Kimberly Bellew

The primary focus of the Special Governing Board Meeting was to conduct an Executive Session to determine whether to expel or impose alternative discipline on District students. The agenda was adopted by the Board before entering the Executive Session to discuss this specific matter.

The meeting included recognitions, such as honoring a teacher for receiving the 2025 Raytheon Leaders in Education Award. The Consent Agenda covered approvals for previous meeting minutes, voucher reports, personnel actions including numerous hires, transfers, leaves of absence, and separations, student activities reports, acceptance of gifts and donations, approval of out-of-state travel for professional development, and approval of various club requests. New Business featured discussions and approvals for new high school course proposals (Business Management with Economic Credit, Sports Officiating, AP Cybersecurity, AP Business with Personal Finance, and ACT Preparation). Policy revisions were approved for Graduation Requirements (Policy IKF) and Bidding/Purchasing Procedures (Policy DJE). The Board also approved the Class Participation and Various Fees schedule for 2026-2027, an Affiliation Agreement with Liberty University for a social work intern, additional staffing for Tangerine Farms K-8 and Marana Vista Academy, the release of a public sewer easement to the Town of Marana, an Intergovernmental Agreement with the University of Arizona for the Pathways to Teaching program, and the formal opposition to a potential Pima JTED special bond election. The session concluded with an Executive Session to discuss the Superintendent's Evaluation.

The meeting included recognitions for two Marana High School teachers: Teresa Anthofer as a 2026 Arizona Education Foundation Ambassador of Excellence and Tina Pattengale as a 2026 Legendary Teacher. Key agenda items approved under the consent agenda involved the approval of minutes from previous special and regular meetings, approval of voucher reports totaling over $7.8 million, and extensive personnel reports detailing numerous hires, transfers, leaves of absence, and separations. New business included the approval of the 2024-2025 Annual Financial Report, approval of supplemental stipends for Instructional Improvement Fund and Proposition 123 monies, and the approval of new Title I staffing. Furthermore, the board approved revisions to operational policies, accepted various gifts and donations totaling over $34,000, approved out-of-state travel requests for student trips and board member professional development, approved the creation of several new student clubs across multiple schools, approved a grade reconfiguration at Marana Middle School to include 5th and 6th grade for Exceptional Student Services classes, approved updated open enrollment capacity for the 2025-2026 school year, approved an MOU for mental health services with Southwest Behavioral & Health Services, approved an affiliation agreement with Grand Canyon University for student teacher placements, approved a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract for a gymnasium at Twin Peaks K-8 School, approved a footage reduction at Ironwood Elementary School, approved additional staffing for an ESports Coach at Mountain View High School, approved voting procedures for Arizona School Boards Association bylaw changes, and approved the reappointment of a Class II Director to the Marana Schools' 2340 Foundation Board of Directors.

The Special Governing Board Meeting addressed several key items. The Consent Agenda included approval to continue the practice of hiring employees through private organizations, specifically Educational Services, Inc., for the 2026-2027 school year, detailing the rationale for this twenty-year practice. Study Items involved a presentation on the Pathways to Teaching Intergovernmental Agreement with the University of Arizona, which aims to allow District employees or residents to earn a Bachelor's Degree, and discussion of an Affiliation Agreement with Liberty University to place a social work intern within the District. Additionally, an update was provided regarding Career and Technical Education/Joint Technical Education District (CTE/JTED) planning and Pima County JTED matters. New Business included conducting an Executive Session to discuss the Superintendent's Evaluation.

The meeting included recognition of an exceptional teacher, board communications, remarks from the public, and superintendent comments. The board discussed and approved new high school course proposals, revisions to policy IKF regarding graduation requirements, revisions to policy DJ bidding purchasing procedures, class participation and various fees schedule, and an affiliation agreement with Liberty University.