COVID-19 policies, new high school, resignations on MUSD agenda

Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board will discuss policies necessitated by COVID-19 just as the virus has changed how the board meets.

The meeting will be Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m.

Policy GCKA spells the responsibility of staff and administration during telecommuting. Because the district’s schools are closed the remainder of the school year, teachers and their students are engaged in distance learning.

Requirements included in the policy:

“The employee shall:

• Be available by phone and email during normal work hours. Absences (including unavailability during work hours) must be preapproved.
• Promptly notify the superintendent when unable to perform work assignments due to illness, equipment failure or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Alter their schedule to attend mandatory meetings or other situations needing a physical presence and/or as needed by the superintendent.
• Assure the alternative worksite is adequate and safe and has sufficient phone service and a secure Internet connection with enough speed to perform work, and that confidential information will be safeguarded.
• Report, at once, to the superintendent any injury that occurs at the alternative site during work hours.”

Policy GCCA regarding sick leave has a proposed addition of a paragraph:

“Earned paid sick time shall be provided for: Closure of the employee’s place of business by order of a public official due to a public health emergency or an employee’s need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of public official due to a public health emergency, or care for oneself or a family member when it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a health care provider that the employee’s or family member’s presence in the community may jeopardize the health of others because of his or her exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the employee or family member has actually contracted the communicable disease.”

The board is expected to waive first and second readings of the policies before voting to enact them.

The public will not be able to physically attend the meeting but is asked to view the meeting live on the district’s YouTube channel. Those who have information for Call to the Public can email [email protected] at least an hour before the meeting and the comments will be read at the meeting.

Also on the agenda are a discussion of a revised compensation plan for administrators, the opening of re-designed online high school Maricopa Virtual Academy, a contract for Chasse Building Team as construction manager and for Orcutt/Winslow as architect for the building of a second high school and an executive-session discussion of acquiring land for that school.

As is usual for this time of year, the agenda includes several resignations effective at the end of the school year or the fiscal year.

Teachers and administrators leaving are Maricopa High School Principal Brian Winter, Butterfield Elementary teachers Ellen Felix, Heidi Zimmer and Andrea Rodden, Saddleback Elementary teacher Danielle Sierra, Santa Cruz Elementary teacher Trecia Koozer, Maricopa Wells Blended-Learning teacher Alicia Chin, MHS marketing teacher Julian Rodriguez, MHS choir teacher Austin Showen, MHS German teacher McKay Jones, MHS science teacher John Wallace, MHS athletic trainer Justin Ennis and ESS resource teachers Carolyn Dein at Desert Wind and Rebecca Ferri at Santa Rosa.

Those who announced resignations in March were Desert Wind Assistant Principal Sherry Corbin, MHS Assistant Principal Michelle Poppen, Athletic Director Jacob Neill, MHS teacher and coach Jason Crawford, MHS art teacher Angelina Martin, Maricopa Elementary ESS resource teacher Rhacquel Valichnac, MHS teacher Alex Hernandez and Desert Wind teachers Angella Barngrover and Lara Johnson.

Teachers scheduled to be hired for next year (pending board vote) are Butterfield second grade teacher Jennifer Seamons, Butterfield second grade teacher Kelly Evans, Butterfield first grade teacher Latosha Johnson, Butterfield fourth grade teacher Kylah Seabrooks, Butterfield/Santa Cruze PE teacher George Carmen, MES third grade teacher Ashley Hafner, MES ESS teacher Ramon Stembridge, MES second grade teacher Mariah Leach, MES ESS teacher Anne Poole, MES kindergarten teacher Heather Hinz, MHS math teachers Kevin Struble, Robert Zaragoza and Irey Soon, MHS art teacher Christina Wilson, MHS ESS Resource teacher Dawn Bush, MHS social studies teacher Tevin Rutherford, MHS Engish teachers Amber Caulkins and Tatyanna Sandoval, MHS science teacher Smitha Jacob Ittammallia, Maricopa Wells ESS teacher Jason Johnson, Maricopa Wells ELA teacher Nicole Blackwell, Saddleback music teacher Jessica Garcia, Santa Cruz kindergarten teacher Alissa Guisado, Santa Cruz music teacher David Gantz, Santa Rosa fourth grade teacher Joy Wadleigh, Santa Rosa art teacher Jordan Christopher and Santa Rosa ESS teacher Renee Alley.