Douglas’ new business manager introduced at DUSD board meeting

Douglas’ new business manager Cesar Soto was introduced to the DUSD Board at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Soto, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, comes to Douglas from Tucson where he has been a budget analyst for the TUSD since January 2010.

“We’re very excited to be here,” Soto said of himself and his family. “We grew up in a small community and to come back to a community such as Douglas to raise our kids is a great opportunity.”

Soto said he has been briefed on the financial situation of the district and what challenges lay ahead.

The new business manager said he has spoken to the auditors who come to Douglas and they spoke highly of the DUSD and how things are being managed down here.

“That helped make my decision to come to Douglas,” he said.

Soto will officially start his new job this week.

In other action at the board meeting the board agreed to enter into an intergovernmental agreement creating the consortium concerning the Cochise County Interactive Television System for 2012.

The purpose of the Consortium will be to establish, manage and operate an education Consortium that can be utilized for a variety of education purposes by members of the Consortium and be made available to others to the extent permitted by the Consortium and to secure for the members the benefits of cooperative purchasing of equipment and other goods and services used to support education purposes.

The board also approved the out of state travel, registration fees, lodging and air fare for Ana Manjarres and Ana Gonzalez to attend the 2012 National Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) annual conference in Philadelphia, PA. April 25-28, 2012.

The board also met in executive session to discuss a request for retirement from Jana L-H Selchow, Curriculum Coordinator and certified teacher Alma Holiman.

When the open meeting resumed the board agreed to release Holiman from her contract without any liquidated damages.

Selchow’s retirement, after 31 years in the district, will be effefctive June 28, 2012. She also granted with complete compensation of her unused sick leave and the option of participating in the district’s health insurance.

The board also approved the hiring of Bili White as an English teacher at DHS as well as substitute teachers Yesenia Monarrez, Celia Romo, Ana Maria Arvayo, Meagan Higuera and Irma Clinch.

Jonathan Keat was approved as a volunteer for the Stevenson Elementary basketball program and Albert “Michael” Lomeli was approved as a volunteer for the DHS baseball team.

Maria Del Mar Trinta and Yuri Coronado were approved as Special Education Aides at Sarah Marley and DHS.

The resignation of Indria Hoke an instructional aide at Joe Carlson effective Feb. 24, 2012 was also granted.

Four separate donations to the district were also approved. Joseph and Ana Louisa Salcido made a donation of $150 for Mr. Edmund Garcia’s Kindergarten classroom. McDonalds Mac Grants donated $400 to Clawson Elementary for the purchase of a document camera. Wal-Mart donated $500 to Ray Borane Middle School and Cooper Queen Medical Associates in Douglas donated 50 Kindles with an approximate value of $5,000 to the Douglas High School and two middle schools.

Kelly Kimbro reported a grant in the amount of $36,000 she had applied for had been granted. That grant will go towards the development of the Douglas High School land lab.

There was also a power point presentation from the U of A South Grant regarding a project that will soon be under way in Douglas.

Six Fifth Grade students from Stevenson Elementary demonstrated for the board the different ways they are using their net books on a daily basis.

DUSD Superintendent Sheila Rogers also shared with the board an email she received prior to the board meeting from

Mark Maddix, General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Peoria.

Rogers shared the email with the Douglas Dispatch.

“Good Morning Ms. Rogers, Not often do I get a chance to compliment a High School sports team and staff that has stayed with us. We had the pleasure of hosting the Douglass High School (soccer) team on Friday night and though I was not here while they were checked in I received a glowing report about these young men. The manager on duty informed me that they were not only well behaved but very polite and left their rooms very clean. This may not sound like much but we deal with a lot of teams from 8 year olds to professional baseball players and I don’t remember a time when this manager had such complimentary things to say about a group of athletes. I would appreciate you passing along my sincere thanks to Principal Schneider and the Douglas High School (Soccer) Team and Staff.”

The board is scheduled to meet again Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. in the Central Administration Board Room. The meeting will be followed by a work study session as the board goes over the budget.

The meeting is open to the public.