By Sam Conner
Winslow School District Superintendent Doug Watson advised the school board last week that the district’s tax rate would be $5.20 per $100 of assessed valuation this school year, which is up from $4.35 last year, but less than the $5.24 which was the rate two years ago.
Also at the Aug. 1 meeting, the board approved the hiring of Tyler Allen for an orchestra stipend, Darren Mitchell as a special education aide and Lita Gonzales as math teacher at Winslow Junior High School; Lief Seed as math teacher at Winslow High School; Jillian Stotts as parent liaison, and Leah Wischmann and Valkyne Charter as part-time special education classroom aides at Bonnie Brennan School; Molly Jackson as a part-time classroom aide and Judith Wimberley as a special education classroom aide at Jefferson School; and Randy Anguiano as a substitute teacher, and Christine Cochran, Diane Hancock, Glenda McKenzie, Mary Helen Nelson, Nino Ortiz, Bernadette Rin-dahl and Carleen Walton as emergency substitutes for the district.
Transfers were approved for Nathan Brady from parent liaison at Bonnie Brennan School to part-time Navajo lan-guage teacher at WHS, Victoria Harman from substitute bus driver to part-time bus driver, Michael Montoya Jr. from substitute bus driver to bus driver, Tony Mora from bus driver/bus attendant to assistant mechanic, Nicholas Reyes from bus driver to bus driver/bus attendant and Wes Davis from PBIS classroom aide at Washington School to ware-house worker for the district.
The board approved the resignation or retirements of Quentin Begody Sr. from special education aide at WJHS effective July 11, Gypsi Gover from warehouse aide effective Aug. 10 and Preston McCormick from mechanic effec-tive July 24.
The board approved acceptance of a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries to the WHS Library.
The WJHS early release calendar for the school year was approved.
New courses at WHS that were approved by the board included Navajo Language II, and painting and sculpture. Superintendent Doug Watson said that there are plans to add a Navajo language class at WJHS in the second semester.
The salary schedule for the GEAR-UP coordinator was approved by the board.
The board held an executive session for discussion and consideration of admission of a kindergarten student after the regular meeting had concluded except for reports and comments from board members, and the superintendent and assistant superintendent.
After the executive session the board voted to admit the child, who turned five after Sept. 1, but prior to Jan. 1.
Most of the board members had some positive comments about the school buildings and grounds, and the opening of school. Board member Miriam Scheid said she liked a poster that stated, “Success comes before work only in a dic-tionary.”
Assistant Superintendent Lance Heister said that Dominique Kramer had left the Chartwells Company, which op-erates the cafeteria, and would be missed. She has already been replaced by the company.
Aug 092012
