MUSD board considers use of Ak-Chin grant money

The Maricopa Unified School District governing board will consider approving a Memorandum of Understanding detailing how the district will use a $2.6 million grant from the Ak-Chin Indian Community during its 6:30 p.m. meeting tonight.

In May, the tribal community announced it planned to give the district the $2.6 million grant, as well as $7.4 million to the city for the operation of a new aquatic and recreation complex.

The memorandum lists nine projects the grant money will be used for during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years.

One project aims to improve math achievement by hiring five math teachers throughout Maricopa High School, Maricopa Wells and Desert Winds middle schools, and another to expand wireless technology at the district’s nine schools and replace 275 student computers.

Superintendent Steve Chestnut said the hiring of additional math teachers, and the hiring of other paraprofessional employees for a different project, is intended to provide additional services for students. The positions are not intended for basic school operation.

“It’s a grant, so we don’t want to rely on it for our normal program,” Chestnut said.

The memorandum with details on the other projects can be found here.

If the memorandum is approved and signed as written, the grant will be disbursed in four installments of $650,000. The first will be disbursed after the “execution” of the memorandum, the next in December, one in June and the last in December 2014.

“The Community and MUSD share a common goal for the education of MUSD students and agree that it is in their mutual best interest to work together to benefit the community through communication, collaboration, and sharing,” the agreement states.

The board will also consider approving the school year calendars for the 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. The calendar contains minor changes to the current calendar.

If the proposed calendars are approved, Chestnut said returning and new teachers will be required to return to school for a fewer number of pre-service days right before the start of school. Instead, teachers will be required to attend professional development days in September and January.

This will allow teachers to reflect on what is learned during development days for a longer period of time so they can implement it in the classroom, Chestnut said.

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The board meets in the District Office Administration Building, 44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.