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Hackberry board approves staff pay for shutdown, directs pursuit of new well, storage tank and filtration after Petro water break
Summary
After a Petro water-line break forced a Sept. 2–4 emergency shutdown, the Hackberry Elementary School District #3 board approved pay for staff for the closure and directed administration to research historical water agreements and seek School Facilities Division funding for a district well, a 50,000-gallon emergency storage tank and a commercial filtration system.
The Hackberry Elementary School District #3 Governing Board on Sept. 9 approved interim payroll arrangements for staff affected by a Sept. 2–4 emergency shutdown caused by a water-line break at Petro and directed administration to pursue long-term water infrastructure improvements.
Superintendent Christina Ramirez told the board that the Petro supply failure forced school closures on the listed dates. Communication with families was handled primarily through ParentSquare and follow-up phone calls by employees; most students were picked up by parents and two students rode the bus home. Parent-teacher conferences proceeded using temporary facilities, including porta-potties.
The board considered two payroll options for days school was closed: recognize staff as working from home (with payroll documentation) so both hourly and salaried employees would be paid, or require leave time with the board approving two extra leave days. The board approved the first option, moved by Valerie Grimes and seconded by Pam Adams; the motion passed 3-0.
Board members and district staff reviewed the district's ongoing reliance on Petro for water and repeated shutdowns’ instructional and operational impacts. Ramirez reported past testing had indicated the presence of radium, arsenic and petroleum byproducts in Petro-supplied water, that some contractor testing did not cover all contaminants, and that previously installed filtration equipment is outdated and replacement filters are no longer available. The minutes note that the Arizona School Facilities Division (SFD) funded construction of the school in 2000 and that historical agreements about Petro as the water source are unclear.
Ramirez recommended pursuing SFD support for a district-dedicated well, installation of a 50,000-gallon potable water storage tank for emergency use, and acquisition of a commercial-grade water filtration system maintained by the district. She also proposed interim improvements, such as replacing bathroom vanities with water bottle filling stations using existing authority for funding.
The board approved a motion directing administration to continue researching historical water-source agreements and to formally request SFD funding for a new well, storage tank and filtration system. The motion, recorded as moved by Pam Adams and seconded by Valerie Grimes, passed 3-0. The board expressed strong support for ensuring safe, reliable, independent water access for students and staff.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: administration will research historical documentation and prepare a formal funding request to SFD; no timeline for SFD submission or for construction was specified in the minutes.
