Board approves MOU with University of Arizona to pursue competitive indigenous-education grant

The Baboquivari Unified School District governing board voted Tuesday to sign a memorandum of understanding with the University of Arizona to participate in a competitive grant proposal intended to support Indigenous education and language preservation.

Superintendent Diaz described the initiative as a national, competitive opportunity (the district described the fund as the MacArthur Foundations program) and said the University of Arizona and ITEP are assembling a proposal that would co-develop curriculum, prepare educators and launch intergenerational community projects. "They're trying to get a commitment from the district that [we] wanna be part of it," Diaz said; district staff told trustees legal counsel reviewed the MOU and found it legally sound.

Principal Henriques and other staff framed the work as an extension of district priorities to sustain O'odham language and culture and to create pipelines to prepare Indigenous teachers and community-based educators. Henriques noted the MOU does not guarantee that Baboquivari will receive funding: selection is competitive and (per staff) only one proposal may be chosen nationally. As Henriques said, "It's not a promise that we get that money. It actually goes to them, but they want the MOU of understanding."

Board members asked about budget implications and what a grant award would mean for staffing and resources. Superintendent Diaz said staff will meet with the district budget office (EOB) to model potential resource impacts if the grant is awarded and will report back to the board with estimated budgets.

What's next: the district's legal counsel cleared the MOU and the board approved it by motion; district staff will continue to coordinate with the University of Arizona and ITEP while awaiting the final grant decision.