Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Prescott Unified recognizes staff and donors; district reports several sizable gifts and safety upgrades
Summary
Trustees honored staff for organizing a winter wellness fair and other service; district leaders announced donations that paid off student meal debt, a $50,000 gift from a local family and a roughly $216,000 bequest to a weekend food program; officials also described recent safety‑system tests.
At the Prescott Unified School District governing board meeting on Jan. 14, trustees presented challenge coins and recognized staff and volunteers, and district leaders reported several recent donations and safety upgrades.
Challenge coin and staff recognition
The board presented a challenge coin to Judy Stencil, who led the district’s Winter Wellness Fair. Mr. Tenney said Judy “nearly doubled the number of students who received Christmas gifts” and that more than 146 PUSD children from preschool through high school received gifts and were connected to family resource services for coats, shoes and referrals.
Donations and bequests
District staff reported an anonymous out‑of‑state family paid off outstanding student lunch debts across the district and directed remaining funds to create a small assistance fund for school fees and activity costs; district staff described the amount as just over $1,500. The Lucas family — previously recognized for a large gift last year — sent an additional $50,000 to the district. The board also reported an estate gift of about $216,000 to the district’s Hungry Kids Project, a weekend food program, which administrators estimated would fully fund that program for roughly 12–15 years.
Security and safety updates
Mr. Tenney reported that district staff tested a mutual‑link emergency system connecting administrators and law enforcement, and that the Raptor emergency notification tool and video/voice links functioned in a trial run. The district also reported upgrades including new fencing and gates at Taylor Hicks and other routine safety measures.
Community remembrances
Board members recognized the recent deaths of longtime community figures, including Colonel Fred Cohen, a military veteran and frequent substitute teacher who was honored with an Air Force flyover, and Mr. Fendersen, a longtime PHS teacher and coach. Board members reflected on their legacies and service to students.
Why it matters: the gifts provide direct assistance to families, support weekend food security programs and give the district additional flexibility to meet student needs. Safety system upgrades and the SRO IGA approved at the same meeting are part of ongoing campus security efforts.
