Questions concerning additions to teacher pay as addendums and cost of travel for training came under scrutiny during the regular meeting of the Douglas Unified School District Governing Board on Tuesday.

New board member Ed Rivera questioned why addenda were needed to staff contracts that had already been signed and agreed upon.

Rivera questioned why the $1,000 for leadership team members was not in the original contract.

School District Superintendent Earl Pettit explained that the contracts had to go out before the district knew if all of the funding would even be available.  He also explained that the funding came from Title I monies, which is set aside for reading, writing, math and science instructor training and improvement.

Addenda for leadership team members at Joe Carlson and for Jody Pirtle’s additional $2,500 for extra duties while serving as Child Find Coordinator was approved by a vote of 4-1 with Rivera the lone dissenting vote.

Rivera was also concerned about the cost for administrators and teachers to attend conferences in Orlando, New Orleans and Arlington, Virginia.

“I am concerned about how much travel cost I have seen in only my 31 days on the board,” he said. “It seems strange we can be spending this money when most of the rest of the nation is in a recession.”

“But, you can’t say that the board isn’t stimulating the economy,” joked board member Mario Ramos.

The board did approve, again by a 4-1 vote (with board member Patricia Lopez dissenting) a recruitment bonus for new hires of $2,000 that would be received in their first paycheck.

The plan also calls for a $1,000 retention bonus to all returning teachers who have their contract back to the district within three days.

Total cost would be $340,000 and it would come from Title I and II funds.

It also approved a first reading that would require all student fund-raising activities to be brought before the board for approval.

After a short executive session, the board also agreed to accept the resignation of Ray Borane Middle School Parent Liaison, Brenda Moreno, rather than proceed with action on a termination request.

The board did not say they had intended to follow through with termination prior to accepting the letter of resignation.

Several parents spoke on Moreno’s behalf during the “Call to the Public.”  One parent expressed her anger with the Superintendent because during the “Call to the Public” he showed a lack of respect to the speakers in his body language and facial expressions.

Moreno asked to address the board after they accepted the resignation, and she was refused. Since it was a personnel matter, no other information was provided during the meeting.

 In other action, the board:

Approved first reading of revisions to several policies including “Professional/Support Staff Leaves and Absences,” “Professional/Support Staff Sick Leave,” “Professional/Support Staff Leaves of Absence Without Pay,” “Part-Time and Substitute Professional Staff Employment,” “Discipline, Suspension and Dismissal of Professional Staff Members,” “”Open Enrollment,” and “Student Dress.”

The main changes in some of the policies includes a pay increase for substitute teachers to $100 daily, changing dates for notification of open enrollment and change policy to specifically approve school uniforms.

Approved a donation received from Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation for $500 for literacy support projects at the Douglas High School Library; $4,000 from Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association, Southern Arizona Chapter, for the purchase of interactive classroom technology for classroom assessments; $2,000 received from Wells Fargo Bank for D-PASS program; and $2,925 received from the Arizona Community Fund (Bob Holcombe Fund) for the purchase of additional computer for the D-PASS program.

• Approved fundraising activities for the spring semester for Clawson, Joe Carlson, Sarah Marley, and Faras elementary schools, Huber Middle School and Douglas High School.

Approved the hiring of substitute teachers Jordan Selchow, Kathleen DePadua, Alfred Novoa and Bernard Acedo.

Approved the coaching staff or the spring semester, 2008-09 and fall semester 2009-10. Those hired include Oscar Romero, assistant baseball coach (DHS); Brycen Wesen, girls tennis coach (DHS); Nicole Mariscal, assistant track coach (DHS); Jennifer Forsythe, middle school head boys track coach; Martha Alonso, DHS Assistant Athletic Trainer; Marcos Romero, Huber School assistant soccer coach; Efrain Elias, Huber Middle School Head Soccer coach; and Eliza Novoa-Gonzalez, DHS assistant softball coach.

The board also approved Zaul Tapia as a volunteer baseball coach at DHS and David Melendez as a volunteer boys soccer coach at Ray Borane Middle School.

Approved a retirement request from Margarita Ramos for the end of the 2009-10 school year.

Tabled action concerning salary adjustment for those incorrectly placed on the certified salary schedule. The board wants more information and will address the matter at its next meeting.

Approved the hiring of IT Technician Paul Dahl at an hourly rate of $12.88; Instruction aides Gloria Arias, Aurielle Flasschoen and Jennifer Nalley, Stevenson School, at a rate of $8.87 per hour, Instructional Aide, Nubia Elias, DHS Library, at a rate of $8.87; CTE Student Intern at DHS, Josh Kruger, at a rate of $7.25; Education program student, Josh Kruger, at a rate of $7.25 per hour for food service.

Approved salary adjustments because IT members incorrectly place on support staff salary schedule.

Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of warrants between board meetings.

Approved sole source procurement pursuant for instructional and course work materials for D-MAP middle school alternative program.

Approved out-of-state travel for 12 cheerleaders and two chaperones from the DHS Spiritline to compete in the United Spirit Association National Competition in Anaheim.

Approved our-of-state travel for Mitch Nelson to attend the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Convention in Salt Lake City.

Reviewed school calendar for 2009-10 school year.

The schools and school offices will be closed on Monday, February 16 in observance of Presidents Day.

The school board will have a special meeting on February 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the DHS Auditorium to make a decision on attendance zones, and the next regular board meeting is Tuesday, March 3.