001Okay. Good evening everybody. I don't think you can hear this. I don't think this is on. Can you hear me? Oh, okay. Great. Do you want my teacher voice? Good evening everybody. Sorry, it's been a minute since I've been in the classroom, so projecting takes some time. I apologize. Good evening. I would like to call this meeting to order. [snorts] Um, we would like to excuse our superintendent this evening as he is unable to attend due to a family emergency. So, Mr. Armstrong, may I have roll call, please? >> President Weey, please let the record show that all board members are present. >> Thank you. Please join me in a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. I motion to approve the agenda. That was Miss Van Hook seconding. All those in favor?
002>> I motion carries. 5-0. Mr. Armstrong, you are up. >> Thank you for joining us this evening. We are honored to share highlights from the Higgley Unified School District and to celebrate the incredible students, staff, and families who make this such a special community. We kindly ask that all honores return to their seats after their recognition and that all guests remain in their seats until all groups have been acknowledged. When you see our slide come up and you're being acknowledged tonight, please make your way on up and we'll be talking about you as you walk on up. All right. The Arizona Marching Band Association has launched the inaugural Arizona All-Star Marching Band, bringing together 190 dedicated high school marching band students from across the state who will participate in this year's Fiesta Bowl parade. Higgley
003High School celebrated the acceptance of 11 amazing students into the Arizona All-Star Marching Band, and we credit their success, the guidance of Mr. Sharp and his team of outstanding band instructure instructors. We would like to go ahead and congratulate them. Please give them a huge round of applause. [applause] >> [applause] >> All right, we're going to continue with Higgley High. Higgley High School engineering teams excelled at the 2025 Makers of Change Assistive Technology Challenge, creating solutions for a child with cerebral pausy. Over five weeks, student focused on inclusion and innovation. Out of a hundred teams, the overall competition winner, the Smart Little People won best in show, while the Buzzy Ballers received the newcomer award runner up and were finalists for the Levis's Choice Award. Their efforts showcased creativity and human- centered design. Congratulations to
004both teams and we also like to show our appreciation to engineering instructor Mr. Dan Atne for his guidance. Congratulations [applause] All >> [snorts] >> right, before you guys leave, hold on. Hold on. There's some inquiring minds. So, who would like to go ahead and talk about the project and what it was for? >> Oh, >> you ready for this? >> Okay. Um, so basically we had five weeks and the whole project was centered around a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who has trouble with coordination and also interacting with the siblings. He has two younger brothers um between the ages like one and two and a half. So he has a really hard time playing and interacting with them. The goal of the project was to create a concept and create a working prototype that um
005is adaptive and allows him and his siblings to play together. So what we've created here is a trifold piano. Um as you can see three sides for Levi and both of his brothers. Uh we have two modes of play which would be free play mode where you can use it as a standard piano where you click any key a note will play and the light will um and a light will shine. You also have a collaborative mode which was the basis of our idea of combining um see like innovation and adaptability. Uh basically the keys will light up sequentially across the three pianos. A key will light up here and once you press it, a note will play and the next note will be sent to a next piano for the next player to press.
006Um, the keys have been programmed to play the Bluey theme song per Levi's interest. So, as you go around and play the song, um, one note per piano will light up and once you finish the song, all the keys will light up as a little celebration. Uh, we also have three modes of adaptability for, um, just kind of like an accessible setting. We have strict mode which is basically where one key is the one key that's lit up is the one key you have to press for the note to play. You also have the second mode which is wide or lenient mode where you can press either the litup key or any neighboring or adjacent key. So one to the right or one to the left will allow the note to play. You also have
007a full setting where it doesn't matter what note is uh lit up. You can press any key on the keyboard and it will play the note. And those settings are per keyboard. And so it's very adaptable per each brother. And yeah, [applause] >> great job you guys. Great job. >> Excellent job. Just another example of innovation and innovative learners within our district. So great job. All right. We'd like to call up Miss Joanna Aglier from Higgley Traditional Academy. [applause] Each year, the Arizona Science Teachers Association honors outstanding educators who exemplify excellence. Congratulations to Joanna from Higgley Traditional Academy for being named the 2025 Arizona Science Teacher Associations Middle School Science Teacher of the Year. That's awesome. [applause] Congratulations. [applause] All right, we have another amazing staff member that we'd like to recognize, Katherine Bonacci. Come
008on up. >> [applause] >> We would also like to congratulate Kate Bonacci from Higgley High School for being named the 2025 Arizona Science Teacher Association's High School Science Teacher of the Year. Miss Madnachi is being recognized for her commitment to quality science education and her ability to inspire students to become the next generation of scientists. Both Mrs. Aklier and Miss Bonacci were honored at the ASTA conference held on November 7th. Congratulations again. [applause] Oh, right. [laughter] Okay. Miss Jennifer Huddle, are you in? All right. We would like to welcome Miss Jennifer Huddle, Williamsfield High School teacher. [applause] Miss Huddle has been recognized with the class Noble Educator of Distinction Award from the National Society of High School Scholars. This honor celebrates outstanding educators whose passion and dedication inspires students to learn, lead, and achieve their
009best. Each year, student uh NHSS student members nominate the teachers who have made the greatest impact on their academic journey. Miss Huddle, who teaches band and orchestra at Williamsfield High School, was nominated for her unwavering commitment to her students and her ability to inspire a love of music and learning. Congratulations, Miss [applause] [applause] Mr. Campbell, are you in? Oh, [applause] Eduint, our student information system is thrilled to unveil a new awards program. We are proud to announce that HUSD's own Brian Campbell has been honored with the 2025 Synergy Community Champion Award. This award celebrates the individual who has shown exceptional engagement within the Synergy community throughout the year. To honor Brian's significant contributions, Edupoint will provide HUSD with a $1,000 technology grant and Brian will enjoy a complimentary registration for the 2026 Synergy Connect Conference.
010Congratulations, Mr. Campbell. [applause] President Wade, that concludes Higgley happenings. All right, we're now moving on to the A letter banner presentation. This is an awesome opportunity. You're going to hear it a couple of times tonight. Um the hard work of our community partnered with families, the teachers that we have, the students that we have, and the administration that leads each and every campus has made us an A district. And we are the only district in the East Valley to have all in-person schools be or receive an A rating from the Arizona Department of Education. So give them a huge round of applause. And for those of you that weren't noticing, there were two little girls up here in the front who were ecstatic because they saw that they were their school was receiving an A.
011So great job. We're going to recognize each school. So to go ahead and present the banner for Bridges Elementary, we have Mr. Bickl and Miss Meltter, principal and assistant principal. >> You guys want to stand? >> All right. Next up for Centennial, we have Mrs. Day and Mr. Rogers, principal and assistant principal. All right, Chapperel, the Sharks, we have Principal Christine Hansen and assistant principal Terry Pepper. Come on down. We got a lot. So, we're going to try to make as much space as possible. So, Bridges, you may want to be ready to move down just a little bit. >> All right. [gasps] Here to receive the the banner for Coronado Elementary, we have Principal Brian Griggs and Assistant Principal Dr. Alice Stoini. All right, next up we have [clears throat] who do we have?
012Cortina. So for Cortina, we have principal Kelly Papy and assistant principal. Is she here? [screaming] Chrissy Dabono. Come on down. All right. Representing Gateway Point Elementary, we have Principal Katie Harris and Assistant Principal Angie Walker. Come on down. HTA Hawks, the Higgley Traditional Academy. We have M principal Karen Bacon and assistant principal Mandy Bachali. Come on down. All right, Power Ranch. Where's Principal Michelle McNav and assistant principal Nicole Mcola? Come on down. Congratulations. Awesome job. >> All right, to round out the elementary schools, we have Santan Elementary with principal Ray Marcato and Assistant Principal Lindsay Reeves. Come on down. [screaming] All right, starting with the secondary schools. Uh, first up is Kulie Middle School, Mr. Chad Canrell and Shane Laserza, assistant principal. and Sausman Middle School principal Bruce Pototts, Dean of Students, Leslie Cook, Higgley
013High School Principal Brian Banick, [applause] Williamsfield High School. Principal John Dolan, assistant principal Daryl Stangle. And then we have one more banner that we need to give out that goes to the entire district is an A-rated district. So Mr. Armstrong, if I can get the member of cabinets, members of cabinet to come up and accept the banner for Mr. Armstrong. [applause] And then we're going to try and squeeze everybody into one picture. [laughter] All right. Congratulations to all of our schools. If you guys want to come on over, we have your plastic wrap for the school. Centennial bridges. All right. Again, can we please give our students, our staffs, our administration, governing board, and our district office personnel for making that happen because there's that is an absolutely amazing feat. Give them a huge round
014of applause one more time. [applause] All right, we're moving on to our points of pride and I'd like to call up Mr. Jeff Bickl and Mrs. Elizabeth Meltter to go ahead and recognize their folks. President Wade, members of the board, cabinet, thank you for the opportunity to recognize uh Bridges Elementary School's points of pride tonight. Just sitting here tonight, I I'm just in awe at the greatness in the room. Um between the kids, the schools, the parents, it's as good as it gets in the East Valley and really in the state. And so hopefully, you know, everyone here recognizes that. It's amazing, an amazing place to be. And so with that, I would like to call up our volunteer point of pride, Michelle York Tandro. Come on up. [applause] Bridges Elementary School proudly recognizes Michelle
015York Tandro, our executive VP of the PTO and site council member, for her extraordinary dedication and service to our school community. Michelle has volunteered on campus for years, consistently bringing professionalism, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to supporting students and staff. Her organization, creativity, and ability to build strong teams have been vital to the continued success of our PTO, and the smooth execution of every single event. She even elevates our campus behind the scenes. Her video editing talents have turned our funr run videos into a community favorite. Bridges is truly a better pre place because of Michelle's passion, collaboration, and heart for service. Congratulations, Michelle, on being being named our volunteer point of pride. It's a forelle. >> And who did you bring tonight? >> Uh, my entire family, Presley, Graceland, my husband Matt, and my
016mom Rose. Thank you for being here. >> Congratulations. So, hang tight there. Yep. Next up, I would like to recognize Jeff Mucula, our classified staff member. Point of pride. Come on up, Jeff. [applause] [cheering] Bridges Elementary School is proud to recognize Jeff Mucula, our lead night custodian. As a cornerstone of our campus since the year we opened, Jeff brings professionalism, pride, and strong leadership skills to a role essential to the safety and success of our school, ensuring our facilities are spotless and ready each day. His unmatched cand do attitude shows in the way he consistently volunteers for extra tasks and supports every event with dedication. Jeff's reliability, work ethic, and team first spirit truly exemplify excellence. And our shared Bulls and Blazers banter always adds a uh welcome touch of camaraderie. I don't win that
017uh that very often because I'm a Blazers fan and we're not very good. So, uh his commitment consistently and good humor make him an invaluable member of the Bridges family and a true point of pride. Congratulations, Jeff, on being named our classified staff point of pride this year. Thank you. You're welcome. [applause] And Jeff, who did you bring tonight? >> What's it? >> Who did you bring with you tonight? >> Oh, I got my mom, Laurel, and my dad, Rich. >> Awesome. Well, thank you. Welcome. [applause] >> I would like to uh call up Miss uh Mrs. Nicole Brokaw, who is our certified point of pride. [applause] Bridges Elementary proudly recognizes Nicole Brokaw, our outstanding fifth grade ELA and social studies teacher, as one of this year's points of pride. The remarkable impact she has
018on students and staff is limitless. Her classroom brings learning to life through innovative lessons that spark curiosity and foster a love of learning as she approaches every challenge with a no mountain too high attitude. A campus leader in project-based learning, Nicole designs meaningful realworld learning experiences while continuously supporting colleagues with ideas, collaboration, and encouragement. And as your former teammate, I can say wholeheartedly that your expertise, professionalism, and dedication make you an irreplaceable part of the Bridges community. [applause] There we got the >> Who did you bring tonight? my family, my wonderful husband Austin, my boys Nate and Ben, and then my teammates here, Amber. [applause] And finally, I'd like to call up Miss Harper D. Ro as our sixth grade uh student point of pride. [applause] It is our pleasure to recognize Harper D. Ro
019is Bridges Elementary's two 2526 student point of pride as she exemplifies what it means to be a leader, a learner, and a role model on our campus. A dedicated two-year member of student council, Harper Harper eagerly serves her school and community through events like trunk or treat, feed my starving children, and the house of refuge can drive. In the classroom, she consistently demonstrates exemplary behavior, strong academics, and enthusiastic participation, earning high praise from teachers for her hard work and collaboration. Her involvement in choir, orchestra, drawing club, running club, and scat further reflects her well-rounded character, making her a perfect example of a 21st century Bobcat. Congratulations, Harper. [applause] >> And who did you bring with you tonight, Harper? My mom, dad, and my sister. [applause] All right, congratulations Bridges Bobcats. Now, we're going to bring
020up Mr. Ray Marcato and Miss Lindsay Reeves to go ahead and shout out their points of pride. All right, President Wade, governing board, cabinet, and staff, community, thank you for this opportunity. Absolutely love when we can shout out the amazing people that make our our campus just a wonderful campus. Um and so we are celebrating our 25th year serving the community and just proud of the work that um everyone has contributed to making Santen awesome. Um our teacher, Miss Jennifer Buttow, fifth grade teacher, come on up. Awesome job. >> Miss Utah Santan is proud to recognize you for your exceptional dedication and unwavering commitment to our school community. Your team first attitude and your ability to build strong, positive relationships with students, staff, and families make you an invaluable part of our team. Your passion
021and professional professionalism shine through in everything you do around campus. Whether supporting programs, collaborating with colleagues, or engaging with students, your contributions consistently foster a culture of care, excellence, and scorpion pride. Thank you for all you do. >> Thank you. [applause and cheering] >> Oh, who did you bring? >> I have my husband, my three kids, and my mom and dad. and friends of course from work. [applause] >> All right. Next up we have Harmony Neil, our student. [applause and cheering] This is straight from her teacher. Harmony truly embodies the spirit and values of Santan. Consistently demonstrating excellence in leadership, friendship, and academics. A role model to her peers, Harmony leads with integrity, compassion, and positivity. Her commitment to living out the eight habits is evident in everything she does. From her respectful interactions with
022others to her proactive approach in the classroom, she sets a high standard for herself and encourages those around her to do the same. Her kindness is infectious, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. Whether offering a helping hand, a word of encouragement, Harmony makes a lasting impact in our school community every day. Congratulations, Harmony. Who did you bring with you today? >> I brought my mom, my dad, and my sister. >> Wonderful. Thanks for joining us. I told Harmony that was she ready when she got here for her five minute speech and says I got this. >> No, I did not. >> All right. Next, we have Miss Nelly Masias. Please come on up. [screaming] >> Awesome job, Nelly. Awesome job. And before you do, >> Nelly is an exceptional member of the
023Santan team who consistently goes above and beyond to support student, staff, and the entire school community. She brings warmth, humor, and heart to everything she does, creating a positive and welcoming environment wherever she goes. Whether she's working directly with students, lending a hand to a teacher, or helping with the schoolwide event, Nelly approaches every task with dedication, flexibility, and genuine care. Thank you, Nelly, for all you do. Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Who did you bring with you, Nelly? >> My husband, Cesad. My two beautiful babies, Alyssa and Camila, and all my work people. >> Thank you, Nelly. >> All right. And we have our volunteer, Miss Katie. [cheering] For the past several years, Mrs. Ims has generously dedicated her time and energy to supporting our teachers and students on a weekly basis. Sometimes she's
024there multiple days a week. Whether it's making copies, preparing classroom materials, or lending a helping hand, whenever needed, she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure we're set up for success. Her commitment doesn't stop there. She regularly checks in with her children's teachers to see how she can help, often purchasing and donating supplies out of her own pocket to help support our classrooms. Her generosity and thoughtfulness has made a lasting impact on our school community. In addition to her work in the classroom, every school event, anything going on at Santan and in the community. Mrs. Ims is an active, enthusiastic member and she attends all of those events. She and her relationships with other parents at Santan helps to build a strong supportive network. Her unwavering dedication, kindness, and community spirit makes her an outstanding
025candidate for this award. We're truly grateful for what she does and to be proud to recognize her for her contributions to Santan. [cheering] [applause] And who did you bring with you tonight? I have my husband and my three little scor two little scorpions and three little scorpions. Thank you. [applause] All right, at this time we will pause [clears throat] briefly for those who wish to depart. All right, President Wade, members of the board, our upcoming events. We have Thursday, November 20th, we have our school visit to Chapperel Elementary. Wednesday, November 26th, there is no school. Thursday, Friday, November 27th through the 28th, Thanksgiving, no school there. Enjoy your turkey. Wednesdays, December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, we have the FASA night at Williamsfield High School. And then on Tuesday, December 9th at 5:30, we're back here
026for another board meeting. >> Thank you, Mr. Armstrong. This uh first I I would like to say it is really awesome to see all of the celebrations. It's such a a remarkable thing, especially considering all of our schools are A's at the present moment in time. I'm grateful for the community members who continue to support us uh because we're doing amazing things. So, I appreciate it. This [snorts] was our last call for request to speak, which brings us to our first request to speak. We have Gina Schmid. Oh, I'm sorry. I lied. I have to play the video. That's on me. It's been a long day. [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
027that wish to speak should have filled out speaker cards which are due prior to the start of our meeting. Members of the board may not discuss, [music] comment, or take action on matters raised that are not specifically identified on the agenda. Therefore, pursuant to ARS [music] 38-431.01i, action taken as a result of public comment [music] will be limited to directing staff to study the matter, responding to any criticism, or scheduling [music] the matter for further consideration and decision at a later date. Also, we ask [music] that audience members practice proper public meeting decorum, refraining from either [music] negative or positive responses, including clapping or verbal outbursts to ensure fairness to all points of view. Those that refuse [music] to follow these rules may be asked to leave. In accordance with policy beedh public [music] participation
028at board meetings, if considered necessary, the governing board president shall set [music] a time limit on the length of the comment period in order to ensure that each individual has an opportunity to address [music] the board. The president may also set a time limit for individual speakers. Thank you for your cooperation. [music] All right, Miss Gina Schmidt. Thank you. [snorts] Thank you. I'm really thankful to be a part of this school district and I wish to thank the students of Hegley Unified School District for being very aware of the Higgley community and being a vibrant and vital part of it. Higgley students take purposeful actions to support various good causes and do what they can to find solutions to concerns they see in our areas. I have noted various ways our students give back to
029the community. In early October, I noticed pink balloons at Higgley High School. I learned from social media that the Higgley High School student council collaborated with the Sausan Middle School student council in efforts to raise awareness of and support for breast cancer awareness month. Chaperel Elementary Student Council has hosted two movie nights. One with admission being donations for local pet shelters and one with admission being a canned food donation. In addition, Chapperel Elementary currently has a food drive, an Angel Tree holiday donation program, and a winter coat donation drive. Furthermore, Chapperel Elementary has once again invited Alex's Lemonade Stand to their jingle jog. Donations made to Alex's Lemonade Stand fund research that brings better treatments and cures to children with cancer. Williamsfield High School National Honor Society hosted the trunk or treat with admission being
030canned food for the Stuff the Bus food drive. During said trunk or treat, the students of Williamsfield High School were engaging, kind, and interacted with my kids and their friends. In addition to joyfully handing out candy, they encouraged and celebrated participation in a beanag toss, getting a small soccer goal, controlling a robot, and touching the slugs and brains and eyeballs. It was really wonderful to see the high schoolers genuinely care about the young members of our community. Thank you, Williamsfield High School students. I always only share examples which I personally witness, but I am certain that similar community- centered good things are happening across all campuses of Higgley Unified School District. And finally, I wish to say thank you to Dominic, the brave student who spoke at October 14th board meeting. He is a wonderful
031example of the portrait of a graduate with his own strengths and weaknesses and areas where he will focus his studies. Dominic and all Hegel Unified students deserve every educational opportunity that can be offered. Even when it might be hard, we must rivet our attention and efforts on doing what is best for all students. We must foster a lifelong love of learning as a foundation to success. Thank you. Next, we have Thomas Murphy. Good evening, governing board, um, district administration, teachers, students, parents, and principles. My name is Thomas Murphy, and I'm fortunate to be the music teacher at Santan Elementary School for the last 22 years. I'm in my 23rd year. Santan is a phenomenal place to work because all the teachers work together. It takes a lot for elementary schools to function. It takes a
032lot of roles to play. So, I'm here tonight to speak briefly in support of the elementary electivist program. As many know, it's very high on the list to be cut or reduced next year. Um, as I said earlier, there's a lot of roles to play at the elementary school. Classified, certified, front office staff. Um, many of us feel and many parents feel that the elementary lectus play a very strong part in that. We promote the growth mindset. Um, our classes are different, unique, yet vital. They're often an outlet for many students. Some students might be facing struggles in other classes. They can blossom in our class. They can find something they truly love to do that they're good at and then they can transfer that confidence to other subjects. They can begin to believe in
033themselves and believe in that growth mindset. Um, elementary lectures teach kids for upwards of seven years from kindergarten through sixth grade. That's a long span of time. I think that's longest longer than any other type of teacher in the district. And we help build that foundation for students moving forward from when they're wideeyed kindergarteners with untied shoes to when they're strong, confident sixth graders. And we have a lot of very strong, confident sixth graders. Um, the library is the heart of the school. Our media center teachers foster a love of reading and help students navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape. Art teachers foster creativity and help students understand spatial relationships and how to see the world. Music teachers foster collaboration [clears throat] and there's a large amount of research to back up that music improves
034reading, language, math, and fine motor skills. I also feel that we have unique way to help students find their voice. Physical education, while not on this potential list to be cut, is just as important. The physical education teachers are experts in their field. They do a phenomenal job to promote lifelong healthy habits. Band, orchestra, and choir go further with students practicing on their own and then coming together to collaborate to put on performances. Every one of these separate programs support something that happens in the middle school, high school, and beyond. Um, they all build a foundation. On a personal note, I once had an interesting conversation with Dr. Mike Thomasson, and we were talking about former superintendent Dr. Mike Thomasson talking about different teachers and different styles and we were I was just kind of
035admiring some teachers I knew and I had made a self-deprecating comment about I'm just an elementary music teacher. It's not that big of a deal. And he stopped me and he said, "You've had a positive impact on many lives." And I think that statement holds true for everyone that teaches elementary electives. We all have a positive impact on many lives and we hope to continue to do so because these courses are valid and have a a very important function in how the elementary schools work. So many of us asked that the district takes this new account moving forward and we hope to be again doing our best to support Higgley students. Thank you so much. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Up next we have Jonathan Willard. Hello members of the board, uh, district administration, and
036all in attendance tonight. My name is Jonathan Willard. I'm an art teacher at Higgley Traditional Academy, uh, and I've been there for 10 years. I am also here to speak in support of keeping elementary electives or specials because these programs are not extras. They are, in my belief, a essential to a well-rounded education, and I am worried that current circumstances have placed them in danger of being removed or reduced from our district. In a presentation from the uh Arizona Department of Education that I attended this weekend, I learned that research and experience show that students who participate in arts are five times less likely to drop out of school. They score nearly 100 points higher on the SATs and are twice as likely to graduate college. In arts programs, they develop critical life skills like
037creativity, problem solving, and collaboration. Uh these are uh these are skills that employees and communities employers and communities value. The arts make learning more engaging and enjoyable. They lead to higher attendance and improved academic performance in other areas like reading, math, and science. These programs build confidence, foster self-expression, and help students acquire deeper and broader knowledge. Beyond academics, these opportunities in arts teach resilience, empathy, and civil respon civic responsibility. Students involved in the arts are more likely to do things like volunteer and vote as adults. Traits that strengthen our communities. Elementary specials are not just classes. They are investments in student success, well-being, and future leadership. I urge you to find a way to continue supporting these programs so that every child has access to a truly well-rounded education within our district. Thank you. Thank
038you. Up next, we have Heather Balch. >> Good evening. I have two points that I would like to address this evening. First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our community, the parents, current and former students, teachers, and staff members who work tirelessly to help share the importance of passing our budget override. I am deeply appreciative of the 7,717 individuals who voted yes. I also recognize that this number would have been even higher if the many parents who who choose to send their children to attend our excellent schools had been given but live outside our boundaries had been given the opportunity to vote. To those who voted no, I am disappointed that so much misinformation about both our financial and our transparency coming from a certain governing board member and others within our community
039has influence your perception. I understand that many families are facing financial pressures and our district is facing them as well. If the state of Arizona had funded public education adequately and equitably, this would not even be an issue for us. Unfortunately, our legislators have chosen to provide charter schools and ESA programs with more funding per student than public schools receive. All while public schools continue to operate under intense accountability requirements. Accountability matters, of course, but it should be applied fairly and consistently across all educational systems. Higgley has been more transparent in the recent years than at any point I can recall, and it's time for our community to recognize that. The second topic I wish to address is the classroom site fund performance pay plan, which is being considered in tonight's action items. This plan
040was carefully developed by meet and confer and shared with every certified staff member. Each certified staff member had the opportunity to vote on its approval and in overwhelmingly 99.9% of um staff members voted in favor of adopting it. This plan will allow us to utilize specific funds set aside for this purpose. Thank you. Up next we have June Blaine. Good evening, governing board president Wade, governing board members, cabinet. My brain went two ways. One, I could get up here and I can complain and talk about how my heart hurts, but I'm going to go the positive route. And today I was able to take some sixth graders on a tour of Chandler Gilbert Community College and went into it thinking, "Oh my gosh, this is going to be a stressful nightmare and managing these kids."
041And I have to commend Chandler Gilbert Community College and the way that they ran it, but also um our students. They represented us very well. They enjoyed the tour and I learned a lot um of the programs that were offered at a campus. so close to our district and uh thought it was a great little seed to plant into those sixth graders of possible options uh outside of high school or past high school and uh some of the financial support they even touched on briefly and some of the uh student supports that they have for their college kids. So it was great. We got to tour the uh aviation program, the nursing program and also the mortuary science which the kids were quite enthralled with. So, um, they got to see some mannequins and and
042kind of see the the prep work that goes into that. So, um, it was it was very wellrun and I was grateful that we were able to take the kids on that trip and, uh, like I said, plant that seed in there for life after, uh, high school. We do have our No Excuses University at Gateway, so it was a great tiein to that as well. So, thank you. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Up next, we have Jeremy Brewer. Good evening, governing board, cabinet members, district, school administrators, parents, and teachers that are here. I am Jeremy Brewer, now in my 23rd year as a bandon music teacher in the Higgley district. Over these years, I've seen many programs and budget cuts. Tonight, I ask you to carefully consider upcoming budget decisions, especially those that most
043affect students well-being. While cuts may be unavoidable, we must avoid eliminating or reducing these programs that truly change lives, particularly the arts and music. I've witnessed over the years students lives saved and transformed by these programs. Music uniquely engages the entire brain, strengthening language, math, and lifelong learning. Once enhanced, the brain remains enhanced forever. There's science behind that. Remove this and you remove one of the most essential forces shaping young minds. Cutting these programs also burdens elementary teachers already stretched thin with added prep and instructional duties which directly takes away from their ability to care for each child, each student. The Arizona Department of Education states that K5 students are to study a minimum of two artistic disciplines for at least 90 minutes weekly with increased requirements heading into sixth grade. Imagine adding this expectation
044on top of language arts, math, science, and social studies standards to these teachers. Take away arts and music, and families may leave our district for schools that provide them, causing even less revenue and thus deepening our budget deficit. This also weakens our award-winning middle and high school programs these feed into. and we risk losing dozens of passionate educators dedicated to students futures who give of themselves and whose own families go without including mine in order for their students to succeed. I learned long ago that the well-being of students must outweigh every other consideration. [clears throat] I believe we all know this truth in our hearts and as we truly use this lens, we make the right decisions for children. I implore you tonight to be creative, to think and brainstorm carefully and take whatever time
045and energy necessary to make the right decision in the lives of these beloved students in our district. Because remember in Higgley, we got this. And as we keep these essential programs for students, we enable students to be able to say we got this about themselves when challenges and hard times arise. This is the wish of every great educator and loving parent. This is my wish for our students. Thank you. Thank you. Up next, we have Travis White. Good evening, President Wade, members of the board, community members, staff. My name is Travis. I'm a proud parent of a kindergartner in the Mandarin dual immersion program at Coronado Elementary. Uh, like many here, I know the decisions ahead are going to be incredibly difficult, and I want to say that I'm sorry that as a community, we
046couldn't come together to secure stronger, stable funding for our schools. Tonight, I urge you as you deliberate budget decisions to prioritize creative solutions to keep our Mandarin program and elementary specials intact. Mandarin specials are not extras. They make Higgley unique, competitive, and able to attract families who have a choice about where they want to enroll their children. If programs like language immersion, art, music, PE, and other specials are reduced or eliminated, we risk losing the very offerings that help our students excel and distinguish Higgley from neighbor neighboring districts. Just like celebrating all of the A's that we just got. Absolutely amazing. Across the country, signature programs like Mandarin and Strong Specials are what districts use to market themselves and boost open enrollment and counter declining student numbers. My daughter loves to tell me about her
047time in specials with Miss Zy, Miss Sapanti, and Coach Fry at Coronado. This is why I ask the superintendent when he gets back uh to collaborate um with you guys on concrete and ambitious plans to promote these young these uh unique programs through more robust web website content outreach to community, making it clear to out of town families why they should choose Higgley. Investing in and promoting what sets us apart can grow enrollment, stabilize funding, and help prevent the exact programs we're program cuts we're facing. Now, I do want to address something that's uncomfortable but important to my fellow Mandarin families. Um, please don't give up on the district yet. uh if many families leave now or signal their intentions to leave and start to have those conversations, it's only going to start to deepen
048the enrollment and budget crisis that we're facing and make it that much more difficult uh to save the programs that we care about so much. Staying engaged, speaking respectfully, and working with the district gives us a better chance to preserve Mandarin and our specials, not just for our kids, but for future families and for the other families who may not have as many choices or flexibility. I have immense empathy for those uh decisions and I hope we'll stand together and seek solutions. In closing, my specific asks are, please direct the superintendent and staff to prioritize and find creative approaches to keep Mandarin and elementary specials as a top strategic priority even amid even amid severe budget pressures. Develop and share a clear plan to use these programs as a central piece in the district efforts
049to draw new families to Higgley. Thank you for your service, your work in these challenges times, and for hearing from families even when the news is difficult. We greatly appreciate your commitment to our students and community. >> Thank you. Next, we have Emmy Wilt. Good evening. My name is Emmy Wilt and I am a sixth grader at Cornado Elementary. Even though I live in Chandler Unified boundaries, I have been attending Coronado since kindergarten for the Mandarin DLI program. I am here because I want the school board to know how the uncertainty around funding and electives affects students. Our electives, especially fine arts, are what makes school more than just coming to class. For a lot of us, fine arts, language programs, and other electives are the reason we look forward to school. Students show that
050Studies show that students involved in music and the arts consistently score higher academically. When you remove or reduce electives, you are not just cutting a class, you're lowering motivation, mental health, and academic performance. As a student, knowing not what not knowing what programs will stay or disappear makes me feel anxious. It's hard to focus on school when adults are around us don't communicate what the plan is. The uncertainty affects our mental and emotional well-being. I'm asking the board to clearly communicate the plan and timeline for decisions about what will be cut. Please involve student voices in that process. We live the results of your decisions every day. Students can handle hard news. What we struggle with is silence. Please communicate with us. Consider the impact on our daily lives and keep the programs that make
051our schools places we actually want to be. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Next we have uh Ann Barowski. [clears throat] Hi, I'm an uh we clearly have a phenomenal district. Today was awesome. I loved seeing all the A's, all the um all the schools, all the teachers, the amazing administration. Uh we clearly are making a difference in the lives of thousands of children. Uh and you guys have a difficult job. You clearly do making different difficult decisions about cuts, staffing, all of the things. Um at the same time, you know, open enrollment in the neighboring districts is live and unfortunately people are leaving and people are enrolling in those districts and that is a scary thing. My husband and I love Higgley. We want to stay and I know that sacrifices are going to
052be made um due to losing the override. All I can do is encourage you guys to be really transparent. Um, people are leaving because they don't know what's going on here and um, [clears throat] ultimately there hasn't been a lot of communication. Uh, I highly encourage you to keep us in the loop. Waiting until January is to me uh, and to a lot of the other parents is just too late. waiting until the spring is too late. Um to give us a timeline or to update after you've met, even just to say we're meeting, that would be encouragement. Um it would all it would just be an act in the right direction. So please just communicate with us before more parents are leaving because we want to stay in Higgley. We know you have a
053hard job. We just want to know that we're headed in the right direction. Um, as Emmy just said, that silence is devastating and so communication is key and we want to be we want to stay. So tell us what's going on. Bring us in the loop so we have some assurance of um what's going on. Thanks. Thank you. Next, we have Brandon Browski. >> Hi everybody. Thanks for letting me speak. Congratulations to all the A's that left. Um, yes, she married me. Don't ask me. Um, thanks for everybody that voted yes, you know, for sure. And, um, it didn't pass. My son plays soccer with Emy's brother. That is not what Emmy said on Saturday after the soccer games when we were talking about this. All right, that was really eloquent. What she said is
054they're taking away everything I love. And that sucked to hear, you know. Um, there's got to be something a creative way to do this. It doesn't say eliminate anymore, but it did last month. Last month it said eliminate dual langu the language immersion programs. It says reduce or eliminate now which is kind of all right. Um we need the electives. We need we really need the the Mandarin community that's been built is amazing. And people at other schools don't see it. But if you're in that school and you see like all the mandarin kids out hanging together and the parents and the relationships that you grow through the years of being together, I'm sure that Sausman has the the the Spanish. I'm sure that community builds because those kids stay together the whole time there,
055too. Um, but that's not being threatened because it's packed. There's only one other Mandarin program. It's over at Tar Water. It's packed over there. Um, this week I believe is the deadline to try to get into there. And I'm not saying we're going there by by all means, but this week is the week. and and answers would be nice some sort of plan. Combine the classes together, you know, if you need to put I I I know enrollment's low in it, but if you need to put first, second, and third grade together and combine them and and have them have them go on, however it works, enrollment's low. Also, um there are a lot of schools here. And thi this one's hard for me to say. I I don't come from education. I come from
056automotive and I worked for automotive when times were good and we lost the car market, you know, um bad management, bad whatever you want to call it. We lost the car market really. We just didn't put any money into it and we gave it away. Um it's really hard to get that market back. um because of things within the district, outside of the district, whatever, politics, public opinion, whatever, a lot of the market is gone because people get $7,000 to stay at home or whatever. Um because charter schools are so great, but there's 40 kids in a class there. You know, it's that stuff that people just get in their head and they believe it's really hard to get that market back. um they have to realize that that's a tough decision that that market
057might not come back and enrollment might stay around 12,000 when you have a capacity of 16,000 and then there is a budget problem. So I got Thanks. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Ups up next we have Kathleen Richards. Good evening, President Wade, board, and administration. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. Um, first of all, I want to recognize the fact that for all of those schools to be A-rated is really amazing. Some of those schools made leaps in order to get there. Whether that was from last year to this year, whether that was over steady leadership over time, our administrators here in the district office make sure that our sites all have some of the most tremendous leaders available to our young learners. And as a parent and a former educator, I am
058incredibly grateful for the work that you do. Um, I do find it interesting that tonight after we have obviously not passed our override, the theme of the evening so far has really been community. And what is community? It's our parents. It's our teachers. In theory, it should be the entirety of our board working together to do what is best for our students and teachers. There's a lot of misinformation that went out into our community over the last several years about what goes on here within our district. But I think tonight that those who have doubts about what might be happening in our classroom, I would encourage you to make sure that you're paying attention to what's actually happening versus the rumors that others like to spread. I want to share an anecdote because we have
059so many arts teachers and I myself am a former arts educator, a music and theater teacher in middle school, which I deeply loved before coming here to Arizona. And I want to talk about what my daughter's reaction was to the override not passing. In our house, we are not quiet about the funding situation here in Arizona. And so my 10-year-old and my 14-year-old can talk very eloquently about why money matters in schools. And so my youngest daughter, who is very excited to be participating in orchestra, shout out to Mr. Lambert and his string samurai program at HTA, um she wanted to know what this meant for her orchestra program. And I was honest with her and I said, "I don't know, sweet girl. I don't know. But we're going to work really hard to be
060creative because we have an excellent leader in Superintendent Latsoniser and I trust that he will look at what the data shows in terms of arts organiz arts education and what it means for your overall education. And her response was, "Hey, mom, what if I do a lemonade stand and I go ahead and raise the money to pay Mr. Lambert so that he can keep teaching? And I want to let that sink into our community. That is the spirit of our children. That is what is important to them as they go about their daily lives on our school campuses. And that is what I hope that our board and administration hold both in their minds and their hearts as they go forward with difficult decisions. And I hope that our community, the whole of our community,
061including the naysayers, are listening and also take that to heart. Thank you. Thank you. Up next, we have Mindy Brocker. Thank you, President Wade, board, for allowing me to speak. I clearly wasn't prepared to do so tonight. But when I arrived and I saw the amazing robotics students, the A ratings, our our points of pride, I couldn't help but be so encouraged um about this district and how we will persevere. I have been absolutely um privileged and grateful for all the parents, for the parents in district and out of district, for our teachers, for administrators that have worked so hard to try to pass the overright. I'm also disappointed. I'm disappointed that I didn't learn and didn't know until after the election that money matters. And well, I knew money matters, but I didn't know
062that Glenn We um he is big here in Gilbert, founder of ALA schools. He has a political action committee. I just found this out. Um this political action committee, makes sense, fights for charter schools. I noticed, unfortunately, that they sponsored a couple of school board members in the last couple of elections. only a couple, one of them being Anna Van Hulk, whom they gave a sizable donation to. I also was very saddened to find that this sizable donation was not reported on any of the financial measures or reports that are required to collect that information so that we as parents and community members can know who we are electing. It makes me wonder about decisions that are being made past and future about information that is being spread and about where this money went and
063what other money may have also been donated but never reported. So I want to make sure that you as a board know this and are aware of it so that you can keep that in mind when making future decisions. And I also would like to speak to parents in our community, in our neighborhoods, the ones that were so encouraged by Higgley Unified Schools, who choose Higgley Unified Schools. I would ask them to dig deep, to try to make a difference. You're not going to change the world, but you may change the day of a teacher. You may change the month of a student. Invest in your teachers. Invest in your administrators. Invest in your students. because little by little we can make a difference. Thank you. That concludes requests to speak for today. Um I
064apologize to the board members and cabinet because I'm going to I'm going to do a fivem minute break. I have to go to the restaurant. That's >> Do you have a comment? [snorts] Go ahead. Um, I do want to address public comment. I know some of you are upset that the override did not pass, and I want to be very clear. I never told anybody how to vote. What I did, and what I will always do, is make sure that the public has accurate information. So, >> I'm sorry, Miss Van Hook. I you can address something that was spec I'm >> I'm going to uh ask legal at least the way I'm understanding this at the present moment I I disagree that that's what's happening. Um, President Wade, board members, at the conclusion of all
065the calls to the public, um, the board member has the option to respond briefly um to criticisms um to direct staff um to bring an a an agenda item in the future or to research a matter and possibly bring it back on an agenda. >> Thank you. Um, [sighs and gasps] what I will always do is make sure that the public has accurate information so that they can make an informed decision. That is governance. Schoolboard members are elected by the public to govern. We answer to the voters, not to staff, not to contractors, not to special interests, and not to HA. The community spoke last year, and they spoke again this year. Whether we agree with the outcome or not, voters have the final authority in bonds and override elections. Some may choose to attack
066me personally for the outcome, but that won't deter me. Personal attacks do not change the facts, and facts don't care about your feelings, and they will not silence me from doing what I was elected to do. Provide oversight, ask hard questions, and ensure transparency. It is neither political nor personal. It is common sense and good governance. We must ensure that we are transparent and accountable. That is how public institutions earn trust, not by repeating talking points, but by confronting reality honestly. I remain committed to serving this community with honesty and integrity. And whenever transparency, accountability, and good governance is at risk, I will speak up. >> Could Could you give me just a moment to pull the relevant policy? >> Sure. Yes, please. I appreciate it. >> I just don't want the board to possibly
067have an open meeting law issue. >> I appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Do what? >> We're going to allow her to look up the policy because again, it doesn't feel as if this is in line with that. >> It is in response to public comment. So, I don't see how it's not >> any that the in >> Yeah. Sorry. I apologize. I just need a minute because your policies aren't on the the normal spot where I I find them. So, just >> No need to apologize. Well, I do but this and then I'll do it. >> Okay. Can I read from your policy? >> Yes, please. >> Okay. It is governing board policy BEDH. Um it is the fourth bullet point down. Um on your policy it says personal tax upon board members, staff
068personnel or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the board are discouraged. Policies K, KEB, KEC, and KED are provided by the board for disposition of legitimate complaints including those involving individuals. Upon conclusion of the open call to the public, individual members of the board may respond to any criticism made by an individual who has addressed the board. So my my recommendation with that that that response would be brief just like your board member statements are a brief summary of current events. [clears throat] >> Thank you for that. >> Yes. [sighs] And um yes, nobody called me by name, but you don't attack anybody else other than me. So I will respond just like I did. So the law requires me to do what I what I do and to be transparent
069and I will continue to do that whether you like it or not. Thank you. I would like to um before the break considering uh now would be the time to direct cabinet in that I think it is uh important for us when we are presented with what options we're looking into uh with respect to finances to do the very best we are capable of doing in terms of the creativity that was repetitively asked for here today. Um, and we'll take that five minute break now. very Byebye. God's happy The only person Jesus. My apologies everyone. Thank you. This brings us to consent agenda items. I motion to approve consent agenda consent agenda items 5.1 through 5.20. >> Second. That would be Miss Schultz seconding. [clears throat] >> All those in favor? >> I motion carries
0705. We would like to thank Gateway Point PTO, Higgley High Booster Club, the Thunderbirds, Santan Boosters, Northrop Groomman, Jake Ber, Williamsfield High School Football Boosters, uh former Girls Soccer Club Booster for their generous donations to the students and the schools. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> This brings us to uh item 6.1 2026 2027 course guides. Mr. Fields, you're up. >> Good evening, President Wade and governing board members. Presenting tonight an information item on the 2026 2027 course guide process for uh your review. You can see in the packet there is the draft proposals but I will go through the PowerPoint highlighting the process and our proposed changes. So we started the process on August 5th uh that that begins with a current review of the information from our previous course guides with the ID services
071team. Um then we send out for proposals from that team as well as site personnel. We collect all those proposals and we have uh review meetings to review those proposals and make decisions on what we feel is in the best interest to move forward. Um we concluded those meetings on October 20th. That brings us to the information item being presented to you tonight. Uh we will bring this back as an action item on the December 9th meeting so that we are prepared when registration begins in January. personnel involved. You can see there are members of the education services team as well as uh school counselors from the middle school and high schools uh administration members both principles and assistant principles from the middle school high schools as well as uh representatives of the Hickley virtual
072academy. So updated updated uh changes that we have uh you can see there are three math support classes algebra support geometry support and algebra 2 support. The proposal is to switch those classes rather than receiving a letter grade that they would re those classes would be taken pass fail. Students would still receive credit but uh they would be for a pass fail not a letter grade. uh proposal to change the prerequisite to algebra 2 to add a uh prerequisite of algebra 1. Um there is language changes uh to the course description for capstone research, AP capstone research and AP capstone seminar. Uh that clarifies who's going to be choosing the topics uh that those are chosen by the teacher, not by uh individual students. Um and then we removed the prerequisites for social studies courses.
073We there are grade level uh recommendations, but we removed the course prerequisites. Those are graduation requirements and so students are taking those uh sometimes out of order if they transfer to our district. Um and we want them to be able to take the course with their grade level peers. Uh as far as additional courses, we are not adding any courses. We are more changing the title of a course. Uh honors electrical [cough] computer engineering. We are changing the title and updating the description so that will become honors mechatronics engineering. Mechatronics is uh inclusive of uh mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, uh electrical engineering and computer engineering uh all into one course. So that's more in line with what we teach. such an intro level uh engineering course. As far as the middle school goes, we have
074two updates in the area of orchestra. Uh first of all, we are updating the advanced string orchestra prerequisite to include teacher uh recommendation or audition. And then in the onle string orchestra, we are removing the prerequisite. That's an intro level course uh that previously required students to have uh two years of or at least a year of uh experience in orchestra. Uh this gives more students a chance to take uh orchestra or learn about orchestra in the middle school. Higgley Virtual Academy um is no longer a school. So, we updated the title of their course guide to include online program clarifying that this is not a school. This is an online program. Uh, and then there was a update to the course codes for visual art one and two. Those were middle school codes. We
075are no longer offers offering middle school courses. So, those were replaced with the appropriate high school uh course codes. And then we have a special education uh course guide, but that is an internal document. It's not forward- facing. Uh it is for students who have an IEP uh and qualify for those special education services. Um we are updating the course prerequisites for these courses that were previously listed in that course guide. All the others had IEP as a prerequisite. will be adding IEP to these courses. That that is a prerequisite to enroll in these courses. Any questions? Go ahead. Um actually mine are uh are you going to present the go over each individual course guide or Yeah. >> No, I'm they're they're included for you to review. Um but I'm I'm not going to
076go over the entire course guide. Those are lengthy documents. >> Okay. I have questions about um the high school one. Um, can you tell me which course it was um that would contain uh what we're calling sensitive material out of the uh we've got AP English two AP Englishes 11 and 12 and then um the college prep and then the honors multicultural and then the creative writing. Do all those contain um would all those contain explicit content or sensitive content or just >> it's not necessarily that they maintain sensitive con content but there's a process to address if they do if if the uh material uh presented is sensitive to one person o over anx. We we don't determine necessarily what's sensitive to each individual, but there's a process to uh receive an alternate assignment
077uh in those courses where material may be sensitive. >> Okay. Um, and I know we discussed this last year, but um, my concern is in the course guide description for each class. There's nothing that tells parents that that class might contain sensitive information. And I I think that that's not being very transparent. So if a parent decides to select that class and then finds out that there is uh sensitive explicit content in that class then later becomes an issue. Um and I would like for the course description to have some sort of verbiage to say that there might be sensitive content in the class. um just for the sake of transparency because that way parents can decide upfront if that's a course that they want to choose for their their students um versus finding out
078after their child's been in the class already. >> Miss Van Hook, before you move on to the next one, can I ask a clarifying question so I can understand because I'm not looking at what you're looking at. You started this by saying it describes it says sensitive material. Is that not the implication that those courses could have that as far as the course guide? >> No, it does not for there's just language at the top of the course guide that says that explains sensitive material uh and not necessarily uh for each course. Uh just at the beginning of the course guide, it mentions sensitive material. Um >> I mean >> but not within each course. >> Look to be to be clear with respect to high school at the end of the day I feel
079like there are a number of courses that could have that which is why that information is presented and then depending on the course and the curriculum for that year as well as the teacher. That stuff is by policy we give out ahead of time. It's not like you have to uh opt in or anything in that every student is required to send home and we even now updated I don't know when it feels like forever ago at this point in time um a year ago that it has specific categories in terms of the sensitive material by nature is also part of that now. So I guess my question is how is that not providing at least to individuals who are prepared to take a high school course that some of these courses in high school
080may contain sensitive material. >> First of all um sensitive is not even a statutory term. Statutory term is sexually explicit graphic mature content. And so just having in there that says sensitive material is is just not a statutory term and that should be changed. Um but the fact that it doesn't list it within the actual course so parents know that that specific course contains it is the problem. Uh at the top of the course guide we say sensitive material, but how are parents supposed to know which course it applies to? And so I'm asking for the sake of transparency that we in the description for for the course to say this is the course that would contain explicit material so that parents know ahead of time so that they're, you know, not making a decision
081to put their student into that class and then later uh having to opt their child out of any explicit material and having to leave class or whatever is involved in the whole process of their student not being involved in in those kind of topics. So this is a transparency issue for me. >> We we have a a mechanism to address that that's addressed in our course syllabus. And the reason it's done in the syllabus and not in the course guide is the course guide is the general description of the course um not specific to each school. So you might have the same course taught at Higgley High uh that is taught at Williamsfield, but it may not use the same set of books. Um and so each specific teacher uh with their sends out in
082their syllabus at the beginning of the course for parent approval what the books are going to be and which ones in on that list are potentially containing that material. And then we have a ad drop ad drop policy within the first 10 days. So if a parent chose no harm no foul, they can switch. It does not affect their GPA, their transcript, anything. It doesn't go on their transcript at all. They can switch courses. >> Okay. >> I also would like to add the term sensitive over that. We go above and beyond when it comes to some of our assignments. So, there are some assignments that don't meet the sexually explicit material and yet we still send home to parents because we recognize that some folks may be going through some of these topics that
083aren't sexually explicit, let's say, or wouldn't be part of that that might still cause some difficulty for families at home. And so again, I think limiting us to what the legal description is doesn't imply that there's a broader scope that at the end of the day, we work really hard here to to give parents the choice. And I also think it's important that what constitutes sensitive for one may not be for another in that while I recognize the high school may have curriculum that is difficult in nature that is part of the course of history. For example, teaching the Holocaust is real rough every time. Every time. And that would be sensitive in nature. And so I feel like if we make it something that it's different, you might have people who are excluding themselves
084from something because they fear something rather than taking the opportunity to look at the syllabus and actually see what it is that we're talking about here. And in the same note, they if they and I'm not saying sexually explicit, but the word explicit, graphic, and mature mature content, um would be the more appropriate uh language to use uh based on statute. Um and even putting that in, parents still can do exactly what you just said. Um but my point is to to utilize language that is statutory. Um that's a statutory term and not uh using the word sensitive because that is much more vague than the intent of statute which is why they used those words specifically. Um, >> I I I think the reason for sensitive is that it's more inclusive of other situations
085outside of just sexually explicit material that someone may be sensitive to, >> you know, a death situation, a book that that perhaps discusses a parent death or something and their particular situation, they're currently sensitive to that and it would give them the option to do something else for that unit. >> Yeah. I just I mean that would still fall under graphic or mature content. Um, so utilizing explicit graphic or mature content would still be covered under that versus sensitive being um pretty vague. Um, [clears throat] but again, I just I think it's important that we are transparent um so that parents can make an informed decision. Um the next uh let's see >> well before you move on can we are I mean can we I think she had a Mr. Schultz had a comment
086and I also did. >> Before you move on, can we do is it >> go ahead. >> Your mic is on. >> Oh, sorry. >> I was just going to suggest I mean this is not an action item until December 9th. So, what you could do is you could write uh some sort of description to be added to whatever courses you want that says this course may contain sensitive material. If so, you'll receive a syllabus and a permission slip from from the teacher. uh but just I would say that you know rather than discuss this for hours now it's not an action item but uh bring it back for an action item on December 9th when we have the course description book then we can take action on that would be my suggestion >> right
087and that's my whole purpose is having this discussion so that um we can look at um making those updates before it's brought back for a vote >> I will I would like to oh go ahead >> board members I I just wanted to remind you you do this some of this is covered in your policy KB which is the parents bill of rights and I just wanted to read a portion of the policy to you. So it says objection to a learning material or activity on the basis that is harmful includes objection to a material or activity because it because it questions beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion or because of sexual content, violent content or profane or vagal vulgar language. So you do have a procedure that would allow the opting out
088of a particular portion of a piece of the curriculum. >> Thank you. I also wish to express that I think talking about it is one thing, but to say that we aren't transparent because you disagree is something else. And so it's okay to say I think we should go farther. But to say that we're not transparent when you literally started this with an expression that all these courses have that and we have redundant things in place to ensure that process feels disingenuous to say that it's transparent. It is okay to say that I think we should do this and as Mr. Glover expressed, I think we're all open to that. It's the manner with which your presentations are for the things that you specifically take issue with. >> Okay. So, um clearly you did not
089look at the course guide um because you would know that it's not in the description. I I started off by asking which of these courses would have explicit content. So, I'm not saying that we have a problem with being transparent about our course guide. What I'm saying is I would like to be transparent and put it in the course guide description because currently sensitive materials is listed at the top of the course guide. So, parents don't know which course it actually applies to. That's what I'm saying. And yes, not only with our parental bill of rights, but now with Mimmude versus Taylor, parents have a right to opt out based on religious beliefs, which is great. But again, it's after the fact that once parents sign up for the course, sign their children up for
090the course, that then they're finding out that there's explicit content. Let's tell them ahead of time so that they can make an informed decision because it is not in the course description for each course. President [clears throat] Wade, can I say something? So yes, in this course guide, obviously it's itemized and it's kind of hard. So if there could be an asterisk or something that pivots that parent to see that there could be potential sensitive content and that they will look to look for notification of the course curriculum literature that's going to be released. That way the parents as they scroll through the courses they can swiftly just be pivoted to the sensitive. So just a little extra step if we could bring that transparency a little bit more. Does that make sense? No, something
091like that. Did that make sense? >> I understand what you're saying. I just [snorts] >> I don't know um Okay. >> which courses that I would I would label as potentially having sensitive content. Um because it's going to be dependent on the individual teacher and their list of novels. that is from the approved list of novels that the board has has approved that already has these ones require a permission slip. These ones do not. >> So we we can't say this course could potentially have >> I guess you could say all of them could potentially have >> a math course wouldn't have it. >> They can pull from the approved uh curriculum materials. And again, would that not be covered when at the top of it, it says sensitive material could be presented in some
092of these courses, right? Is that not what you read at the beginning of this? I the idea of putting in an individual thing, again, if [snorts] it's expressed at the top, I hear you. And I think all of those things are fair. I also go, there are policies and practices that we have in place. When the course guide goes out and kids are signing up for it, we don't even know who's teaching it sometimes because we don't know which teachers are coming back. So again, these things can be difficult when we don't have our staffing decided and our staffing has to be based off of the number of students who sign up for courses. And I recognize that you may have parents who sign up for a course and then have to change said course
093and that is an unfortunate situation when that specific thing happens. But by and large it doesn't happen. We have the permission slips. We had the issue that we had with the books and it was a singular individual who didn't even leave the course. One person did. So it was two. >> I I I think there's this isn't about a one specific parent. >> We we want to have the option for >> students and parents to have the the ability to get an alternate assignment at any point during a course, not just totally avoid a course because there's a small portion that they uh find offensive or or don't want to be a part of. Right. Absolutely. That's their choice and and we want that to be their choice. Uh, so there's the option to completely
094not enroll in the course, but there's also an option to stay in the course and say, "Hey, we find this particular piece offensive. We're I want you an alternate assignment for that piece." >> Yeah. But my my thing is why wait until the parent enrolls in the class to to then notify them? I I don't understand why it's such a problem. I mean in the under sensitive material we say h uh high school course material especially d especially dual enrollment and AP courses may contain sensitive material. So for the the courses which most likely would be an English class. I don't understand why we can't do an asterisk or put some sort of language in the course guide for that for dual enrollment or AP English classes to say these would potentially be the the
095class. Uh I just I don't understand why it's a big issue not to be able to do that to let parents know ahead of time. >> President Wade. Yes. And just to continue on um like the literature obviously if teachers are choosing from books then automatically you could assess or just assume potential sensitive and I think what's very important is pivoting the parent to pay attention to those emails for those syllabi at the first and so yes we can argue both sides like will it deter some parents h maybe but ultimately we want to make sure that parents know exactly what what to be looking for and what they're signing up for and parents adults, we want to give them that choice with their student if that makes sense. So yes, if we can be
096a little bit more transparent, that way parents know that they will get options at the beginning, but yes, we will be covering sensitive materials in this topic, that would be great. >> Your next one. Um, and then as far as the HVA courses, would the same I didn't see the sensitive material noted in the HVA course guide, um, would it not apply to any of those courses? >> I don't know. I would have to go and look at those HVA courses specifically and try and determine what uh, potentially sensitive material would be in each and every one of them. >> Okay. Yeah. So, the only one that it's a sensitive material that I noticed was just the um high school uh not HVA um and I would hope it wouldn't be in middle school, but
097um since it only applies to dual enrollment AP, then um I would assume it would apply to HVA. Um and again the sped course as I mentioned last year uh I don't um I don't like the fact that we use the castle doctrine um for our special education students. Um [sighs and gasps] and then for the um algebra 2 uh what is the prerequisite for algebra 2 or advanced string orchestra? >> So for algebra 2 there was no prerequisite and we are recommending to add the prerequisite of algebra 1. um the advanced string orchestra, we are recommending to add the prerequisite of audition or teacher approval and then to remove the prerequisite for regular string orchestra so that students can take that without having prior experience in orchestra. >> Okay. Um and then uh I
098also mentioned this last year um but the uh language the non-discrimination language uh that contains um includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Um I think that that wording extra wording needs to be removed uh based on the ex you know exactly what Title 9 actually requires which prohibits discrimination basis of SE uh basis of sex um and under current federal rules and um that means biological sex. And by taking that additional language out, um it would align us with um the official title line wording um and would cover everybody. >> So if you want to add that with the other proposal that you're going to send forward that we'll take a look at it. >> Okay. Um I also noticed in here um it says schools may disclose without consent directory information and
099due to HB214 that is now against the law. So that language has to change because we can't share directory information without parental consent. Um and that's all I have. Thank you. before I move on. All right. Thank you, Mr. Fields. [clears throat] This brings us to item 6.2, 2024, 2025 A throughF letter grades. Mr. Armstrong, >> President Wi, members of the board, thank you. Tonight, we're uh we're going to just give an overview of how our district performed once the PowerPoint comes up. uh and give some information about our A throughF letter grades. Obviously, we heard it multiple times and I said it we're going to hear it multiple times just how great our our students performed, our teachers help those students perform and our administrators continue to to do to do right by by
100students and getting them ready to go um in their current grade level and in the future grade levels as well. All right. Tonight we're focusing in on strategic anchor one, which is teaching and learning, student success, and and we're going to see some of that information coming up. This this slide is here to show our our letter grade over the course of the last three years in which they started providing [snorts] districts with actual letter grades. And what is what's a huge shout out for for our district is that if you look the the scale score was a 3.93 which is.7 of a point away from that 4.0. And so that's a huge testament to to our district and everyone that is involved. This is our district in comparison to districts in in the East
101Valley surrounding us. As you can see, the orange are A's, green is B, blue is C's, yellow are D's, and then the uh light blue is the unrated. And those are schools that are actually going through review process or under review process with the Department of Education in those particular districts. Huge shout out again to all of our all of our campuses, our community. Thank you for partnering with our schools and and getting our kiddos ready um each and every day to come to school and continue to shine with how we are performing as a district. I do want to also shout out that uh that B is our HVA program and they even increase from a C to a B as well. So that's again the amazing things that that are taking place within
102our district. couple of celebrations huge um really just amazing Gateway Point and improved from a B to an A and that's a lot of work and when you see later on the presentation the point totals you'll be amazed at just how well they they have done both high schools earn 19 out of a possible 20 points on the CCRI I did have to go over to Mr. field today and say, "Hey, remind me what are all the CCR components?" And he looked at me and said, "There's a lot. You don't have enough time to write them down, but it's but it is amazing and congratulations to our to our high schools. English learner reclassification and growth exceeds the state rates. This is huge." And this was across our district. Um the Department of Ed, we
103actually are trying to recognize individuals for their hard work regarding this diverse group. And I will tell you that it's been absolutely awesome to see just how great our English learners are doing embedded into our everyday classrooms and learning throughout the day. It's evident and schools did an amazing job um with that. And that's a huge shout out to Mrs. Garland and her and her teachers that are particular to to our EL students. Absolutely amazing. Um four sites improved their chronic absenteeism yearly over the last three years. We are graded on absenteeism and uh that is a huge push because those con those can be considered points as well obviously and four of our sites over the last three years continually improved which is which we find can be difficult at times. So we're continually
104talking to all of our sites and our admin are very intentional. Shout out to Power Ranch today. I was with them and they had a strong discussion as a campus as well as as a staff and as well as their uh school site council about this particular topic as well. All right. So, how are we graded? We're going to go through this um for everyone real quick. The K8 model you [clears throat] have it's obviously based off of 100 points. 50% of it is growth, 30% of it is proficiency. our e and if people were to look at our campuses, you would have to have a certain number of a population uh which is about 10 students to be eligible for EL and the other diverse groups. So that's also worth 10 points. And then
105acceleration and readiness, there are multiple components that go into that acceleration and readiness uh percentage and our schools do a really good job. One of those is actually looking at our diverse group data, our sub subgroup data, and they focus in on that because you can receive up to six points as long as students are continually improving from the previous year. Bonus points, >> [clears throat] >> um that is science proficiency above the state average. You get up to three points based off of that. And then special education enrollment within 60 to 100% of the state percentage, schools will receive two points as well. And that's a huge piece because Mrs. Miller does a really good job of ensuring our schools are fully aware of where they are and how we are we are helping
106our students who are special education students. All right, this is the celebration. If you take a look, you will see that every school obviously is an A. Um, but what's really remarkable and something is eight of our schools jumped a total of three points or higher from the previous year. And as we said, a huge shout out um Gateway Point at an 80.10, they jumped to 86.68 points and that is that is huge. And they continue to do focus in on collaborative teams and focus in on learning. Um huge shout out to uh Coronado Elementary who received 100.66 of the points and that is that's awesome. Um Bridges just down the line. And I I I I can't express it enough just how hard when we walk into these you guys walk into the buildings
107as well. We have a visit coming up this Thursday and just to see the amount of work that our teachers are doing um the amount of work that they plan for. They're intentional about direct instruction. They're intentional about intervention. Um small group time and and it takes a collaborative effort and it really it really is amazing for our for our elementary school. So, we're very proud of them. Middle school, huge shout out. Take a look at that. Middle School, 76.24 points, jumped it up to 84.73. Big shout out to Mr. Contrell and his team. Uh, I know he's been very intentional about the work that he's been doing over the last three years. And we are we are very proud and honored to say that both of our middle schools are are really shining in
108this process. 912 not necessarily in my wheelhouse but I'll speak to it. All right. Um super as you can see graduation rate CCRI is worth 20% proficiency is 30% growth is 20 and E is 10 and they follow almost the exact same as elementary or the K8 model in terms of science and special education but they also have bonus points that can be uh given for their their ACT Aspire participation. Um, and they can receive up to third three, I'm sorry, three bonus points, not 30. Here it is. Uh, as you see, [clears throat] amazing. We're continuing to to grow. Um, two points for I mean, one point away 7 points away for Williamsfield High School. Awesome. And then Higgley High continuing to move up as well. And again, another testament to to teachers, students,
109and and our administrative team on those campuses. Again, I before I I'm done, I I I can't say it enough that the work that our teachers and our our students continue to do uh directly results into the achievement. We know that this is just one data point, and I want to remind everyone this is just one data point of the great things that are taking place within our district. There are multiple if you were to take a visit and walk around and see our students engaged in activities, engaged in learning each and every day that you'll see where else we are excelling and a huge shout out to our entire community. Um, and we thank we thank them for everything. Our teachers, you guys are doing an amazing job. So, thank you. >> I'll take
110any questions. I again just want to congratulate everyone um and thank you for putting this together. Um, I would like to see um some additional information such as subgroups, uh, like root cause explanations, um, numbers related to chronic absenteeism, CCRI breakdowns, um, and what our future plans are to kind of keep this going. Um, [snorts] and were there any changes in the in the requirements from from the state as far as the grading system? Did anything change this year versus last year? >> No, there were no major changes. >> Okay. um just to kind of get a better understanding um you know as far as what interventions were used uh what we did to increase these grades um and um just to uh also include ELLL sped low-inccome minority subgroups um to to get a
111better understanding of the achievement gaps Um and then um yeah, just all those categories I listed um just to kind of give a breakdown and then also special ed um you know, I want to understand like what actually drove these improvements um and if they're um you know, sustainable and and what we'll continue to do um to to keep those grades up. Um, I also would like information. I know chronic absenteeism is an issue across uh the nation. Um, and just to understand the the four sites that we we saw improvement in, uh, what did we actually do to improve the absenteeism issue within those four schools? Um and then the both high schools earning 19 out of 20 um had you know how we went about achieving those uh those points. Um I know
112CCIs include you know CTE AP courses and um FAFSA dual enrollment. Um, but again, just knowing what what all went into it versus such high level. Um, I I want to see all the main components at the bottom. Um, if we can get that, that'd be wonderful. Um, and then as far as uh Higgley Virtual Academy, uh, [clears throat] we jumped from an F to a B. Um, and I know Let me I'm sorry. Uh board president way member van vice member van hook >> it they were a C. >> Okay. So an S to a C. >> Okay. Um I'd like to understand how Oh. Oh, they went from a C to a >> they were a they were a C that went to a B. >> Got it. Okay. Um, sorry, 58 seeing
11358% in my mind is is not typically a C. Um, but I'd like to also understand like what changed and then uh at what did we eliminate HVA completely already? >> So HVA is a program now. It's not a standalone school, right? So, it's unclear with the state at this point whether they will continue to receive a letter grade for the next year or two uh until the cohort of students that is is in that group uh completes. Uh but they will then become part of uh those students are enrolled at Higgley High School or Williamsfield High School right now and take online courses as part of their enrollment. So, their scores should eventually turn into uh Williamsfield scores or Higgley high scores, not HVA standalone scores because they are no longer a school. They're
114our program. [clears throat] >> So, that so we do have students that are 100% online, but their home school is either Williamsfield or Higgley. >> That's correct. >> Okay. All right. That's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Fields. Wouldn't that be hard to do the numbers? Wouldn't that be the numbers would be off if you're >> like there's a chance that the online school would still have a grade? >> Mr. Brookshshire is not here. Okay. But in our him uh Mr. Armstrong and myself, he he expressed that there's a potential that the state may have them >> continue to receive scores until >> a certain cohort in that group, >> okay, >> moves on. and and he was not 100%. So, I don't want to say that for sure they are. Uh it's a may
115at this point. >> It would just be skewed. I would think they would be off, right? But um I just want to say uh kudos to Mr. Kentrell and Kulie Middle School because that was a huge jump for them and middle school is hard. I have one who I have to beg to go to school every morning. Um but getting those kids to class and that's amazing that he was I think it's been four or five years since they were an A. Is that correct? >> Yeah. And middle school is actually the most difficult level to uh earn a high letter grade because there are bonus points at both the high school level and the elementary level. And the middle school, if you'll notice, has no >> no bonus points. >> Right. Correct. So, they
116have to work extra hard. >> Yes. >> I'm sorry. They they still have So, >> they still have some bonus points. Is that what you're trying to say? >> They follow the K8 model. >> Okay. Yes. >> And so they have the they have the bonus points and they have the opportunity for some um the and Mr. Birkshshire can speak to this far better than we can. The the components [clears throat] of within some of the pieces of this model that are focused in on middle school make it a little bit more difficult. Um, no, I'm good. Thank you. I I'm good. Thank you. Um, I wish to express again gratitude to all of our staff. At the end of the day, this comes down to the teachers and the work that they are putting
117in. um to some of your questions on how we identify these things. It is teachers knowing some of our tests have changed in recent years and so we've talked about it with science in that it's a brand new test and so then teachers go okay we need to make sure that we start looking at how to get some of these critical thinking skills or how to get some of these skills in our everyday classrooms and then it helps us to be better to identify our students who are struggling and how we can come together and and work through that. So at the end of the day, this work is at the hands of each and every teacher who works with a student, every parah, every classified staff who assists in that process because it is
118not easy. Taking tests is hard routinely. Ultimately, a lot of our schools are already doing well. They were A's to begin with. We had twos that were B and then they moved up. And it's difficult to maintain in A as well because you have to continue to show growth and that is hard. And when you look at different cohorts coming through and all of those things, it matters. So, I appreciate the work. What I wish more than anything is that we had community members outside of this that recognized what that means, that recognize what it is that our school is doing and the effort and the work that comes through because throughout some of this, you hear things and say things or you hear people talk about how Higgley isn't, you know, performing well. And
119at the end of the day, by every single metric, we are by every single metric, we outperform a lot. We outperform everybody in this area and we outperform across the state. And I think for those of us who maybe aren't a part of education and when you look at some numbers, for example, the 58, it matters what metrics they are going forth. It's the same reason that when you have a four-point scale, sometimes people get upset because they go, why is my kid not a four? You tell me they're passing and they're only a three. And again, it's how rubrics are done. And ultimately at the state level, it's because of rubrics. So kudos to every single one of you. I know that this week is hard, especially because everybody wants to go away for
120break and the raining and all of that makes it rough and it has been a long year, but I appreciate each and every one of you and the work that you are doing. And to every single one of our students who sit what feels like a million tests, you are awesome and you're performing spectacularly. This brings us to item 7.1. >> Oh, go ahead. >> Really fast. I My question was last year, I think, didn't we get um a comparison with the charter schools or No, was that >> and I didn't see that anywhere. So, I was just going to ask >> President Wade, Vice President Schultz, we did. Uh we didn't that wasn't in put it into this presentation. Um but >> do you have those notes just that you could send or >>
121we Yeah, we can I'll make that note and we can send that to you. Um, [laughter] President uh, President Wade, just to pass on a message to from Superintendent Lenheiser. Him and Marcus Burkshshire are going to come back with a comprehensive dig into all this information and present that to you guys in the near future. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Item 7.1, approval of JLC, Student Health Services and Requirements. Second read. Do I have any questions or comments from the board before I motion? I motion that the governing board approves JLC student health services. Second, Miss Van Hook. Seconded. All those in favor? >> I was that. Motion carries 5. I didn't hear. Item 7.2 approval of JLF reporting child abuse child protection third read. Any questions or comments from the board
122before a motion? I motion that the governing board approves JLF reporting child abuse and child protection. >> Second. >> That would be Mr. Glover. All those in favor? >> I. Motion carries. Five to zero. This [snorts] brings us to item 7.3, approval of 2025 2026 HUSD goals. Uh due to the fact that Mr. Mr. Latsoniser was unable to attend today. I am going to motion that we uh table the meeting or table this specific discussion or passage just in case any of us have any questions for Mr. Lsonheiser and then that way he can be here until our December 129 meeting. >> Second. Miss Schultz seconded. All those in favor of tableabling this specific agenda item until December. I >> I motion carries five to zero. This is 7.4 consideration and direction on ASBA bylaw
123change proposal. Any questions or comments from the board before I motion, Miss Zimmerman, for clarification, does it matter who we designate for the motion there? >> It does not. >> Okay. Um, so I'll just put in my name if unless somebody has an issue with them. All right, great. Yeah. Yeah, I figured. Uh, I motion that the governing board designate Amanda Wade as the voting representative. Uh, I'm saying in favor of the proposed bylaws uh, December 16th, 2025 at 5:00 PM. >> Second. >> That would be Mr. Glover is seconding. All those in favor? >> I motion carries 5. Hold on. >> Okay. Item 7.5 discussion regarding uh board self- evaluation. Any questions or comments from the board before I motion? I'm the one who actually put it on. So I I will make uh
124a statement in that I think it would be beneficial for us as a board to do this self-evaluation uh and take some some stock about where we are with respect to functionality as a board and the things that we are capable of doing for here in Higgley. >> President, >> yeah, we didn't do this last year. We did it the previous year though, right? I just want to make sure we skip. That's correct. Okay. I was Thank you. because we had two members who were >> new. >> Yeah. Well, no, they it was last fall and so we had two members >> outgoing. Yes. So, it didn't matter. >> Yeah, basically. Yeah. >> Uhhuh. No worries. >> It's coming back. [clears throat] >> I motion that the governing board uh hold a self-evaluation next year.
125>> Second. >> That would be Miss Schultz seconding. All those in favor? >> I I >> I Miss German, was that an I? I apologize. I did not hear. Motion carries 5 to zero. This brings us to item 7.6, ratify expense voucher uh 1041. Any questions or comments from the board before I motion? >> Yes. So, um I had this item pulled because uh Mr. Lotsenheiser's agreement says that um there is no mileage and that he gets a $750 car allowance per month. Um and he did submit for mileage. Um and so I just wanted to point out that um per contract uh we agreed that there there is no mileage And so I don't know at this expressed >> Madame President um I can u address the contract issue. >> That'd be great. Thanks.
126>> Um there are a few provisions of um Mr. Latzenheiser's contract. I' I'd like to read to the board. So paragraph 12 talks about an automobile allowance and requirements. It says to accomplish his work under this agreement, superintendent is expected to have a personal automobile available for school business. The district agrees to provide superintendent with an automobile allowance of $750 per month during the term of this agreement covering all district obligations for the superintendent's personal and official automobile use and in lie of the district reimbursing mileage for the superintendent's routine business related car travel throughout the district. the automobile allowance shall be paid in equal installments. Um so then there's a paragraph about reimbursement of expenses. So the the the language that um I raised the board is that it specifies it's for routine business
127related car travel throughout the district. Um then the paragraph 13 on reimbursement of expenses. Um, in the middle of the paragraph, the relevant sentence says, "The district shall pay or reimburse superintendent for other lawful, reasonable, and necessary business expenses incurred by the superintendent in the performance of his duties under this agreement." So, it's my understanding that the board has previously approved um out of city travel um reimbursement mileage for um other superintendent and the board has already approved the travel. So, if the request is to possibly reconsider um that approval, I'd need to bring it back on a future agenda on how how that would happen. >> Um yes. So, a previous superintendent um did have uh car allowance plus plus mileage. Um but this contract says no mileage. Now there are things obviously I
128can't say due to executive session and I think that um this does require uh further conversation that we probably have to have an executive session to further discuss cuz it's hard for me to say things without um exposing what was discussed. Um, but what I can publicly say is, um, the contract, um, does say no mileage. Uh, the uh, and [sighs] I can't say anything further without having executive session. So, I I do think that we do need to have one and and further discuss this. >> President, doesn't it say routine? Isn't that what you're saying? It says routine and this was travel expense. >> So that's why it's different. >> Essentially the siphon is in lie of um the district reimbursing [snorts] mileage for routine business related car travel throughout the district. >> So
129the travel I was going to say this was for a training that he had in Tucson. So I guess what I'm >> So it's outside of the routine or not. >> I guess what I'm the question is we get to decide whether or not that is outside of the routine. I think per the voucher and per the travel expenses. Yes. Because let's pretend that was in Vegas or LA or whatever and he flew, we would pay the the airline ticket. >> And so my assumption is that's probably where this this comes down to um in terms of outside of the routine and why that's part of the voucher given what is contract specifically. states >> and yeah it's >> I can't go into detail obviously what was discussed in executive session but um we do
130need to have one in order to further discuss this because there was things that that were discussed that needs to be brought up again. >> Okay. Um board members I just became aware of this issue today. So, I think I'd like to understand if the same term was in a prior superintendent, your prior superintendent's contract and then to just understand operationally how the district approved um the superintendent's the previous superintendent's travel. So, if if the board could give me a little bit of time to to do that research and then um come back with options. >> Go ahead, Mr. Glover. >> So, thank you. So, just to be clear for anybody who's trying to follow what we're talking about here. So, if you if we had a let's say a music teacher that taught at
131both middle schools, um federal regulations tell us how much mileage they can get and we pay them and they use their own personal vehicles so they get wear and tear and and gas mileage and they travel between and they have to document every event and turn that in monthly. Um when we approved that uh for the superintendent, I wasn't thinking at all. it didn't even occur to me to think about driving to a to a conference. So, we I think it is something that we do need to clarify and be clear and decide what we what we want. Um if we want to if this voucher needs to be approved, Miss Rush Camp, now um we can, you know, with if you got stuff to do. So, I mean, we could remove the 130 1252
132and pay the rest. Uh someone can make a motion for that if we if we want. Um, but we need clarity and this if it was if he if the superintendent was wanting mileage from driving from Bridges Elementary to the district office that would be a big no no. Uh, but this this is a unique circumstance and and not something that that I think was deliberately discussed. So I need we need clarification as well so we can all agree on what's what's what. from a legal perspective in order to because the voucher is filled with other things besides just the specific issue which we obviously need to approve. So is it possible for the motion of that specific aspect of that? I don't know what that looks like retroactively. So I'm just making sure I
133know what I say as we progress forward. >> Um Miss Rush Kim, maybe you can correct me if I'm wrong, but [clears throat] I think they could omit that one particular item. Would that be acceptable? and then approve the remainder. Another option, you are agendaized to go into executive session for legal advice on any item on the agenda. So, if you wanted to convene an executive session now, that's another option. >> I mean, would you have your answer to our questions in that time frame? If not, then obviously I'm I'm here to respect your knowledge and that way we know how we're progressing from here on out, basically. Yes, Madam President. I I'm not sure I have all the answers to your questions because I don't know exactly what they are, but I I I
134obviously have the superintendent's contract in front of me. I know what my advice would be to you um given the facts I know, but if you want me to conduct additional uh research, I would not have that tonight, obviously. Um, and I would actually, nothing against you, but I would actually like for Rob Haw to be there considering he was the one that was there at the time of discussions. Um, and I would assume he knows what we discussed at that meeting. um and it would um be helpful since he was there. >> Sure. I I can talk to Mr. Hos and see if he's available. >> Thank you. And also, um, did you say that we can just remove that item for now or or would you prefer that, um, we approve and then
135based on what discussion occurs with the attorney that then that could be reimburseable. How would you prefer? President Wade, board member Van Hook, I believe that would be the best since this is part of a voucher with several items on it. That would be the best way to proceed is approve it and if we find out um once you go through executive session that that particular piece needs to be reimbured, then we could look at that. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you. So then call off call it off, Scott. You don't need to do the motion. I appreciate it. I motion that the governing board ratify expensure expense it voucher 1041. >> Second. >> All right. Thank you, Miss Schultz. Seconded. >> All those in favor? I >> I. Motion carries five to zero.
136Okay. This brings us to 7.7 approval of overnight andor outofstate staff travel to the NASP. Any questions or comments from the board before I motion? Um yes. Uh the reason why I had this pulled is because there's several things in um NASP's official position. Um the first I don't believe align with our district policies and um our community. um just their position statement had a bunch of uh I would say [snorts] um stuff that was pretty out there. um just related to mental health to um you know things that go against parental notification rules. Um and just based on everything that I've read, I just can't support um this travel due to their position. for clarification and I don't know who's the answer on this one. We still have the policy in place in which
137any staff member who attends a training and that training is expressing things that are outside of our policy and we understand what that means and we have that process still in place for said staff travel and staff trainings. Is that correct Johnson? Miss Miller who >> President Wade yes that is correct. All of our school psychologists have completed the vector training and in that vector training is the acknowledgement of the conference agreement. Um I have reviewed the session offerings that will be occurring at NASP with over 100 or a,500 sessions available. I'm pretty confident that our staff will be able to avoid those sessions that do violate our conference agreement. Um, all of our school psychologists that will be attending this conference are aware of that conference agreement and I've covered that with them. Perfect.
138Thank you. All right. I motion that the governing board approve the overnight and outofstate staff travel for the NESP. >> Second. >> That would be Miss Schultz seconding. All those in favor? >> I. >> All those opposed? >> Nay. because I don't believe we should be using taxpayer money for such training. Even though people get to opt out, we're still using taxpayer money to uh pay an organization. Uh it comes from title two funding. Yes, that's grant money. Great. Wonderful. >> Grant money. [clears throat] 7.8 fiscal year 2026 classroom site fund. Any questions or comments from the board before a motion? I do have a quite a bit on this. Um, first, this item should not have been part of consent. Um, this is asking that we give a 6% salary increase. Correct, >> President
139Wade, member Van Hook. Um the it is not it's to it's not to the salary. This is only classroom site fund. This is not M dollars. >> Correct. But this is increasing the s base salary pay by 6%. >> No, I think you're misunderstanding. It's increasing $8,110 by 6% which equates to $487. >> Correct. That is not a base salary increase. A base salary is the amount that someone makes that comes out of ML. This is classroom site fund. >> Okay. But we are utilizing classroom site funds to to increase. >> This is what classroom site fund is for teachers. Correct. >> For certified staff. Anyone who touches a child in the certified staff. >> Correct. So, classroom teacher, certified staff, teacher performance pay, class size reductions, teacher pay increases, instructional support, and student support
140services. That's what classroom site funds cover. And so, we are increasing um by 6%. >> $487. Yes. >> Okay. Um and based on my understanding we uh do you know what the total amount um that we have in that classroom side fund account? >> I do not. Um Mrs. Rush Camp, do you have that number? Um yeah, currently with um when we will be bringing this for the December amendment, it's over 20 million in that. >> Okay. Um Okay. So that does confirm. So we have about 27 million um I believe in our classroom site funds and so we're bud we budgeted about 12 million which leaves a balance of about 15 million in that. Um, I absolutely support increasing this. Um, my concern is, um, this is based on Prop 301, which is all
141entirely funded by by sales tax. So if sales tax drops and or our enrollment continues to decline, um this is a permanent increase. And so my concern is could the district face a shortfall if any of those things change? Um >> member Van Hook um that would what would happen if this fund were to decrease or deplete it would go away. >> This is a separate fund. This is not M dollars. >> I understand that. >> So with that said, if there is no longer Prop 301 or CFS dollars, then there is no longer any payment for the teachers. And also last year the classroom site fund money that we received was much higher and we were able to actually give teachers a raise whereas wouldn't have been able to otherwise >> through the classroom
142site fund. Yes, that is correct Mr. Glover. >> Correct. So my based on my understanding um JLBC is just it this is like not moving as far as increasing um but also possibly statewide um over the next three years could be reducing. Um, my concern is if we do this and we do see a decrease in CSF, [sighs] would that then force us to have to use M funds to keep up with the increase? >> Uh, member Van Wade, no we would. Van Hook, no, we would not. um we would just use what is funded in that fund. It's not this is separate. So it it is not part of their base. It is classroom site fund. And so if the fund decreases and we run out of money, then we run out of money
143and they no longer get this. Could it be possible that the district would want to do something like that? That would really depend on our current financial situation. So, but we are not obligated. These are separate funds. >> Yes, I I do understand >> negotiated each year through meet and confer and then brought forward to the board to approve and to implement. >> Right. So we have 27 million in our classroom site funds in addition to our 15 million in our M carryover. Um and and those are significant am amounts of money that we do have. uh which I mean we for the purposes of the override like we claimed budget cuts small you know we need the the money to reduce class sizes um to salary increases but we do have all this money
144to [clears throat] do that and so it upsets me to to know that that was never shared with the community that we have all these funds. So it it's it's not >> we we've shared all this information >> the classroom site funds >> three times a year we have budgets okay and this stuff is shared I I don't I >> during the override process um the the fact that we pushed for an override um saying that the override was needed for to maintain classroom sizes and teacher salaries, but we do have a significant amount in our classroom site funds to be able to do those things. Um, and I I just want to point out that uh that money is there in addition to our M funds. Um but I also want to make sure
145that if uh if the classroom site fund decreases uh that base salary remains the same or at that point are you would you reduce it? >> Member Van Hub basically M dollars cover the base salary. The classroom site fund is an addition to that. So, when it says base salary on this document, it just means in addition to their current base salary. If we were to say use some of the classroom site fund to give maybe a one-time stipen or something, yes, we could we could move that. We could decrease that amount in that classroom site fund. But remember, only certified personnel can be given that money. That means administrators are exempt. Anyone who um anyone who is classified exempt, anyone who is classified hourly is not eligible for this certified personnel only. And that
146is, you know, just a portion of our employees. So saying that we could use that 27 million, we can use some of it for certified personnel at this time, >> right? But the document specifically says base salary and and so I so it it is increasing the base salary um by the 6%. And so my concern is I want to make sure that this is sustainable going long term. And then [snorts] >> since the classroom site fund currently has $27 million, I would say it's sustainable at this point. >> And for how long is is my concern [clears throat] is because because classroom site funds are not it's it's not guaranteed money. Um, and so based on the fluctuation of sales tax and declining enrollment, that could absolutely change. So I want to ensure that
147it is s sustainable long term. Um, and >> member Van Hook, I'd be happy to run some numbers with Mrs. Rush Camp and come back and see how far 27 million would take us. >> That would be great. That was my next question. And I'd like to see like maybe like a three-year projection um for CSF revenues and then also a cost projection um of the raise. That's all I have. Thank you. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Um there's a lot to unpack with uh some of this. First and foremost, I need to reiterate because it it feels strongly that the the word choice was whether by intention or not confusing. This does not increase base salary. This does not increase base salary. This does not increase base salary. If you are a teacher in
148this state, we have for a number of years underfunded you and so we come up with other ways to pay you. 301 is one of those things in which you perform. Then we say we will give you these types of things. And this is how the state has maintained underfunding staff and we as a district have to do everything we can to try to uh be extremely and overwhelmingly creative. Again, something I am looking forward to and by that that is sarcasm and how we can be creative into next year's budget. This is something that all teachers get assuming you qualify for certain things as we talked about certified staff versus not going to other locations, other districts, etc. To Mr. Glover's point, we literally made this decision last year when our community yet again
149failed to recognize what Higgley is in and what position we are in in that we said staff, we cannot give you raises and what we can do is figure out how to be creative and the classroom site fund is that and that is how we are allowed to be creative for some of these things. Prop 301 used to be tied to your performance back when I started teaching and those things continue to change. For clarity, should our continued decline in economic standing and we get less and less money, we'll have less and less funds. We approved this last year which means then we will have to go through this same process and if it is not sustainable then we don't present it or we don't approve it and all of those things. to suggest that
150we have grave concerns. The question is right now, next year, can we do this? Miss Rush Camp, right now, next year, can we do this? President Wade, yes, we could do this. >> Great. And so we figure out ways here as a board and Higgley to say to the staff we have, I see you. I feel what you feel at the present moment in time, and these are steps we can take to assist in those areas. And so we will do what we can where we can. As far as all the other comments with respect to the override in budgeting, it's not on the agenda. So when we talk about budgeting and where we are at and what we have to look for, I will gladly engage in those conversations. I will keep it to
151what the agenda item is at the present, which is classroom site fund. Thank you for both of your answers. Mr. Glover, go ahead. >> Uh thank you. I just, you know, uh, want to, uh, echo, not even echo, but just say we, you know, we have an arcane system for, uh, school funding, public school fund, traditional public school funding in Arizona set up by our state legislature. So, this can be confusing. Um, it's hard to understand. It's weird that you have a little portion of a salary that can only go to certain things, but that's that's the reality in which we live right now. This action item that we're voting on is for next year, 2025, 2026. It's an action item that went through our processes that is being put before us to approve. I
152don't know what's going to be happening in 2027, 2028. We could be World War II. Who knows? So, this is this action is for 2025, 2026. I have some things that I want to discuss on future agenda items because there are serious budget issues that we're going to address. But right now, sticking to this item, we should be voting on this for 2025, 2026, and we should stick to that. >> Um the this does not increase base salary, but the document literally says base salary. So, if it's not base salary, then let's change the wording because the document literally says base salary. So, we can argue that all day long, but I'm looking at the words on the paper and that's exactly what it says. Um, and as far as topic of the agenda, it
153does apply because we are asking community money for money when this money also exists in addition to our M. So, as I said, I do support um giving staff an increase. I just want to make >> Well, how I'd like to know how because I haven't ever heard you say anything about giving staff more money. So, go ahead and come up with some ideas longer than 11 months. So, I have said that and I voted for it last year. So, I'm not going to sit here and argue with you. But my point is I want to ensure that it is sustainable. Um, that's all >> board member Wade, uh, Sharon Rush Camp. Um, I I love the thought I'm I don't like the contention on honestly, but I love the thought of teachers being getting
154raises. You know, that's kind of this underlying truth that I really have seen in the in the district is we have to find that balance where we are technically a little competitive to the district. So, if we could strategize and actually look in the future to account that these, you know, raises are doable and figure out that wiggle room where we, you know, listen to like see what the voters have said about the override and stuff like that, but find that wiggle space to make sure that we're kind of protecting our bases. that way we are looking in the future you know and I understand that we can't predict everything and all that kind of stuff but being judacious which is how I feel that you know the district is trying to be in all
155the conversations that I've had in general if we can instead of just being like victims of the next couple years if we could find something that's very doable to really kind of uh propel our teachers I mean sadly money motivates people or you Not sadly. I don't know. It's the truth of the matter. But making sure that we just kind of have that foresight to make sure that these increases are sustainable. What are your thoughts on that? >> President Wade, uh, board member German. Yes, absolutely. I mean, I will Mr. Moore has been doing that since he started at Hegley. I will continue that. Yes, absolutely. >> I appreciate it. And I have um always supported more money into the classroom and this is a great way to get more money into the classroom and
156I absolutely support it and as I said I want to ensure the sustainability of it um based on these funds not being permanent. That's all. >> [snorts] >> I find it rich that we sit [snorts] here and express that you advocate and we have talked about what is and is not sustainable. So the statement of grow up to my person at the present is uh choice. It is. It's delightful. I motion that the governing board approve the fisc year 2026 classroom site fund plan. >> Second. >> That would be Miss German seconding. All those in favor? >> I. Motion carries. 5 to zero. Future agenda items. Does anyone have any requests for future agenda items? >> Madam President. >> Yes. >> So, uh, I'm going to talk about the items and explain what I'm what
157I'm asking for. Um, so I just ask for your indulgence. If you have comments, uh you can make them after. But I think since there will be, uh likely cuts over the next 5 years, uh this is going to mean increased pressure on staff, certified uh and classified and admins. So what can we do to simplify things? This is what I've been thinking about uh since the election day. Um I'd love to see a committee started that includes class classified and certified and ask them what are other things and this is what people were asking us. what are other things that we can take away to relieve pressure and sometimes even if they don't cost money what can we take away to alleviate the pressure because they're going to teachers classroom teachers and and people
158in the classroom are going to and and in our front offices and everywhere are going to have less support so I just would suggest that um cabinet get together go to each campus talk listen ask for things that we can remove to decrease the pressure and include that in in information items along the way as people have asked for to be clear as we have to bud budget decisions. I also would say that if it's if it's it's likely that there will be fewer administrators than we had last year uh at some point. So to simplify the evaluation instrument I think would be an important thing to do. Um we as a governing board we have the ability to do that. Um I'm really thinking of veteran teachers maybe not having to go through um
159as robust uh in evaluation as we have. Maybe they could once they've proved proficiency after five or seven years and getting high marks. Uh that would allow our administrators to focus on the teachers that need improvement and to support the new teachers coming into the profession. Um and give people time to respond to that idea. Uh I would float it out to them. Uh with regards to boundary exemptions, I would like to know and we can run a report and I would like it to be given to the to the governing board. Uh what boundary exemptions we have by school for kids in Higgley that are going to other Higgley schools and then boundary exemptions outside of Higgley and what schools that they are going to that may give us insights into what some of
160our strengths are and what are some of the things in which we can improve. elementary schedules. Uh I am fully in support of all the things that were said earlier about um specials and the importance of them. Um I do also understand and I see the value of departmentalizing in grades five and six. Not everybody does and I don't have to be right on that. But I'd like to see science and social studies taught daily because the the extreme focus that this country has on ELA and math um sometimes those subjects get lost which is too bad because that those are things that interest kids and make make school uh interesting but they also do include right reading and writing and math in those subjects. So it's worth talking to schools about their ideas of
161departmentalizations and see what that would save us. Um I shared an example with superintendent lotsheiser and Mr. Armstrong about something that we have called wind time and I think we have different practices going on at our schools. So I'd like to have a presentation at some point maybe of a of an exemplary school um and their elementary schedule and what they're doing. A lot of times when we make elementary schedules they kind of they're made and they just get regurgitated year after year. But are there things um and have a serious earnest discussion that that can be changed or moved or juggled [snorts] around so that we can ensure hopefully that we have that we're able to address all these elective concerns and and teachers get time off uh during the school day away from
162kids and then you know absenteeism was mentioned a lot and so governing boards have the ability to issue credit or not credit. Um I would like to see a report actually and I think Mr. Campbell could probably run it without too much trouble. um first and second semester maybe I pick grades I don't know maybe grades 5 to 12 uh and see a report first semester second semester the number of students we have that come to school that miss more than 12 days a semester um and then I would like to also know how many of those are duplicates in other words they miss 12 days first semester and 20 days second semester um we don't have to offer credit uh once a certain number of days are met, but we have to change policy.
163So, that's what I'm getting at here is this is a policy thing that that that could come up. But I will tell you as a teacher, it is exhausting when you have a kid that only comes to school two or three days a week and you're constantly trying to catch them up. We waste a lot of time and energy and money trying to catch them up and sometimes like for wind time they're not even there. Um, so anyway, I I would like to know a little bit about that. And then lastly, I think for our own uh our own sanity and good, I hate to say it, but we know what it takes to sell uh or lease property. Uh but to close and to close a school, I think we need to be familiar
164with whatever that might constitute, what legal laws and things like that that we have to comply with, what kind of timeline that might be might be. Um, so those are just a couple of things that I have been pondering and they don't need to make it on to December, but but as we move through the process, these are all things. >> Does anyone else have future agenda items? Uh yes, I would like to see a policy brought forward or uh figure out what current policy can be amended to add the Mimmude versus Taylor ruling for the parental opt out based on religious beliefs. This brings us to adjournment. I motion to adjourn the meeting. That would be Miss Schultz seconding. All those in favor? >> I Schultz >> I. >> Motion carries. 5-0. >> Have
165a safe trip home, folks.