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Casa Grande Union superintendent outlines academic supports, bathroom repairs and phone policy work
Summary
Superintendent Lavender told the board the district plans seventh‑hour algebra supports with teachers paid $55/hour, is responding to bathroom vandalism that cost 'several thousand dollars' and is advancing a cell‑phone committee proposal modeled in part on a new California law.
Superintendent Lavender used his Feb. 11 report to outline three operational priorities: additional academic support for students failing algebra, repairs and supervision after social‑media‑linked bathroom vandalism, and a proposed approach to limiting cell‑phone classroom disruptions.
Lavender said roughly 30% of students fail algebra in the first semester and proposed adding seventh‑hour classes and credit‑recovery sessions taught by teachers who would be paid $55 per hour for after‑hours instruction. He asked the board to approve paying teachers for those dedicated instructional sessions to improve algebra outcomes.
On facilities, Lavender said the district had to repair bathroom damage tied to “TikTok challenges,” stating it paid “several thousand dollars” for recent repairs, and that about six bathrooms are currently open — “half of what the health department requires,” he said — while staff work on supervision and remediation plans.
Lavender also described work by a district cell‑phone committee, noting a new law signed in California by Gov. Newsom and saying the district’s plan will focus on limiting phone use in class through education and responsible‑use rules rather than an outright ban. He said the committee will seek community input before firming policy changes.
Lavender framed these items as steps to protect learning time and student safety; the board did not take immediate formal action on policy changes during the meeting but did hear related operational proposals and a request to fund after‑hours instruction.
