KINGMAN, Ariz. – It wasn’t just business as usual at the Kingman Unified School District (KUSD) School Board meeting Tuesday evening, August 11. Dr. Gretchen Dorner announced a new program initiated this school year for the board itself.
Dorner introduced Lee Williams High School Student Body President Tucker Hudgens, and the Kingman High School Student Body President Elizabeth Rodas Quintanilla.
“Both of them have been invited to participate, going forward, as student advisory board members. They will be non-voting board members,” said Dorner.
“Kingman Unified believes that students are valuable partners in shaping the future of our schools,” she continued. “The student governing advisory board program is designed to intentionally elevate student voices, strengthen civic leadership, and provide the governing board with authentic student experiences.”
“The goal,” Dorner continued, “is to foster authentic student voices; develop future civic leaders and students who understand civic community responsibilities; to strengthen communication between students and their constituents who they represent on their campuses, including our alternative campus, their principals, their district leadership team and the governing board; and to increase student understanding of public education governments; to provide the governing board with perspectives to informed decision-making; and to encourage students to represent the collective voices of their peers.”
She said the new student board advisory members would go through an orientation that talks about policy, regulations, rules, governing school board public meeting procedures, ethics and confidentiality. “We will never place them in a situation where they bear the responsibility of confidentiality that isn’t appropriate for their role,” Dorner stated.
She said the student board members would be invited to give a monthly board report on anything from celebration to points of interest, to talking about CTU programs.
Both students introduced themselves and shared a little of their high school involvement.
In a call to the public, Mr. Wallis Alexander, teacher at Kingman Middle School, Cambridge Academy, told the board that for the past four to five years, their English check point scores came back above the national average.
“Just wanted to let you all know we’re doing some wonderful things at Kingman Middle School,” Wallis said.
The board approved a District delegate to the Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) Delegate Assembly on September 9.
The board also voted to accept the FY27 Draft Political Agenda and to direct the District delegate to the ASBA Delegate Assembly to represent the board’s determined position.
Also approved by the board was the agreement between JTED and KUSD to renew career coaches and counselors. This program is funded by JTED and Mohave College.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Northern Arizona University and KUSD for Americorp volunteers was approved, along with the agreement between MSTEPP and KUSD to provide one on one support to students who may be impacted by opioid addictions in their homes or families.
SSC Grant Way LLC was approved. It’s under the umbrella of SSC (Services for Education) who provides opportunities to find national funding grants, at no cost.
Finally, an agreement with the University of Phoenix to continue providing student teachers to KUSD #20 was also approved.
