Organization to relocate to old Four Peaks Elementary School

See A-1 and see Club, A-6

School Board OKs Override Election
Voters to hit the polls November 3
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The Apache Junction Unified School District Governing Board on Tuesday, June 9, approved 4-1 a special Maintenance and Operating Budget Override election to be held November 3.
   The district joins seven other Pinal County school districts that are asking voters for an M&O Budgetary Override that would allow the districts to exceed their annual Maintenance and Operating budgets by up to 10 percent for a period of seven years with a three-year phase out beginning in year five.
   Board member Linda Newkirk voted against the election. She questioned whether or not the teachers would see a raise if the override passed, or if classrooms would benefit directly from the monies. Board member Lucy Young reminded Newkirk that the governing body was only charged with approving/denying the election on this night.
   “Last night, the only question was whether or not to approve the call for an election,” said Carol Shepherd, AJUSD spokeswoman. “It was not to designate dollars.”
   A Maintenance and Operating Budget is the portion of the budget where salaries, benefits and classroom supplies come from, so logically, that’s where the override dollars would go—to pay salaries, (keeps class sizes low), to pay for training, programs and supports extra-curricular activities (supplies and addendums for coaching and supervision), Shepherd explained.
   Speaking on behalf of the override, Angela Philpot, a district teacher, urged the board to follow recommendations made by the employees of the Meet and Confer committee to pursue the override option.

See A-1 and see Override, A-3

AJUSD Calls Back Teachers
Many of the 33 first-year AJUSD teachers who were given Reduction in Force (RIF) notices that their jobs had been eliminated for next year are currently breathing a sigh of relief.
   They will be returning to classrooms in the AJUSD this August because they have been offered positions that have opened up through retirements and resignations. Under the rules governing the RIF procedure, school district personnel who have been subject to a RIF notice have firstright of refusal when there are teaching openings at the district’s schools.
   This summer, after school ended, teaching jobs become available through attrition— retirements or resignations.
   During the past two years, the district has eliminated 93 positions, including teachers, administrative and support personnel. These jobs will not be refilled as the district tries to cope with a possible budget shortfall that could go as high as $4.5 million for 2009-2010.
   “We were pleased to be able to offer these laid off teachers classroom positions,” said Dr. Jim Lockwood, associate superintendent of business and finance.
   “At the time we issued the RIF notices to teachers we had no idea how many personnel would not be returning. With the way that the 2009-2010 budget is shaping up with possible huge cuts in funding, we couldn’t offer contracts that we might not have been able to honor.”

AJHS Baseball Defeats Marcos de Niza, 14-2
By Chuck Baker
The News
The Prospector baseball squad played four away games this past week, including picking up an impressive 14-2 victory over Tempe Marcos de Niza on Wednesday. Apache Junction also fell to Tempe Mc- Clintock 5-2 on Monday, lost a 9-6 decision Tuesday at Gilbert Mesquite, and fell to Mesa Skyline under the lights Thursday evening by a 9-3 score.
   Tyler Tyson tossed four solid innings to pick up the pitching victory over Marcos de Niza. Nathaniel Gingrich and Nick Saathoff finished the game off pitching in relief.
   Top players this past week according to AJHS coach Preston English were David Sandoval, who had a multi-hit game in the win over Marcos de Niza and also collected at least one hit in the three other games, Brian Drennan, who recorded four runs batted in during the week, Kyle Stothart, who had three hits at the plate and four solid innings of pitching in the Mesquite game, and Tyson for his efforts in the win over Marcos de Niza.
   Josh Mullenix, Gingrich and Sandoval all pitched in the McClintock game, John LaChapelle, Stothart and Tyson threw from the mound against Mesquite, and Josh Marsh, Mike Davalos, John Hanson and Drennan were the AJHS pitchers in the Skyline game.
   This week, Apache Junction will play at Williams Field on Monday, June 15, returns home to host Higley on Tuesday, June 16 and host Tempe Corona Del Sol on Wednesday, June 17, and will play this Friday through Sunday, June 19-21, in the Blue Ridge Tournament.

See B-1

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