March 7, 2023 at 5:00 PM - Regular Study & Voting Session

1. STRATEGIC PLAN COLOR KEY:

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 
CULTURE 
COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS 
ENROLLMENT 
RESOURCE ACCOUNTABILITY
  

2. CALL TO ORDER - Governing Board President Andy Fraher
  

3. OPENING CEREMONY
  

3.A. Welcome - Governing Board President Andy Fraher
  

3.B. Pledge of Allegiance 
  

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA - Governing Board President Andy Fraher
  

4.A. Consider approving the agenda, as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION: Board Policy requires the approval of the agenda.
  

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Governing Board President Andy Fraher
   

5.A. Consider approving the minutes from the Regular Study and Voting Session meeting of February 7, 2023, and the Special Study and Voting Session meeting of February 17, 2023, as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION: Board policy requires the approval of minutes.
  

6. PRESENTATIONS
  

6.A. ASBA Superintendent Search Update and Leadership Profile Information 

Presenters: ASBA Representative Dr. Mark Joraanstad.
  

6.B. Nutritional Wellness Committee update

Presenters: Sara Reveile, Farm to School Coordinator, and Amy Seigler, Southwest Food Service Excellence, General Manager
  

7. INFORMATION ONLY ITEMS
  

7.A. Summary of Current Events

7.A.1. Superintendent

www.prescottschools.com/calendars
  

7.A.2. Governing Board Members
  

7.A.3. Governing Board Student Representatives
  

8. ACTION ITEMS
  

8.A. CONSENT AGENDA - All those items listed below may be enacted by one motion and approved as Consent Agenda items with or without discussion.  However, any item may be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately if a Governing Board member so requests.

The resolutions included in the Consent Agenda have been posted in order to waive the reading of the body of the resolutions. 

Consider approving the Consent Agenda as presented.
  

8.A.1. Consider approving the certified and classified personnel actions as presented.
  
RELEVANT INFORMATION: 
A copy of the personnel report is attached for review.
  
Presenter: Clark Tenney, Assistant Superintendent/HR Director
  

8.A.2. Consider approving the donations as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Board policy requires acceptance by the Governing Board of all donations.  
 
Presenter: Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer
   

8.A.3. Consider ratifying the vouchers as presented. 
  
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Arizona Revised Statutes require approval/ratification of all vouchers.
  
Presenter: Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer
  

8.A.4. Consider approving the Student Activities Fund Statement of Receipts and Disbursements for February 2023, as presented. 

RELEVANT INFORMATION: Please see the attached reports. 
  
Presenter: Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer
  

8.A.5. Consider approving a Waiver of Conflict of Interest regarding agreements between Yavapai County through the Yavapai County School Superintendent and Prescott Unified School District, No. 1, as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Annually, a Waiver of Conflict of interest regarding agreements with Yavapai County through the Yavapai County School Superintendent and Prescott Unified School District No. 1 is required concerning the following services: 

E-Rate;
Substitute Teacher Consolidation;
Data Hosting;
Grant Management; and
Education, including, but not limited to, special education, nursing, therapy (physical, occupational, and speech), psychology, counseling, behavioral health, and autism screening. 

Presenter: Joseph W. Howard, Superintendent.
  

8.B. STUDY AND VOTING SESSION -  If a member of the public wishes to speak to one of the following voting items, please complete and return exhibit BEDH-E, Public Request to Speak (https://www.prescottschools.com/Page/558) to Sarah Torres, Administrative Assistant to the Governing Board prior to the study and voting session of the agenda.

For items with the potential to have many speakers, the overall speaking time may be adjusted by the Governing Board. Speakers will be called to speak in the order in which they signed up, first come, first served.

Requests to speak that are emailed will also be first come, first served. Email requests can be sent to sarah.torres@prescottschools.com at any time.
  

8.B.1. Discussion and motion to approve and ratify the intergovernmental agreement with Mountain Institute Career Technical Education District for career and technical education courses, as presented.  

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Intergovernmental Agreements between PUSD and MICTED have been approved and continued since that district's inception in order to continue offering the satellite classes offered by all seven member districts. This is a renewal and continuing IGA between the two districts.

Presenters: Bill Stiteler, MICTED Superintendent, Dave Klever, MICTED Governing Board Member, Adam Neely, PHS Principal, and Francisco Ortiz Y Davis, Director of Career & Technical Education at PHS.
  

8.B.2. Consider approving the 2023-2024 budget package based on enrollment projections, increases, decreases, and salary increase options as outlined in the attachment "FY24 Proposed Budget Package," as presented.
  
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Based on the initial budget conversation at PUSD's January 10, 2023, Governing Board meeting, PUSD administration has been working to compile a recommendation meeting the needs of the district, including proposed increases for all staff in order to remain competitive with recruiting and retaining staff, balance class sizes, and maintain a wide variety of programs. Through this process, the PUSD proactive budgeting process has been followed. There are many variables involved in the budget process that is outlined in the attachments.
  
Presenter: Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer
  

8.B.3. Consider approving an August 2023 Return to Work bonus for all Prescott Unified School District employees, as presented. 

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Currently, well over 2,000 K-12 teaching positions and thousands of support staff positions are unfilled statewide. In response to the Arizona "Teacher Crisis," most Arizona school districts have offered staff retention bonuses for the past two school years. 

In March 2022, PUSD's governing board voted to allocate ESSER funds to offer Return to Work bonuses of $1,500 to all PUSD employees who would return for the 2022-23 school year. This helped PUSD retain quality employees. With PUSD's low turnover, we were able to fill every Teacher position and most every Classified position this past summer. 

This year's increase in PUSD enrollment makes available sufficient one-time M&O funds to offer Return to Work bonuses of $1000 to $1200 (final amount to be determined in August 2023) for all PUSD staff who sign a contract or work agreement for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Presenter: Clark Tenney, Assistant Superintendent/HR Director
  

8.B.4. Consider approving the PUSD salary placement schedules, as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
In order to continue to attract quality employees, PUSD regularly compares its salaries and wages to other Arizona school districts. When budget conditions allow, the District Admin Team makes recommendations to the Governing Board for moderate increases to PUSD's starting salaries/wages, in order to remain competitive. The presented salary and wage schedules are somewhat below state averages but will keep PUSD very competitive with other local districts. Funding is available in the M&O budget, as presented.
  
Please see all salary schedules attached.  

Presenter: Clark Tenney, Assistant Superintendent/HR Director
  

8.B.5. Consider approving the issuance of contracts and agreements to eligible Prescott Unified School District staff members for the 2023-2024 school year, as presented.
  
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
The District Admin Team's proposal to the Governing Board for next year's contracts and agreements will bring all employee groups closer to state salary averages. All current contract employees (most of whom are teachers) are recommended to receive a 4.0% salary increase. 

Arizona's $1.05 per hour minimum wage increase necessitates a Classified wage scale adjustment, with higher hourly wages to attract and retain quality employees in these important positions. With Board approval, all current hourly Classified employees will receive at least a 4.0% increase. If the required hourly wage for new employee positions increases more than 4.0%, current hourly employees in those positions may receive a wage increase somewhat larger than 4.0%, to avoid "leapfrogging." 

Contracts are ready to distribute at each site on Wednesday morning, March 8, 2023. At the end of the 15-day signing period, PUSD will know the Certified vacancies we will hire for next year. That timing is optimum for recruiting teachers.

Classified agreements will follow in April, to allow for firm assignments and clerical logistics. Contract and agreement language have been reviewed by our attorney.

A sample teacher contract and a sample auxiliary contract are attached.

Funding is available in the M&O budget, as presented.

Presenter: Clark Tenney, Assistant Superintendent/HR Director
  

8.B.6. Consider accepting PUSD #1's fiscal year 2022 Single Audit Reporting Package (SARP), Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), and Uniform System of Financial Records (USFR) Compliance Questionnaire, as presented.

RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Pursuant to A.R.S. 15-914 H, a school district governing board shall publicly accept all audits and compliance questionnaires by roll call vote. 

Presenter: Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer
  

8.C. INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION ITEMS  
  

8.C.1. Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer, has prepared the School Board Summary Budget Report for your review. 
  

8.C.2. Post 100-day enrollment update

Presenters: Clark Tenney, Asst. Superintendent/HR Director & Brian Moore, Chief Financial Officer. 
  

8.C.3. Community Comments shared with the Governing Board (what comments/concerns are Board Members hearing from the public in general).

Presenter: Joseph W. Howard, Superintendent
  

8.C.4. Meeting Dates: 

Friday, March 31, 2023 - ASBA Meeting 3: Executive Session -  Application Screening/Candidate Selection.
Time: TBD.
Location: PUSD District Office Boardroom & Washington Room

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - Regular Study and Voting Session at 5:00 pm in the PUSD District Office Boardroom.

Friday, April 7, 2023 - ASBA Meeting 4: Executive Session - First-Round Interviews.
Time: TBD.
Location: PUSD District Office Boardroom & Washington Room.
  
Other Dates:
PUSD Spring Break - March 13 - 17, 2023
  

9. ADJOURNMENT