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

The Governing Board, parents, and community members listened as Kim Clark, executive director of Legal Affairs, and Daniel Shearer, director of Transportation, discussed the policy on bus advertisement. The guidelines for selection and placement on SUSD school buses states that Scottsdale schools may sell space on the exterior of its school buses for advertisements that are age appropriate, do not promote any substance that is illegal for minors such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs and gambling and comply with the state sex education policy of abstinence. Advertisements that use poor grammar or include language that is obscene, vulgar, profane or scatological are also prohibited. Under the guidelines all advertisement shall be respectful to all people without regard to their disability, race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, socioeconomic status, cultural background, familial status, physical characteristics or linguistic characteristics.

Prior to approval of any advertisement, the vendor must obtain written approval from the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee prior to placing any advertisement on any SUSD school bus. In addition, the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee shall assemble a committee comprised of SUSD administrators to approve or reject every advertisement selected for placement on any school bus. The item will be brought back as an Action Item at the Nov. 30 Board meeting.

The Board also heard a discussion on the middle school science textbook adoption. The committee worked many hours to select the best materials for Scottsdale’s middle school students. The materials are engaging to students and will help teachers to teach efficiently and effectively to help students master the standards and curriculum successfully. The committee composed of teachers from each middle school, special area teachers, parents and administrators started meeting in March 2004. The subcommittees were formed to work with all teachers at each school site in the selection of materials related to that discipline. The committees worked to come to a consensus for each grade level course selection. The item will be brought back as an Action Item at the Nov. 30 Board meeting.

In other action, the Board:

• Voted 4-0 to approve the Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alignment to the Arizona Academic Standards. All public schools must submit annually to the Arizona Department of Education a declaration of curricular and instructional alignment to the Arizona Academic Standards for language arts and mathematics. The declaration requires affirmations from the Governing Board, superintendent and principal.
   
• Approved the award of Request for Proposal (RFP) for Health Education Workshops to Health World for an amount not to exceed $52,000 for the fiscal year 2004-2005. Heath Education Workshops will be conducted at 20 elementary schools to encourage a healthy lifestyle among students. Topics may include, but are not limited to: knowing the body, injury prevention, dental care, heart health and hygiene. Each lesson will be age appropriate. Health Education Workshops also includes the development of a Health Week Guide for schools to utilize to further the support health educational efforts.
   
• Approved the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City of Phoenix for School Resource Officers for the fiscal year 2004-2005. Each year Scottsdale schools renews an IGA with the City of Phoenix for one school resource officer at Arcadia High School and one resource officer at Ingleside Middle School. The district agrees to pay $115,058 plus compensation for additional expenses, including overtime resulting from school related activities, which is approximately a 4.3 percent increase from last year’s amount of $110,352. The district also provides office space and clerical support, establish a system for coordinating and scheduling each officer’s work and provide assistance in the development and implementation of teaching materials.
   
• Approved the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Pediatric Nursing Services. The RFP is for the purchase of nursing services for special needs students during the transportation to and from school and during the school day. Federal law requires that public education agencies provide services for students at public expense in order for students to receive educational benefit. This includes services that are medical in nature and can only be performed by a licensed provider in that field. It is necessary to have these services available for access when the need is determined appropriate by the individual Education Plan team.
   
• Approved the award of buses, activity, special needs and 84-passenger to Auto Safety Houses for an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for the fiscal year 2004-2005. This award is for the Transportation Department to purchase up to 22 special needs buses, four 84-passenger transit style school buses and one activity bus manufactured by Thomas Built buses. The rapidly increasing diversity of bus routes, as well as the age of our existing fleet has created the need to increase our existing fleet of special needs buses and replace some of the older vehicles.
   
• Accepted gifts valued at $128,581. The gifts were received from Arcadia Football Boosters, Cocopah Yearbook Club, Desert Mountain Baseball Boosters, Arcadia PTO, Cochise APT, Hopi PTA, Ingleside PTO, Mohave PTO, Pima PTO, Tavan PTA, Arcadia Water Company, Baxter International Foundation, Charro Concillio, Echo, Mark Erwin, Exxon/Mobil, Mary E. Gillian, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, K.B. Home, Casey Matheson, Oasis Institute, Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., Salt River Project, Scottsdale Education Foundation, Scottsdale Healthcare, Sheldon and Joy Smith, Stardust Foundation and Target.

The next Governing Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Education Center.

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