[{"_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",5973136,"mediaKeyId","5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40","parentId",5853192,"title","Students form Turning Point USA chapter; board explains Model UN trip funding and tax‑credit rules","audioSeconds",360,"startMs",468000,"endMs",828000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40&start=468&end=828","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40/thumbnail_468000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5973136/Arizona/Students-form-Turning-Point-USA-chapter-board-explains-Model-UN-trip-funding-and-taxcredit-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973136-ff44aa1fca800599ec1416eaa8f7a89a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578845&Signature=mrsVPcYbqs8rdaRFZFab9FyaVGJZMKBQYzv4ViMIBdgEXtFQlv-GtZ2P8eijxl-4wdPp3J82OMS-rpUrfdHu-IhQdAsPSi3iGfkYNLC6ComLJBs1GXexmGln6MecirDZQ1Uf1ynJvr14zOss4Vd23ybvcMyf2uO5aTJXdf7mPrKbnWBZVj2p7pgyZtW8J8WXzt~T3MXXXsHiyd5CZFQwWZsKkt~TRytdy8goaSX8Np7PHMqy1MYEa3WS4RFL-rbiKqADhjpB~hkJV-jjyyqOaDZHGI6moRXF-e0MSkRgJH6WWncmoz0FjNCYV~ROIDgkb5sBj1ewUTi-bYuxbXUhdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CFSD Livestream","date","2025-09-26T14:51:00Z","article","At the Sept. 25 meeting two high‑school students introduced a student‑run Turning Point USA chapter and described planned volunteer activities, while the board addressed concerns about Model United Nations funding and field‑trip fundraising.

Emilio Neto introduced himself as “president of the student run club, TP USA,” and Zoe Patrick identified herself as the club’s vice president. Neto said the club will focus on “identifying, educating, and training, and organizing students to promote freedom‑based qualities” and plans volunteer activities such as diaper drives and letters to veterans. The students said they were aware of district policies governing guest speakers and would attempt to comply when arranging outside presenters.

Separately, the board pulled the field‑trip memorandum (item 3.3) for clarification after prior public comments mentioned Model UN funding. Board members clarified that Model UN is a student club, not a curricular class, and therefore is not funded from district maintenance & operations dollars except for the teacher sponsor stipend. Superintendent Bartlett explained that travel for clubs requires fundraising, student fees, tax‑credit donations and gifts; for distant trips families pay more and clubs typically engage in additional fundraising. Bartlett said the district attempts to assist families in need by splitting costs roughly 50/50 between tax‑credit or district assistance and the family when a need is identified, using a “program of greatest need” account for tax‑credit allocations.

Board members asked whether tax‑credit donations could be directed to a single student; Bartlett said targeted donations to an individual student are not permitted under current practice, though donors can make targeted donations to specific programs. An exception exists for certain kindergarten tuition (referred to as “Kindergarten Plus” in the discussion), which can be applied to a specific child’s tuition.

The board approved the field‑trip memorandum (item 3.3) by voice vote, 5–0. Model UN’s proposed trip was described in the meeting as a five‑day conference in Washington, D.C., with two travel days and a stated fee of about $1,000 per student; the transcript indicates the club will pursue fundraising and tax‑credit donations to cover costs.

No formal policy changes to tax‑credit rules were made at the meeting; board members said fundraising plans and any use of district tax‑credit funds would follow existing district procedures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting 25 September 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Students introduced a new Turning Point USA chapter and the board clarified how Model UN club travel to Washington, D.C., is funded, including fundraising, tax‑credit donations and district support for families in need.","taxTitle","Catalina Foothills Unified School District, School Districts, Arizona","taxId",50854,"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},5973141,"Board requests rewrite of support‑staff fingerprint policy after lengthy first‑reading discussion",732,2684000,3416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40&start=2684&end=3416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40/thumbnail_2684000.jpg","/articles/5973141/Arizona/Board-requests-rewrite-of-supportstaff-fingerprint-policy-after-lengthy-firstreading-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973141-ba145133ed4b41572a0f6aaedd4c9ef5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578845&Signature=AbI1RCYGoIaNoc4kgfs1Z533Sm2HUWXlNHbUD8sPrZevJeTuL9thmhDJ03U~NP0bCmPFdhAsg8cT5keFa~KVn9pHOUMWpS49JCaWo~L~WfjYykz0JDLsZAfr6Zub-A4Q7CEImuwuRlOoLRqnbAhWK~7YJdzBwyJhZ7y-55Twdrl2493EgCOA7fN4F8zUUGzdB5qlxCp~Cx53KbikYwE66ORfsA8bpYJ4KR6cwEjze~AWHBNtaTDr4aQO~zQ66j6LrWdA0slhfpV8b59e9aqYNrESBlpMSpAIvOENEoMCGzSH-jrAOFmJFoT~o9m7doCDkJSHFrlYdaeZOV2tHP4NQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Catalina Foothills School District governing board held a first reading Sept. 25 of proposed revisions to policy GDFA (support staff qualifications; fingerprint requirements) and asked the administration to substantially rewrite the draft to clarify multiple distinctions and exceptions.

Associate Superintendent Mindy Westover presented the proposed changes and said the draft specifies that all noncertificated personnel and unpaid personnel who are not parents or legal guardians and who work directly with students must obtain fingerprint clearance cards (identity‑verified fingerprint, IVP) as a condition of employment, with stated exceptions for noncertificated personnel who do not work at a school site and volunteers who serve during the school day. Westover said the revision also incorporates current practice and adds authority for the district to release background results to other school districts upon request.

Board members questioned organization, readability and the practical difference between a background fingerprint check and an IVP clearance card. Members asked for clearer headings, an explicit statement of who must have background fingerprints versus who must hold an IVP card, and suggested the policy explain renewal and reporting practices. One board member said the opening paragraph was hard to follow and recommended shorter sentences and a reorganization with subheads.

The board discussed implementation details Westover and staff provided: volunteers who assist during the school day have fingerprint background checks but are not required to obtain IVP clearance cards; after‑school volunteer coaches and some sponsors are required to obtain IVP clearance cards (district practice that exceeds statutory minimums); individuals who already have IVP fingerprints on file with the Arizona Department of Public Safety will not be required to reroll prints for the district; IVP cards require renewal every six years; and the district is notified if an IVP card is deactivated following a law‑enforcement action.

Board members also raised procedural concerns about clarity in the policy’s exceptions, the location of the IVP terminology, and whether costs for cards for unpaid volunteers should be borne by the district. Westover said the draft language was drawn from statutory text and that she would return with a reorganized, clearer version. The board did not vote on the policy; members asked staff to complete a comprehensive rewrite and bring it back for further consideration.","At the Sept. 25 meeting the board conducted a first reading of policy GDFA (support staff qualifications and fingerprint requirements) and asked staff to substantially reorganize and rewrite the draft so the distinction between background fingerprint checks and identity‑verified fingerprint (IVP) clearance cards is clearer.",{"_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},5973146,"Catalina Foothills board unanimously approves staff-discipline, graduation, arts-seal revisions and 2025–26 superintendent goals",223,1544000,1767000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40&start=1544&end=1767","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40/thumbnail_1544000.jpg","/articles/5973146/Arizona/Catalina-Foothills-board-unanimously-approves-staff-discipline-graduation-arts-seal-revisions-and-202526-superintendent-goals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973146-b6fefc3a059561143b70c89cd81a392e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578845&Signature=TEeUJzvSdlJks2Yst9tdh4pwrLUWG4dIE1~84GW3ydciMlH4NhZDNXNie0vyFHZf0XndKIdbQEQbJiNdEKyN0-VCBZ4vhIHrZAlyzmvxaC2MM3eVF7LYlGspX~WEnb257PSSi6UxIEI--vpZDHiLHhj0ZWNhWdypKCL-uDujctbuZ5SfU3B3YAst3Jw6c0ulXv8HqonEQDamRqvu-0jyvZaBpowFXbGtMSFpEi90Izc2tHXaDJwU-ag~A9OER53l-aJzPyxITJLp0yq5A0BIdyM26OSjZHBygpwgID~uqEYaw9~~y3cku4osSErhp7kxQlGhNS-S2SSAKpc-egiyKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Catalina Foothills School District governing board on Sept. 25 approved several policy revisions and the superintendent’s proposed performance goals for the 2025–26 school year, each by a 5–0 vote.

Policies approved included revisions to GCQF (discipline, suspension and dismissal of professional staff members) to align with Senate Bill 1659 and changes to Arizona statute ARS 15-350 that clarify when a school district may request information from the State Board of Education about allegations of employee misconduct. Associate Superintendent Mindy Westover explained the revisions add a section describing statutory requirements and the State Board’s obligation to release information unless doing so would impede an active investigation.

The board also approved revisions to policy IKF (graduation requirements) reflecting House Bill 2540 and amendments to ARS 15-741. Executive Director of Curriculum and Assessment Michelle Castro said the updated language lets students submit official score reports from nationally recognized assessments adopted by the State Board of Education (for example, ACT) and, under certain timing conditions, allows a student to opt out of the district’s administration of that assessment. The revisions also clarify circumstances under which the district may administer the statewide assessment in written form (for example, as required by an IEP or for documented health or religious reasons).

The district’s Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency program description was approved with no changes from the first reading; the revision adds three qualifying CTE courses—Film and TV 1, Film and TV 2, and Film and TV 3—that students may use toward the seal.

The board also approved the superintendent’s 2025–26 performance goals. Superintendent Bartlett described two changes since the first reading: a new engagement goal to increase the percentage of students in grades 3–12 who report feeling engaged and confident in their learning (to be measured by a pre/post survey), and a revised community-outreach goal to register at least 450 new community members for ParentSquare posts as a verified-registration target. Other stated goals include a district academic target (an aspirational 80% proficiency goal on state assessments in reading, math and science), maintaining a teacher retention rate of 86% or better, reducing off-campus suspensions by 10%, increasing average daily attendance by 2% at each school, and increasing nonresident open-enrollment applications by 5%.

Bartlett said the pre-survey for the new engagement measure is planned for the week of Oct. 24, with the post survey at the end of the school year; surveys will be administered to students in grades 3–12 during class and reported at the grade level to preserve anonymity. Board members asked about protected survey topics required by statute; Bartlett said the survey will avoid the 14 protected areas and the district will work with legal counsel as needed.

Each item was approved by voice vote with all five governing-board members voting in favor. The board president said that progress on the superintendent goals will be the basis for any 2025–26 performance-pay component under the superintendent’s contract.","At its Sept. 25 meeting the Catalina Foothills School District governing board approved a set of policy revisions to align with state law and adopted the superintendent's performance goals for 2025–26, including a new student engagement survey and community outreach registration target.",{"_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},5973151,"Catalina Foothills board tables Mandarin immersion first reading, schedules Oct. 14 and Oct. 28 after Sunrise Drive conflict",295,63000,358000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40&start=63&end=358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853192-64c6d843c9e8943c545c78e8746f1a40/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/5973151/Arizona/Catalina-Foothills-board-tables-Mandarin-immersion-first-reading-schedules-Oct-14-and-Oct-28-after-Sunrise-Drive-conflict","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973151-c980bf2f55a8ce5a35b024af2e6d2480/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578845&Signature=I5KPoaiitLvZ8D1G5Z12ZpiqCaY9ddsauTqyyfV4GALh~Gh11CPwAiwsPesjpIUkuEgVMBQzzbbNgVAPBm9-Rltk3xZuuf6mG86crO5A4ZsIbwZqeRsGCYj4YPw49rxWG9ll2eNRutIY4hI-4N8CLB61FmOgHl5ains2szQwEcbDpInIxd1~hNIgFqytMHAOeYY7-fAXWDGDi~zSX6ah-jpfyiXFyyhR5u3qZHxlkZtJCvfRPtN9DlYkrdPy9xBD5nWoD5cnqaaKM-hMIzMJ6ZVcVZ4VSb1TkvHc9lrv47~1FuOmmHlzqJcnO1PbnU3AsMHlCgKJyzIYHXPpXG-2BQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Catalina Foothills School District governing board announced Sept. 25 that it would table the scheduled first reading of a proposed gradual phase-out plan for the district’s Mandarin Chinese immersion program after learning a family event was occurring that evening at Sunrise Drive Elementary School. The board president said the item will be reset for a first reading on Oct. 14 and a second reading on Oct. 28 so families can attend.

The matter was not discussed on the merits at the Sept. 25 meeting; the board announced the scheduling change at the start of the meeting and then opened public comment. Board members clarified that, because of open meeting laws, the posted agenda could not be changed after publication, so the item remained on the published agenda even though it would not be heard that night.

Lucy Hornby, who identified herself during public comment as someone who had read the district’s enrollment report, urged the board to broaden outreach about the program. “Once the parents committee was finally set up last year, you’ve seen an uptick in enrollment this year,” Hornby said. She said the district’s notification about delaying the discussion “was only sent to people whose children are already in the program” and argued that broader outreach would help preserve the program.

The board president responded to Hornby’s concern by noting the scheduling decision aimed to “provide the most opportunity for parents who have the most vested interest in that program to be able to come and speak or participate in our meeting” and reiterated the rescheduled dates. Board staff additionally told the public that parents who wished to speak about the immersion program during the Sept. 25 public-comment period were welcome to do so that night rather than waiting for the rescheduled readings.

No policy change, motion or vote on the immersion program occurred at the Sept. 25 meeting; the board only announced the schedule change and invited further public comment at the later readings.

Members of the public who want to speak when the item is heard in October were told to use the district’s usual public-comment sign-up procedures for in-person comments or the Google form linked in the YouTube stream for remote comment.","The Catalina Foothills School District governing board announced it would postpone the first reading of a proposed gradual phase-out plan for the Mandarin Chinese immersion program because a family event at Sunrise Drive Elementary conflicts with the meeting; the board and a parent speaker urged broader outreach before the item returns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Students form Turning Point USA chapter; board explains Model UN trip funding and tax‑credit rules

Board requests rewrite of support‑staff fingerprint policy after lengthy first‑reading discussion

Catalina Foothills board unanimously approves staff-discipline, graduation, arts-seal revisions and 2025–26 superintendent goals

Catalina Foothills board tables Mandarin immersion first reading, schedules Oct. 14 and Oct. 28 after Sunrise Drive conflict