revoked, that other new school district would also have equal access to that information because they are legally bound to
070check that. So again, I appreciate for the clarification. [clears throat] Uh go ahead, Miss Van Hook. >> That was me actually. >> Sorry, Mr. Walker. >> Members of the board, uh what I can certainly say is that we we've we've yet to encounter a scenario that exists along these lines where a district or an individual would contact us for the results. I certainly would say within the next couple days of seeking clarification if that were to arise, we would not uh withhold or not disclose information that we were in receipt of. We would immediately contact council and be able to come up with whatever decision is necessary. So, for what it's worth, um I understand the concern about not being able to disclose something that we should be able to. I think we can definitely
071get that uh hashed out and if we want to table it, that would be certainly a decision the board would like to make. Um, but if we do decide to move forward with the policy, we we would still be immediately uh keeping an eye on the situation until we get it rectified. >> Thank you. And and I I I'm not in disagreement of voting yes on it, but I would like to be able to bring that back and add that language back in because I think it's important to have. Thank you. >> Uh Mr. Mr. Lsonheiser, can we get in status essentially a response with respect to that? That way before the the next meeting when it comes to setting up an agenda or whatever, depending on what Legal Express is can kind of help
072us go through with that process. >> Yes. >> Sweet. Thank you, Mr. Lenheiser. So, with that, I'm going to motion then. All right. Great. I motion to approve GDFA uh support staff qualifications and requirements. Second. That would be Miss Schultz. Seconding. Motion carries. 50. This brings us to future agenda items. Does anyone have any requests for future agenda items besides the one that we just got on our last action item? >> I do not. [laughter] >> OM goodness. That brings us to the end everybody. I motion to adjourn this meeting. Second. >> That would be Miss Garman seconding. Everybody vote. >> [snorts] >> Motion carries 5. Everybody, please drive safe. >> Thank you for coming out.