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

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.