3/6/2010 8:02:00 AM Mingus and C-OC move ahead with unification Administrative structure is one of first steps
Tim Foist
Barb U'Ren
State House approves unification assistance bill
By Philip Wright
Staff Reporter
COTTONWOOD -- The administrations and school boards at Mingus Union High School and Cottonwood-Oak Creek districts have asked the state for help with the costs of unification. The governing boards have jointly stated that unification most likely depends on financial help from the state.\
This week, the Arizona House of Representatives approved that help. The House passed HB 2587 - School Districts Unification Assistance - by a margin of 60 to 0.
That bill was approved in response to the effort of C-OC and MUHS to voluntarily unify. But the bill and its assistance will be available for other districts to use in unifying. Now the bill must go before the State Senate.
During joint talks about unifying the two districts, it has been clear from the beginning that unless money came from the state, the unified district would not be able to afford the cost of equalizing the salaries of teachers. Teacher salaries at Mingus are generally significantly higher than those at C-OC.
The unification assistance bill stipulates that a qualifying unification will develop a new flow chart designed to reduce administrative costs, increase the dollars in the classroom, and use the savings to equalize teacher salaries.
During a joint school board meeting on unification Wednesday night, MUHS board member James Ledbetter said the funding comes in years two and three, with no money for the first year. But he said the state is coming with only half of what the districts actually need.
Ledbetter said the districts would only get half of the $1 million needed to bridge equalization.
"There are going to be shortfalls," Ledbetter said.
Board member Andy Groseta said the two districts need to move on unification or pull the plug. "We've got a great window of opportunity now," he said.
Groseta said the state's attempt to help with costs of unification are on a fast track. "We have people in the capital carrying our water for us."
COTTONWOOD -- Mingus Union and Cottonwood-Oak Creek districts' school boards met in joint session Wednesday night to further discuss unification. They decided to develop a detailed structure for leadership.
That structure will be developed and amended through an intergovernmental agreement between the two districts.
MUHS Board President John Tavasci said that both boards have discussed how the administration models would look.
Basically two models have been discussed. One is a leadership model for an aligned administration with two superintendents. The second is for one superintendent.
C-OC Superintendent Barbara U'Ren said an assessment is being done of the strengths of current administrators. She said that a third party assessment will be done in April by Nancy Alexander, former superintendent of Sedona-Oak Creek School District and former interim superintendent for Mingus.
Tavasci asked to what extent two superintendents can cross district lines in making recommendations and decisions.
C-OC Board President Randall Garrison said recommendations are easy but decisions make an IGA necessary. He said board members need to know what the administrative structure will look like before they can have an IGA.
MUHS board member Andy Groseta said he doesn't want to wait until Alexander's assessment is completed to proceed with developing the administrative structure. "Personally, I think we're burning daylight," he said.
Groseta said the boards will still be having the same discussion in April, and they are missing opportunities to save money. "Every day counts," he said.
MUHS Superintendent Tim Foist said the boards could decide to have a single superintendent, co-superintendents or assistant superintendents. "I don't care," he said.
Foist said the savings from unification are real dollars. "There are true, true savings," he said.
U'Ren was asked if she and Foist have discussed how they would divide up the superintendent responsibilities. She said they have, and they both feel that she would take the instructional side of administration and Foist would take the business side.
In the end, the joint boards agreed that each board and administration would come up with a proposed IGA for their next scheduled meeting.
Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter said that his office could have an IGA ready in about 48 hours after the boards come to agreement.
The consensus among board members and superintendents was that the IGA for the administrative structure could be amended as needed during a transition period.
