School district adopts $11 million dollar budget

The Winslow school district’s governing board adopted the proposed $11 million fiscal budget for the 2002-03 school year after holding a public forum and a special meeting on the subject. This is a 1.9 percent increase from last year’s $10.9 million budget.

The board adopted the expenditure budget, the school-by-school budget and the insurance proceeds expenditures. There was no input from the public on the budget during the forum.

The governing board filled additional vacant positions in time for the 2002-03 school year.

They hired Brian Miller as the assistant principal at the high school, Dora Seery as a sixth grade teacher at Washington Elementary, Brian Turner as band teacher for the junior and high schools and Elaine Larsen as a part-time library aide for Washington.

They also hired Andy Sirasky as an English teacher at the high school, Sheila Long as a special education teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Lynn Gulvin as a special education teacher at the junior high, Kim Bratt Henling as a special education teacher at the junior high, Dawn Palen as a part-time special education teacher at the high school and Steve Henling as a technology support specialist for the district.

To bond or not to bond

The board tabled the issue of a Class “B” Bond election after hearing a presentation by Mark Reader of Peacock, Hislop, Staley and Given, Inc. The district is looking into the possibility of using bond monies to complete the Student’s First new building.

Under the Student’s First program, the new school will be have the same number of classrooms as the district’s current high school, Old Main. The other buildings of the high school, such as the business and science wings, are not included in the Student’s First plan. This will leave the campus divided with students having to walk from the new gym to the school’s current location several times throughout the day.

At the last meeting of the board, Dr. David Black, superintendent, discussed the possibility of using bond money to construct new buildings for wings that are not included in the Student’s First plan.

This issue will be brought up at the next meeting of the governing board. If the governing board decides to go forward with a bond election, the item will be placed on the Navajo County ballot in Nov. 5 election.

Other business

The board accepted the resignation of Danny Gonzales, high school physical education teacher, and Melissa Gonzalez, high school business teacher.

They also awarded a contract to Educational Services Inc. of Cottonwood to work towards the district’s contracted employment program. The program gives teachers the option to retire early and then work for the district as a leased employee.

The board accepted a $129 donation from Bashas’ to Bonnie Brennan Elementary and a $500 donation from Wal-Mart to Toni Villanueva’s Bonnie Brennan classroom. Villanueva was named the local Teacher of the Year and was awarded the money to spend on her class.

President Roger Graybeal thanked the district’s maintenance and custodial staff for helping to provide a shelter for the evacuees from the Rodeo-Chediski fires.

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