From finding ways to cope with an ever-shrinking budget to the passage of school bonds and budget overrides, to the introduction of numerous student projects and programs, the fall portion of the 2013-14 academic year was rather busy in Fountain Hills.

Following is the second half in The Times’ annual look back at the previous year for local schools, this time focusing on the final months of 2013.

Shrinking budget

In late June, the FHUSD governing board approved a maintenance and operations budget for the 2013-14 academic year totaling $10.7 million, down about $200,000 from the previous year.

Based on the average daily membership for the district, this year’s budget saw a decline that coincides with the continued drop in student count for the district.

To counter-balance those losses, the board earlier approved the layoffs of several full- time educators, medical plan changes, dental plan changes and a transfer from capital.

Several other factors affected the 2013-14 budget as well, including a base level increase of 1.8 percent, the elimination of the soft capital formula and CORL/DAA reductions for state budget adjustments in pre-school, K-8 and 9-12.

Helpful classes

In early July, the School Board approved a trio of new courses for high school students, specifically designed to build better study/classroom skills and improve performance in the area of language arts.

The first course being considered was Strategies for Academic Success (SAS), described as a ninth grade academic elective designed to meet the needs of students who have a history of academic failure due to poor organization, time management and study skills.

The other two courses being considered during the June 26 meeting were High School Language Arts Essentials Level A and Level B.

Similar to the SAS course, these classes, each lasting one semester, are primarily geared at bringing struggling students up to speed, specifically in the area of language arts.

All three courses were approved unanimously.

Site grades

Both the Charter School and Fountain Hills Unified School District maintained their “A” standings with the state for another school year.

The Department of Education released annual grades for individual sites and districts in August, giving Arizona schools and families a gauge by which to determine what kind of progress is being made.

A large part of these grades is determined by students’ performance on the annual AIMS tests, as well as an individual grade, school and district’s ability to show improvement in results for those exams.

School grades work on a system identical to those given to students in the classroom, with cumulative points determining where on an A-F scale each site/district falls.

The Fountain Hills Charter School received an A grade, as did FHUSD as a whole.

Individually, Four Peaks also received an A, with the high school and middle school scoring a B and McDowell Mountain dropping to a C, missing a B ranking by a single point.

Performance pay

The FHUSD governing board decided to uphold the current pay for performance plan in late August, opting to maintain the current language and procedures in anticipation of expected mandatory changes in the next academic year.

Superintendent Tom Lawrence said that a committee met in May to go over the current plan, but recommended no changes be made as state mandates will require alterations in 2014-15 anyway.

“The previous pay for performance plan model takes a broader look at the individual teacher and site,” Lawrence said.

“I think what they want to do is narrow the scope next year so that it puts a bigger focus on testing results.”

Lawrence explained that the current pay for performance plan has been in existence since about 2000, when Prop 301 came into effect.

According to statute, Lawrence said that in 2014-15, some of the Prop 301 money is going to be tied to student achievement, which will be based strictly on test scores.

Once all of those details have been ironed out, he said the pay for performance committee will reconvene and make any necessary changes to the local plan.

School elections

It was a close race, but voters narrowly supported both the capital bond and maintenance and operations budget override for the Fountain Hills Unified School District in early November.

The bonds will provide $8 million to the district for physical improvements, while the budget override will be providing FHUSD with $1.2 annually for certain operating costs.

Initial results from the election had both items leaning ever-so-slightly into the “yes” column. The budget override came in with 2,402 yes votes to 2,367 no votes as of Wednesday morning, Nov. 6. The bond item was winning by a few more votes, earning 2,428 yes nods and 2,326 for no.

As of Monday morning, Nov. 11, final figures had the bond split at 3,673 for yes and 3,284 for no, or passage by 53 percent.

The override was at 3,672 for yes Monday morning and 3,191 for no, passing by 53.5 percent.

Weighing in at about $32 in additional taxes per year for the average Fountain Hills homeowner, passage of the bond will allow the district to take on numerous renovation and upkeep projects at each district site, including three functioning campuses, the administrative building and transportation.

Projects include such items as new HVAC units, security upgrades including additional cameras, doors, locks, etc., parking lot resurfacing, technology and field upgrades, energy-efficient lighting retrofits, carpeting, tiling and the like.

The budget override, however, is a combination and continuation of two previously- approved items, meaning that voters will not see an increase in taxes due to its passage, but a continuation of elevated taxes previously authorized.

While the bond will help upkeep the physical district, the override will primarily benefit teacher salaries, classroom sizes, continued training for educators, free full-day kindergarten and the like.

FHCS principal

With former Principal Karyn Miller stepping down, the Fountain Hills Charter School governing board in late November announced the appointment of Tom Cox as the school’s new principal effective Jan. 1.

Cox has been a long-time educator in Arizona, having been a special education teacher, a 16-year veteran of the Arizona Department of Education and a building level administrator for about 15 years.

Cox has a bachelor’s in special education from California University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in education leadership from Northern Arizona University.

Cox said his goals as principal will be to continue to provide a safe, nurturing environment for the students and staff, to continue to develop and build on the curricular programs that have been put in place, and to strive to maintain the “A” rating of the school with the Arizona Department of Education.