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Bullhead City School Board approves FY27 budget plan; two tech positions left without placements
Summary
At a March 20 special meeting the Bullhead City School Board approved a fiscal year 2027 budgetary planning proposal and ratified employee renewals for 2026–27; staff said two technology/CTE positions currently lack viable placements, affecting two long-standing employees.
President Melinda Saski presided over a special meeting of the Bullhead City School Board on March 20, 2026, where the board approved a fiscal year 2027 budgetary planning proposal and approved employee renewals for 2026–27.
Dr. Stewart, addressing the board, said she had reviewed feedback from employees and board members, re-crunched the numbers and was standing by the original proposal. "This was too big of a decision for me to be working on by myself," Dr. Stewart told the board, saying principals, assistant principals and directors had been involved in discussions starting in January.
The budgetary planning proposal, presented as item 2.1, aims to preserve most positions through reassignment or by filling open paraprofessional posts, Dr. Stewart said. She identified roughly 22 positions under consideration and said two technology/CTE positions at Fox Creek currently have no viable placement in the district: one employee with about 20 years of service and one employee who holds only temporary certification. Dr. Stewart said the district had set up one affected employee to move into a math position and that other openings often arise around school startup.
Board members asked whether affected positions were lateral in pay and whether reassigned staff would keep comparable salaries; Dr. Stewart said salaries were "very much so" similar and that many staff either had been or could be reassigned to existing openings.
A board member moved to approve the fiscal year 2027 budgetary planning proposal; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The board then reviewed item 2.2, a list of employees recommended for renewal for the 2026–27 school year. The motion to approve the recommended renewals also passed unanimously.
Votes at a glance: Approved motions and recorded votes • Approve FY27 budgetary planning proposal — Passed, 5–0 (President Melinda Saski: yes; Fred Rushton: yes; Charlene Diaz: yes; Barb Zarziki: yes; Dr. Sheila Bernett: yes). • Approve recommended employee renewals for 2026–27 — Passed, 5–0 (Melinda Saski: yes; Fred Rushton: yes; Charlene Diaz: yes; Barb Zarziki: yes; Dr. Sheila Bernett: yes).
The board set future meetings for April 9 (workshop and regular meeting) and adjourned. The record does not specify whether the district will offer additional transition support or severance for the two employees identified as without current placements; Dr. Stewart said the district would look for opportunities but that, at present, those two positions had no viable placement within the district.
Next steps: The budgetary planning proposal adopted at this meeting will guide personnel decisions and final budget development for FY27. The board did not amend the proposal at the meeting and therefore staff indicated no changes were required under item 2.3.
