Show Low board approves personnel, benefits and policy updates; hears Title IX public comment and first reading on data-sharing

The Show Low Unified School District Governing Board on April 22 approved a series of personnel and policy measures for the 2025–26 school year and received a first reading on a district-college data-sharing agreement.

The board voted to adopt a districtwide classified compensation and salary-placement recommendation that includes a baseline 4% adjustment and directs staff to develop a new salary schedule next year to place employees according to experience and step. Board members also approved multiple routine personnel items and new or revised job descriptions, and voted to renew several contracts and policies, including the district’s group health coverage through Kairos and an athletics handbook update.

The board’s actions follow presentations from Superintendent Dr. Farnsworth and district staff about recruiting, testing supports for special-education students and efforts to align curriculum. Dr. Farnsworth described the first reading on a regional data-sharing agreement with the Arizona Board of Regents as an extension of earlier work with Grand Canyon University and said the model is a “push not pull type of agreement” that keeps the district in control of what student information is shared. “We’re the ones that dictate the confidentiality, who gets the information, and then when we push it to them,” Farnsworth said.

Why it matters: the measures affect pay and staffing for hundreds of employees, change benefit choices available to staff, establish permanent procedural language for student travel per diems and meal balances, and set district practice on Title IX interpretation after recent federal and court developments.

Key details

- Classified compensation and salary placement: The board approved a recommended compensation package that starts with a 4% across‑the‑board adjustment and directs district staff to create a new salary schedule for FY27 that accounts for years of service and placement. Dr. Farnsworth told the board that most classified employees will receive increases that exceed 4% once placements are finalized.

- Health insurance (Kairos) renewal: The district will renew its Kairos health plans and add a $1,200 PPO option. Miss Davis described the change and said Kairos is dropping a $16.50 high-deductible plan; the package gives employees two copay plans and two high-deductible plans to choose from. The insurance increase for the district is about 9% overall; the district will absorb a 3% premium increase this year, a cost Miss Davis said comes to “about $160,000.” She told the board that district leaders communicated this will likely be a one‑year accommodation.

- Personnel and hiring authority: The board approved routine classified and certified hires, transfers and resignations for 2025–26 and authorized the superintendent to hire hourly staff and begin onboarding once background checks and fingerprints clear to reduce delays in filling classroom support positions. “When we call them to come in and start their onboarding process, they’ve already filled up,” Farnsworth said, arguing the authority will reduce vacancy time.

- Job descriptions and contracts: The board approved new or updated job descriptions including a certified Cubby Hole preschool teacher, an academic testing specialist (to be funded from maintenance and operations allocations), and renewed the speech-language pathologist agreement for 2025–26 (the district contracts outside services for specialized speech-language supports because of limited local capacity).

- Athletics handbook and facility use: Trustees approved an updated athletics handbook recommended by regional peers and approved a revision to the facility‑use agreement’s fee schedule to delegate camp-fee details to the athletic director rather than a fixed dollar amount.

- Meal policy and per diem: The board approved an update to the district meal-balance policy to allow write-offs of unpaid balances for graduating students to be brought to the board. The board also revised procedure 5‑213A to adopt the Arizona Department of Administration’s per-diem guidance — increasing the current $6 daily meal allocation used for some trips to the state guideline (noted in discussion as $17 per day) and directing future updates to follow that state source.

- Model policy program update (Title IX): Board members approved a model‑policy update that, per staff explanation, reverts the district’s Title IX interpretation to the May 2020 federal regulations after a federal court decision vacated the 2024 regulations and the U.S. Department of Education recommended returning to the 2020 framework. Dr. Farnsworth summarized the change as centering “***‑based discrimination” and the requirement to investigate claims; he said the district will follow required timelines and often consult outside legal counsel.

Public comment and contention

At the board’s call to the public, Shay Wood Sturm addressed Title IX changes, criticizing the board’s decision to adopt the model‑policy update and urging the board to retain broader protections. “You guys left those out from the 2020 to the 2024 one,” Sturm said, and raised concerns about what he described as narrowing protections for transgender, queer and pregnant students. Board members noted the policy documents are publicly available on the district website and advised constituents to raise federal funding or statutory concerns with state and federal lawmakers.

First reading: Data-sharing with colleges

The board received a first reading on agreements that would allow the district to push junior and senior student data to the Arizona Board of Regents (ASU, U of A and NAU) for post‑secondary recruiting and outreach. Dr. Farnsworth said the arrangement mirrors an earlier agreement with Grand Canyon University and is “almost identical” in confidentiality and controls; because this item was a first reading there was no board action.

Votes at a glance

(Items listed as approved were passed by voice vote unless a roll call was read aloud.)

- Agenda approval — passed (voice vote) - April special meeting minutes — passed (voice vote) - Ratification of expenses, payroll vouchers and activity accounts — passed (voice vote) - Classified compensation and salary placement schedule 2025–26 — approved (voice vote) - Classified personnel employee actions (transfers/resignations) — approved (voice vote) - Classified personnel employment (hourly employee work agreements for 2025–26) — approved (voice vote) - Certified transfers/resignations and certified employment actions — approved (voice vote) - Kairos insurance renewal (FY25–26) — approved; district to absorb a 3% premium increase this year (~$160,000) (voice vote) - Cubby Hole preschool teacher job description (certified) — approved (voice vote) - Academic testing specialist job description (funded from M&O) — approved (voice vote) - Speech-language pathologist agreement 2025–26 (contracted services) — approved (voice vote) - ESI contract renewal 2025–26 — approved (voice vote) - Athletic handbook approval — approved (voice vote) - Superintendent authorized to hire hourly staff (ratify after hiring) — approved (voice vote) - Model policy program update (Model policies #3, 2024–25, Title IX reversion to 2020 regs) — approved (voice vote) - MPC dual enrollment and talent IGA renewal (classes/IGA through 2027; annual class list updated) — approved (voice vote) - Meal-change policy update (graduating student balances write-off procedure) — approved (voice vote) - Procedure 5‑213A (per diem for travel; adopt AZ Dept. of Administration rate) — approved (voice vote) - Facility use agreement update (fee schedule wording change) — approved (voice vote) - School properties disposal (routine) — approved (voice vote) - Out-of-state travel (junior-high staff to Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas) — approved (voice vote) - Gifts and donations (microphones/sound equipment; instruments) — accepted (voice vote) - Student fundraising and activities approvals — approved (voice vote)

What’s next

Staff will return with the second reading or final agreements where required (for the data-sharing agreements and any contracts requiring later board ratification), a formal salary schedule proposal for FY27 placement work, and additional director-level reports at an upcoming meeting as trustees requested. The board set its next regular meeting for May 8, 2025.

Ending

The meeting adjourned after public comment and routine closing items.

Quotes

- Dr. Farnsworth, superintendent: “We’re the ones that dictate the confidentiality, who gets the information, and then when we push it to them.”

- Miss Davis, district staff: “Kairos is getting rid of this, $16.50 high deductible plan. … It is an increase to us this year of 9%. Our insurance is going to be 3%. And after a discussion, we have decided that the district will absorb that cost this year, which is a big cost. It comes to about a hundred and $60,000.”

- Dr. Farnsworth on hiring authority: “That will really help out a lot of our school sites because they’re waiting and waiting until people get approved to go help in the classroom.”

- Shay Wood Sturm (public commenter): “You guys left those out from the 2020 to the 2024 one. … Trans people have always existed.”