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Baboquivari board hears letter‑grade results and cautions on enrollment decline and attendance
Summary
District staff presented school letter grades, explained assessment rules and bonus‑point mechanics, and financial staff warned that enrollment declines and absenteeism threaten future budgets despite projections that currently show positive balances through 2030.
Baboquivari Unified School District officials on Dec. 8 reviewed the district’s state accountability letter grades, a 10‑year financial projection and attendance data, and emphasized that declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism could affect future staffing and facilities decisions.
District assessment staff walked the board through Arizona’s grading methodology and how indicators such as proficiency, stability, attendance, testing rates and bonus points are calculated under state rules (a statute was cited during the presentation). Indian Oasis Elementary earned 73.92 points and a B grade, the district reported. Other campuses showed mixed results: one middle campus earned roughly 70.57 points (near a B) and one high‑school campus earned 66.43 points, while another high‑school campus earned about 53.65 points (C), according to the presentation.
Finance staff presented expenditures through Nov. 30, 2025: 63.01% of the FY26 budget had been expended and encumbered, leaving a reported remaining balance of 36.99%. The staff noted that the district uses conservative enrollment assumptions and a projection that, at current trends, keeps a positive balance through 2030. Board members cautioned that the statewide trend of declining enrollment is evident locally and said ongoing absenteeism reductions are critical because funding formulas are sensitive to average daily membership and attendance.
Superintendent Ruben Diaz and board members discussed initiatives to address chronic absenteeism and support families, including partnerships with HRDC and hospital staff and on‑site services at schools. One principal told the board her campus attendance fell to about 88% in November, while targeted grades (third grade at one campus) remained near 92%.
Board members asked staff for follow‑up reports on enrollment (ADM), program impacts, and the bus app used for transportation updates. The board placed several data‑review items on the January agenda, including single‑audit findings and a data‑analysis study session to support district planning.
The board did not take action to change school grades; the presentation was informational and intended to guide budgeting and program priorities.
