[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6510591,"mediaKeyId","5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702","parentId",5361832,"title","Interim superintendent outlines 100-day entry plan focused on listening, relationships and short-term priorities","audioSeconds",118,"startMs",3638000,"endMs",3756000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702&start=3638&end=3756","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702/thumbnail_3638000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6510591/Arizona/Interim-superintendent-outlines-100-day-entry-plan-focused-on-listening-relationships-and-short-term-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510591-4b9658c156cf1f55993e8f1bc8bedbc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067614&Signature=HkO08eDmWh9R-8FQo7i5IesPwgvxzSudAwyaQ0xMS46uXIYksLucwyH6rlyqkTwvwyyScHAVIRj4XVvQwiYqGltB86f5A4dknT2SM5JoYYNQK~eUfZxjsj~vZMEVD8XB~Xm3au5Kmj2L8C6XazdGPMyQyx-ru7KE9ozWx0GtQz9vSgf9Vg06DYCv4O0qA9FWbWEwn4Ux84dg2f~hRgSy3UaVHDd55vQaS8ifE5nDF5FumE1CLjA5aWBEURj9eC-PQDrZMWQtqd6KHLUD97nu2bWP483ucpQ~Gy7RXcPaJynhSMHvjNHZq6IdGullnX4vxpi3FVTYvewj43V0bRzZFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington Elementary School District","date","2025-07-07T18:20:39Z","article","Dr. Hightower, the district's interim superintendent, presented an entry plan to the Washington Elementary School District governing board on July 10 that she said will guide her work through the first 100 days.

\"The main piece is listening and learning,\" Dr. Hightower told the board, describing a phased approach of relationship-building, data collection and prioritization. She said the plan includes meetings with cabinet, school administrators, staff associations, parents and community stakeholders and that the goal is to identify short-term priority actions and interim recommendations the board can consider.

Hightower said she will use the district's strategic documents and the board's governance priorities to align short-term actions with longer-term district goals and promised to return to the board with interim recommendations and a prioritized plan for transition and next steps.

Board members welcomed the entry plan and praised the superintendent's outreach and stated intention to meet with staff and community groups. Several members said they appreciated the emphasis on listening and the plan's clarity about next steps and timelines.

Ending: Dr. Hightower said she will continue meetings with district stakeholders and will report interim recommendations and prioritized action items to the board as the entry process proceeds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Governing Board Meeting - Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 6:15 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Dr. Hightower presented an interim 100-day entry plan emphasizing listening and learning, relationship-building with staff and community, and identification of short-term priority actions to return to the board with interim recommendations.","taxTitle","Washington Elementary School District (4260), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",12983,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6510596,"WESD reports chronic absenteeism down to 24% in 2024-25; district rolls out new monitoring and behavior supports",3987,2513000,6500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702&start=2513&end=6500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702/thumbnail_2513000.jpg","/articles/6510596/Arizona/WESD-reports-chronic-absenteeism-down-to-24-in-2024-25-district-rolls-out-new-monitoring-and-behavior-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510596-6acda952b75f0a8a4e4f4659cf6822e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067614&Signature=Rnc0smfYA96Ts-iJZCua2h83mNt4350pV~Y41Y2QPznvRBQx8NZiGPiynom4mW8y-acaL7r6jCj6x4M7vQ7aVqohAWEgKnAapwSagBNj8hz0iGhbTEUy6vun4NrRxD8O9LldfYlmpoW2XCbBYxTm1mjZEmkHe6Z~Q0W~RFN6XVdn9BNepJbqva33dtYacj4Z3A-qk3Zbm7EWx1QjEB72RNKzaz1D9QcK4-U3MtEpm9eXfMneq2Ch5aTUNco2dZq~15ypx3EJDM92Rm3IfPNHZJ6PyoPq2b0cILZyb2OREV5wCNL8oK2YIqReOhR2yUUEdGY9T42t~no4g5mrba5CBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Washington Elementary School District climate-and-culture team told the governing board July 10 that chronic absenteeism fell to 24% for the 2024-25 school year and described new tools and partnerships to continue that work.

\"That goal was met,\" Principal Rich Morris said, reporting the district's chronic absenteeism rate of 24 percent and noting the district still recorded 4,490 students who missed 18 or more days last year. Morris reminded the board that missing 18 days of a 180-day school year meets the technical definition of chronic absenteeism used by the district.

Morris and colleagues credited targeted site work, district attendance teams, and a two-year grant partnership with Valley of the Sun United Way that brought a consultant group called FrameShift to help with strategic and project planning. FrameShift leaders worked with district teams on run charts and school-by-school monitoring tools intended to help principals track month-by-month attendance trajectories.

The district presented examples showing some schools performed at or below pre-COVID absenteeism levels. Morris said the district intends to connect chronic-absence data to academic performance and to continue the FrameShift partnership and other interventions in 2025-26.

On behavior, district staff reported the number of in-school suspension (ISS) days declined by 471 days and out-of-school suspension (OSS) days by 465 days from the prior year, a combined reduction of 936 lost days and an overall reduction of about 16 percent. The district said the reduction was larger than the modest net enrollment decline and credited student-support teams, expanded interventions and tiers of support for that progress.

District leaders said they will pilot a social-emotional-behavioral screener in 2025-26, increase teacher involvement in student-support teams, and continue to scale behavior intervention specialists and a board-certified behavior analyst who consult on more severe cases. The board and staff also discussed student voice, the role of focusing on root causes such as pandemic-related trauma, and the importance of differentiating students with chronic medical conditions or individualized education plans from other chronic-absence cases.

Ending: District leaders said the work will continue in 2025-26, including pilot screeners and stronger cross-team interventions; staff promised to return with disaggregated discipline and suspension data on request.","District attendance and climate teams reported a drop in chronic absenteeism to 24% for 2024-25 (from 48% at COVID peak), highlighted a two-year United Way-funded FrameShift partnership, and described behavioral initiatives that cut suspension days and created student support teams.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6510598,"Teacher urges immediate release of stipends; board says issue will be placed on future agenda",191,803000,994000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702&start=803&end=994","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702/thumbnail_803000.jpg","/articles/6510598/Arizona/Teacher-urges-immediate-release-of-stipends-board-says-issue-will-be-placed-on-future-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510598-ae0f715a05ebe95a86903344ccd8a5d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067614&Signature=c8dPV4UG1HW-o3ECCmi6z1FzK~pJNuuvV-bvUqdIvRLe8pp4ppUbHq8t2rrzzAiBugZ98G5x5yCfBRHlD1mLQsy5HCG~GrkqPZt0fUpRAtwqigOEpwlC~nxcMnEu3lp3Nrac1KPahCTns08Qr1ujcjBi4N76vRhLXdy6TOVL38GykRLHrhQ7VMRFyr4oS1OmUXww2gH4-nOziDyFW8n6cr0LQhbbkKvJClqu0U5rwEojixWEHdBCV8rl36qc6B~M4Sc5OG5NT4IeWnRSJMkI6N79zulHCbI1hCGGmU04lW3dEryhQ~Y-Sq2jrwt6hZd2d2P0k1IZCB94xatR4w3zdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Even, a teacher at Cactus Wren and member of the district IBM salary and compensation team, addressed the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board on July 10 and urged immediate release of staff stipends using district cash-flow emergency funds.

\"Governing board members give direction to mister O'Brien to to release at least $5,000,000 or more to IBM for distribution of retention and longevity stipends to the staff ASAP,\" Even told the board, arguing that a recently signed state budget and federal funding hold numbers left the district with sufficient cash to pay stipends before the school year starts.

Even said she first raised the issue to the board in May after a mistake in February left stipends funded with ESSER dollars and earmarked for the 2025-26 year; she said district staff had not yet provided all requested details and that IBM committee members had been told a possible October timeline for stipend distribution. \"The WSD staff deserves this these stipends in August, not October,\" Even said.

After Even's remarks a board member said the matter will be scheduled for a future agenda; the board did not take immediate action during the public comment period. No formal vote on stipends was announced at the July 10 meeting.

Ending: Staff and board members acknowledged the request and the need for further review; the board directed staff to place the stipend request on a future meeting agenda for formal consideration and recommendation.","A Cactus Wren teacher urged the Washington Elementary School District board to release retention and longevity stipends now, saying state budget actions free up resources; a board member said the topic will be placed on a future agenda.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6510604,"Washington Elementary board adopts $168 million operations budget, approves adoption on July 15 deadline",2969,1093000,4062000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702&start=1093&end=4062","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5361832-24ae3c2facb6f96fd5b28c533b7bf702/thumbnail_1093000.jpg","/articles/6510604/Arizona/Washington-Elementary-board-adopts-168-million-operations-budget-approves-adoption-on-July-15-deadline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510604-e4a5b46481c7ca2c0e9aae6a006e17c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067614&Signature=BtufGOKFK0~IU1ocgAfxRfJkZhhj8OrkcY2D2s65HgidN0~VCFwQ49tS9yg-vAucGgoMQv-qVneKifUXhElWrwmk-qSHFBdDs-1ejv0J5aXoTbl-WteNKOlTFV9kj6WUNEtMvxtxSaHizlbQc3q6NzFedZpHgtkRlGuCI96kFFfUEvCZVQy6ZDNHHEP8dxIhBLBe5NwiXjeBbkzByVZdQTRlwzRORlYdd6Rhve8jiExXFI1Ltl-VpwbmCXZVtYP0grol4pr9fKSYkDXRwx97rSC-j-9OBYGEx6j33vt-Jo3eLthgncD2zcM3LpqJ8xz0FNYWTwlTdUN993hMpZ6ARA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Washington Elementary School District Governing Board on July 10 approved the district's adopted expenditure budget for the 2025-26 school year, following a public hearing and a detailed presentation from district finance staff.

The adopted budget includes a maintenance and operations (M&O) budget just above $168,000,000, an unrestricted capital/district additional assistance fund of about $33,000,000, and combined federal and state projects near $61,500,000, district staff said. The board voted in favor of the motion during the meeting; no opposition was recorded.

At the start of the public hearing, district budget presenter Mr. O'Brien said, \"The budget hasn't changed from the proposed to the adopted,\" explaining that state statute limits increases between the two documents and that the state's adopted budget was incorporated into the district's projections. He also walked the board through carryforward and encumbrance calculations and noted the district's projected balance-carryforward for M&O was just over $18,000,000. \"Please remember that when we were projected this, we still had a few payrolls to go to clear out the year,\" O'Brien told the board, adding that vendors may submit invoices through Aug. 29 that could change the figure slightly.

Board members pressed for detail on how the state-provided budget workbook rolls up item-level tabs into the summary PDF the public sees. Board member Bill Adams said the summary form can show misleading lines driven by formula errors in the state workbook, and O'Brien acknowledged a formula issue that created a spurious 666% change in one detail line. O'Brien said the auditor general is aware of that line and that a revised document should correct the discrepancy.

The board asked for clarity about what the district is asking taxpayers to approve. O'Brien showed the tax-calculation worksheet used to compute the local \"adjacent ways\" levy: the budget projects $2,200,000 for adjacent ways but, because of prior-year balances, the amount to be raised from taxes is $520,000. \"That is what we will be taxing,\" O'Brien said, adding that the worksheets will be posted after the board of supervisors approves the rate.

Board members also requested access to more of the underlying workbook tabs and related documents. O'Brien said he had uploaded the additional forms to the board's agenda packet and that he tracks encumbrances historically to make the carryforward projection. He told the board his office typically spends about 90% of encumbrances and that unrestricted capital encumbrances can number in the hundreds of outstanding invoices.

After discussion the board voted to approve the adopted expenditure budget for fiscal year 2025-26. The board also approved routine procedural items earlier in the meeting including minutes and a consent agenda.

Ending: The budget must be formally adopted by July 15 under state statute; staff said the documents and tax worksheets will be posted online after necessary county approvals and that the district will continue to publish updated budget material and a revised workbook if the state forms are corrected.","The Washington Elementary School District governing board voted to approve the district's adopted expenditure budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year after a public hearing and extended discussion about carryover, encumbrances and tax worksheets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Interim superintendent outlines 100-day entry plan focused on listening, relationships and short-term priorities

WESD reports chronic absenteeism down to 24% in 2024-25; district rolls out new monitoring and behavior supports

Teacher urges immediate release of stipends; board says issue will be placed on future agenda

Washington Elementary board adopts $168 million operations budget, approves adoption on July 15 deadline