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Fountain Hills board holds tribal consultation, details Native American programs and grants
Summary
At a required tribal consultation, district staff outlined Native American programming, recent grants and Title allocations, and reported a 100% graduation rate for Native American students in 2024; board requested further assessment breakdowns and approved no funding changes at the hearing.
At a public tribal consultation held during the Fountain Hills Unified School board meeting, district staff presented program updates, grant funding and student outcome data for Native American students.
Superintendent (identified in the transcript as Speaker 10) opened the session by describing district initiatives including a ‘portrait of a graduate’ strategy and the Accelerate Fountain Hills honors program tied to Arizona State University courses that allow students to earn college credits in high school. He said the district has secured multiple small grants to support the Native American Cultural Center and the Native American specialist position.
Marissa Flores, the district’s Native American specialist, described early-stage programming and outreach she has led with Fort McDowell and Salt River tribal communities, including planned cultural-connection activities such as beadwork and artwork displays and a future ribbon-cutting for a cultural center. “My name is Marissa Flores, and I’m the Native American specialist,” Flores told the board as she outlined efforts to create a welcoming space and curriculum offerings.
On funding, district staff reported a Prop 202 grant award of $6,700 earmarked for furniture, room decor and books for the cultural center, and Title VI funding budgeted at $61,378 that supports salaries, stipends and parent committee coordination. The administration said the Impact Aid FY2026 application was submitted but cautioned the district expects a reduction in Impact Aid revenue because of declining enrollment from Fort McDowell students.
The board was given a breakdown of federal ESSA allocations: Title I budgeted at $199,000 for salaries, Chromebooks, homeless youth supports and family engagement efforts; Title II at $54,007.25 to help with principal retention and staffing; smaller allocations for Title III and Title IV-A were also described. The superintendent estimated the cost of the district’s FHU/ASU program at under $30,000 for the year, including a $5,000 donation from the Peter and Teresa Conti Foundation.
Staff reported student outcome measures for Native American students across campuses. The presentation noted elementary- and middle-school proficiency and discipline figures and that the district’s Native American students posted a 100% graduation rate in 2024, with the district reporting zero dropouts and zero chronic absenteeism for that cohort. Board members asked for year-over-year comparative proficiency data and a more detailed breakdown of assessment (ACT and other assessments); the superintendent said he would provide further data in a subsequent presentation.
No public commenters spoke during this section of the hearing. The board reconvened the regular meeting after the consultation with directions for staff to supply the additional assessment information requested by board members.
