Scottsdale Unified School District No Dream Too Big . . . No Challenge Too Great

The Governing Board voted 5 to 0 Tuesday night to make May 24 the last of school. April 12, which was a holiday, will now be a school day for all students in the District, so high school seniors won’t have come back the day after graduation to fulfill requirements.

The Scottsdale Education Association (SEA) surveyed 424 teachers. Among those teachers surveyed, 258 voted yes to switch the days and 166 teachers voted no.

At the Nov. 4 meeting the Board directed the Administration to consult with the SEA to determine if teachers would support working on April 12, 2004, currently a District release day, in exchange for May 26, 2004, currently the last scheduled for teachers to work.

In other action, the Board:

• Requested that the District refine the job description for a possible in-house attorney, including potentially sharing an attorney with another school district, and sending out a Request for Proposal to law firms in the Valley.
   
• Voted 4 to 1 to approve the High School Planning Guide. Board Member Christine Schild voted against the guide. Mrs. Schild worried about the potential dropout rates with the elimination of C Track English classes at Arcadia and Saguaro High Schools because support classes might preclude those students from taking elective classes. Some changes to the guide included athletic fees were raised from $50 to $75 and maximum fees for families raised from $150 to $250. Additional fees may be charged for extra curriculum activities.
   
• Approved the Monthly Financial Report. Mrs. Schild thanked Bob Flach, chief financial officer, and his staff for putting together the report.
   
• Approved the Five-Year Technology Plan. The plan included possible items, such as a fiber network, buying personal digital assistants and calculators, and rotational equipment plan.
   
• Approved award Bid #4081 for the replacement of the heating ventilation air conditioner (HVAC) units at Chaparral High School to Desert Comfort Refrigeration, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $72,780, plus taxes.
   
• Will continue to preside over appeals for early admission to kindergarten and first grade. The Board voted 2 to 2, with Board Member Joel Feldman abstaining from the vote.
   
• Accepted gifts valued at $173,479. The gifts were received from Copper Ridge Elementary School Student Council, Desert Mountain, Desert Mountain Student store, Mountainside Band Booster’s, Mountainside Yearbook Club, Anasazi PTO, Arcadia PTO, Aztec Community Team, Cherokee APT, Cheyenne PTO, Copper Ridge Elementary School PTO, Copper Ridge Middle School PTA, Desert Canyon PTO, Desert Mountain PTO, Friends of A.N.L.C., Hohokam PTA, Hopi PTA, Ingleside PTO, Kiva PTO, Laguna PTO, Mountainside PTO, Sequoya APT, American Heart Association, Blucor, Chaparral Diamondbacks, City of Scottsdale, Jack Clifford, Computers for Education, Mr. Tino Ferrulli, Cynthia Foss, Jeff Kobacker, N.D.C. Health, Oasis Institute, Sabrina Oviatt, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Riggs, Salt River Project, Scottsdale Healthcare, Mr. Thomas Swanson, and Wells Fargo & Co.
  
  Board Clerk Sandra Zapien-Ferrero requested that the policy on gifts be brought back to the Jan. 13, 2004, Board meeting.

The next Governing Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004, at the Education Center.
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