The Douglas Unified School District Governing Board reviewed and approved several action items during its Tuesday, December 9 meeting.

Questions were raised concerning $10,000 being paid to teachers on special assignment for extra duties/responsibilities for staff development events, classes for teachers and various other OSI projects.

The board was concerned that school did not come for approval prior to making this offer to the teachers, but approved the issue 2-1, with Patricia Lopez dissenting.

In other action, the board approved:

√ Donation of pre-game warm up jerseys  (value $600) for the DHS boys soccer program from Felipe McGrew; donation of computer equipment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Douglas Board Patrol, with an approximate value of $19,500; donation of $475 of dictionaries for district third grade students from the Douglas Rotary Club; and donation of seven ViewSonic computer monitors  (approximate value $350) from Arizona Public Service.

• Approved fundraising activities for newly chartered students community service club at Huber Middle School.

• Approved second readings of policy revisions “Evaluation of School Board/Board Self Evaluation;” and “”Bidding/Purchasing Procedures.” The board also approved the first reading of the following policies - “Professional Staff Holidays and Vacations,” “Support Staff Holidays and Vacations” and “Promotion and Retention of Students.”

• Approved a retirement request from Eve Rosenberg for May 2009.

• Approved hiring of D-PASS Day School lead teacher, Sandra Garcia, $24,187.

• Approved an addendum in the amount of $6,000 for Claudia Leon for extra duties/responsibilities as an administrator at Faras and Sarah Marley elementary schools; and $2,000 for Mitch Lindemann as Flag/Twirler sponsor;

• Approved hiring of substitute teachers Leisha Reynolds, Laura Alvarado, Ruth Acedo and Jacqueline Rose in the amount of $70 daily; and Arely Del Rio at $50 daily.

• Approved volunteers Eric Mapp, Stevenson School; Tony Rodriguez and Tony Vasquez, volunteer coach-DHS girl’s basketball;  and Annacelia Quijada, Clawson School.

• Hired Paco Esquer as the head middle school boys basketball coach, and accepted the resignation of longtime coach Doug Wright.

• Reviewed the Arizona State University interns completing teaching practice during the 2008-09 spring semester - Alvina Hughes, Gricelda Hernandez, Melanie Molina, Sasha Taylor, Luz Badgero, Naideny Uriquijo, Leyla Secheslingloff, David Hurtado, Daniel Noriega, Patricia Valdez, Maira Gonzalez, Amanda McFarland, Priscilla Cordova and Hannah Hurtado.

• Approved the hiring of Robert Rodriguez, (Ray Borane/Huber campus security), $9.90 per hour; Eric Hinojosa (Ray Borane In-House Monitor), $8.87 per hour; Maria Meza, Eric Leyva and Guadalupe Pedroza (DHS Special Ed instructional aide), $8.87 per hour; and Maria T. Kaercher (secretary in the business office), $8.54 per hour.

• Compensation at $25 daily for Luis Alvarez (Clawson) to act as after school homework club facilitator.

• Approved a revision to the job description for health aide.

• Accepted the resignations of Annacelia Quijada, teachers aide in Clawson; Rosemary Chavez, health aide at the Early Learning Center; Briza Grubb, attendance clerk at DHS; and Kim Valencia, teacher’s aide at Stevenson.

• Approved a revision of the DUSD budget for 2008-09.

• Approved out of state travel for Janice Gallagher, Maria Noriega, Barbara Ankrom, Roxana Martinez, Tony Cantua, Maria Sexton, Patricia Feree and Rodna la Madrid to attend the Solution Tree seminar in San Antonio; for Debbie Thuma, Denise Cox and Cynthia Bohmfalk to attend training on the Strategic Instruction Model  in Lawrence, Kansas, in June.

 out-of-state travel for Career & Technical Ed teacher Mary Morris and DHS Future Educators of America students to attend the National FEA Conference in Denver; and out-of-state travel for Career and Technical Education teacher Mark Silverstein  at attend the International Consumer Electronics Show and Conference in La Vegas in January.

• Approved an annual contract with the General Education Development testing service to provide GED testing at DUSD.

• Reviewed monthly district reports.

The next regular board meeting is January 6.

The holiday break begins Wednesday, December 24 and lasts until Friday, January 2; central administration and maintenance will be closed from December 24 to January 1.