Scottsdale Unified School District Arizona’s Most Excelling Schools!

Cathy Rivera, executive director for elementary schools & excelling teaching & learning, and Katy Cavanagh, executive director for middle schools & excelling teaching & learning, presented the Governing Board with updated information on full-day kindergarten. The presentation included highlights on comparison of half-day and full-day programs showing major benefits of full-day kindergarten, increased school readiness, higher achievement on standardized tests, improved student attendance, support of literacy and language development, social and emotional benefits, decreased costs and more time on task. The presentation is available on the district’s Web site at: http://www.susd.org/district/govboard/meetings.htm.

In addition, Kim Clark, general counsel, presented the Board with a discussion of revisions to Flyer Policies KHC and KHB. Since the flyer policy was changed last year, issues have arisen related to the interpretation and enforcement of the policies. Issues discussed were whether to amend the definition of “non-profit” organization to include only those organizations that are recognized as tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, whether to permit for-profit companies to distribute promotional materials, whether to revise the definition of school related organizations to expressly include Community Schools and whether to permit the distribution of promotional materials for programs and entities entering into the facilities use agreement. Revisions to the policies will be brought back to a June Board meeting as an Action Item.

Marla Abramowitz, prevention coordinator, presented the Governing Board with a discussion regarding Lions-Quest K-12 Prevention Curriculum. After two years of criteria-based deliberation, the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Initiative (JDPI), which was facilitated by the Scottsdale Police Department, has recommended the Lions-Quest curriculum to Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD). The curriculum meets the No Child Left Behind requirements, as well as the needs of the Scottsdale community. The program’s five main components include positive prevention, life skills education, character education, service learning and family and community involvement. This program will address peer relations, substance use, school climate and students’ self-worth. With parental, community and SUSD support staff this program will help all of our students achieve both academically and personally to their fullest potential. The presentation is available on the district’s Web site at: http://www.susd.org/district/govboard/meetings.htm.

Dr. Bill Johnson, chief of facilities management for learners, presented the Governing Board with a discussion on the rental fee income. Currently, the district nets approximately $700,000 to $800,000 per year in short-term facility use fees from outside individuals and organizations. The district relies on approximately $500,000 of these funds to supplement the district’s overall Operations & Maintenance budget. A group of district and school administrators developed a proposal for the allocation of the balance of the fund. The purpose of allocating the facility use fees includes the following objectives: recognize the extra burden to schools that host outside users, provide an incentive for schools to write income producing facility use agreements, recognize that not all schools have the same opportunities to rent out their facilities, recognize that not all facility use agreements are income producing, provide equity through some form of revenue sharing among the schools, recognize the additional wear and tear that the school facilities incur as a result of the rentals, provide funds to perform maintenance at all of the schools related to the rentals whether income producing or not and make sure the facilities rentals program pay its own way in terms of administrative burden for budgeting, bookkeeping, processing, review and oversight. The item will be brought back to a June Board meeting as an Action Item.

In other action, the Board:

• Approved the Administrative procedures for the use of drug-sniffing canines. The procedures for canine locker searches are as follows: searches will not disrupt the educational process, searches will be limited to lockers, and will not extend to people or personal belongings. The Scottsdale Police Department has agreed to provide the district with the necessary canine search teams at no cost to the district.
   
• Approved the change to the “triangle” boundaries.
   
• Approved the option agreement to purchase real property for Arcadia High School.
   
• Approved the adoption of eLearning Courseware.
   
• Approved the proposed Code of Conduct revisions for the 2005-2006 school year.
   
• Approved the annual renewal of Intergovernmental Agreement with the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT).
   
• Approved the annual renewal of Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Scottsdale for student assistance/prevention programs.
   
• Approved the supplemental textbook adoption for English Immersion Studies Instruction.
   
• Approved the purchase of library books through S.A.V.E.
   
• Approved the purchase of library, reading, professional, book sets and non print materials through GPPCS.
   
• Accepted gifts valued at $47,212. The gifts were received from Chaparral All Stars Club, Cocopah Student Council, Saguaro Caring Club, Copper Ridge Elementary School PTO, Pima PTO, Pueblo PTO, American Association of University Women, American Heart Association, Arcadia Little League, Barbara and Steven Cauiness, Charro Don Chiappetti, Fry’s/Kroger, General Mills, Ruth Hamilton, Matt and Kristi Hartfield, Mollie and Doug LeFeure, Target, USFA-APHIS-PPQ, Wells Fargo and Zuni Community Association.

The next Governing Board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 7, at the Education Center.

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