Federal Parcel Of Land To Be Signed Over To The Holbrook School District

By Linda Kor
   The Holbrook School District will be acquiring approximately eight tenths of an acre of land for the exceptionally low price of $8.60. The land, along with two buildings, was recently under ownership of the U.S. Forest Service, but is being conveyed to the school district.
   The district has utilized the property, which is located directly across from the bus barn, for many years for bus parking under a renewable lease for no charge.
   “Essentially, this just takes us out of the picture and allows the school to continue to utilize the land,” stated Joseph Sitarzewski, a representative of the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forests.
   The land was acquired by the Forest Service in 1958, but since the combining of the Apache and Sit-greaves National Forests, the combined offices are now located in Springerville and there has been no use for these facilities since 1974.
   The process for the conveyance of land from the Forest Service to a school district used to be quite complex. The land would have to go to the Government Services Administration and then be put up for auction. With the passage of House Bill 150 introduced by former congressman J.D. Hayworth in 1999, the Forest Service is able to convey land that is suitable for educational purposes for less than fair market value to a given school district.
   The site has been cleaned and an environmental site assessment has been completed. Due to the age of the structures, there were ballasts from fluorescent lighting, mercury thermometers and things of that nature that had to be removed.
   “The exterior paint on the structures does contain lead and that has not been removed. The district is aware of that, and that information has been included in the documents of transfer,” stated Sitarzewski. “As long as the structures are not being used for residential purposes, then this is acceptable.”
   The district intends to continue to utilize the land as parking for school buses at this time.
   In other action April 8, the board:
   * Approved recommended policy changes that pertain to leaves of absence under the Family Leave and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
   * Approved recommended policy changes that pertain to student records.
   * Approved “Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills” by Prentice Hall publishing for final adoption for Holbrook Junior High School’s Industrial Arts: Construction 1 and Construction 2 courses.
   * Approved a 3.5 percent hourly pay rate increase and current benefits for continuing non-exempt clas-sified employees for the 2008-09 school year.
   * Approved pay rate upgrades for selected classified positions for the upcoming school year. Current staff members employed in these selected positions will receive a 3.5 percent general pay rate increase plus a position upgrade adjustment effective July 1.
   * Approved a salary increase for all returning certified administrators and non-certified supervisors similar to all certified and non-certified staff for 2008-2009, at an increase of 3.5 percent over their current salary. Administrators and supervisors would also receive the same fringe benefits as approved for all dis-trict employees.
   * Approved out of state travel for Assistant Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich and Hulet Elemen-tary School Principal Tim Newton-Pender to attend recruitment fairs scheduled April 11-14 in North Da-kota and Minnesota.
   * Approved out of state travel for Superintendent Mary Koury and Special Education Director Dr. Linda Blansett to attend a job fair scheduled April 10 and 11 in Buffalo, N.Y.
   * Approved out of state travel for Holbrook High School Principal Lance Phaturos, Indian Wells Ele-mentary School Principal Jeri McKinnon and Newton-Pender to attend a job fair held March 31-April 3 in Portland, Ore.
   * Approved SLR Reading Laboratories presented by McGraw-Hill for a 60-day review as a potential supplemental reading program for IWES.
   * Approved Koury and Koerperich as designated signers on the General Statement of Assurance for the district.
   * Approved the application for academic contest funds for the HHS Future Business Leaders of Amer-ica from the Arizona Department of Education.
   * Approved hiring several classified employees, including: Janice Yellowhair, IWES Cafeteria Satellite and Kitchen Satellite; Melisa Spencer, substitute custodian; Marlene Nez, special education aide; Matilda Chilcote, parent liaison; Alberta Belin, bus monitor; Jovanna Altsisi, custodian; Pamela Cox, substitute custodian; and Carletta Chevarillo, personal health assistant.
   * Approved hiring four certified employees for Park Summer School, including Annette Rothman, Nichole Livingston, Joann Smith and Joyce Miles.
   * Approved the following extra duty assignments: Heidi Hunsaker, Missoula Children’s Theater ac-companist; Marilyn Johnson, Holbrook Junior High School Library Club sponsor; John Bokker, summer weights; Raul Mendoza, spring boys intramurals; Darrin Thomas, spring football; Dean McNamee, APIP coordinator; and Chris Obren, Saraphania Benally, Patty Hansen, Debbie Koerperich, Dave Wright, Beth Plumb, Luis Alvarez and Tanya Phaturos, mentors.
   * Approved the resignations of: Renee Smith, IWES parent liaison; Gail DeJohn, HHS special needs assistant; Juan Quintana, student cafeteria worker; Lailoni Yazzie, IWES special needs assistant; Jeremy Begay, student cafeteria worker; and Leida Hatch, HJHS math teacher.
   * Approved professional leave for the following individuals: Catrina Garner, Marjorie Mendoza and Debbie Wehrman, Full-Day Kindergarten Transition Conference held April 1 and 2 in Phoenix at an esti-mated cost of $1,149 plus a district vehicle; Charles Haussman, local directors meeting held March 12 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of a district vehicle; Margaret Hamilton, State English Language Learners training scheduled April 22-24 in Queen Creek at an estimated cost of $311; Dave Wright, Arizona Educa-tion Association Delegate Assembly scheduled April 24-26 in Mesa at no cost to the district; Debbie Wehrman, English Language Development Classroom Practices Training scheduled April 22-24 in Queen Creek at an estimated cost of $407; Ann Gardner, American Asian Educational Partnership scheduled April 14-16 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $885; Paul Demuth, 3A North Athletic Directors Retreat sched-uled April 12-15 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of a district vehicle; Faith Caffey and Dennis Pelty, Ad-vanced Placement Summer Institute scheduled July 20 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $1,338; Chris Baker, Student Resource Officer Training held March 18-20 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $329; Ginny Novell, Information Tech Curriculum scheduled April 10 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of a district vehicle; Donna Campbell, Creating the Model Classroom scheduled April 21 in Scottsdale at an estimated cost of $138; Sunny Obren, Arizona State Public Information Network Advisory Annual Meeting sched-uled April 11 in Prescott at an estimated cost of $138 plus a district vehicle; Faith Caffey, Deliver Differen-tiated Instruction scheduled June 22-27 in Tucson at an estimated cost of $610; and Cindy Percy, 2008 Counselor Leadership Challenge scheduled June 16 in Overgaard at an estimated cost of $225.
   * Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers in the amount of $379,038.18.
   * Approved payroll and expense vouchers in the amount of $1,224,354.77.
   * Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers in the amount of $778,717.03.