Although
three governing board members were appointed in February
by Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools Sandra Dowling,
the new district does not officially go into effect until
the first of July. In the meantime, CVUSD has no money
because the state gives school districts their per pupil
funding every year on July 1.
The
district held its first board meeting March 5 and the
next will be March 29.
Formerly
known as the unorganized territory just east of the Cave
Creek and Scottsdale school districts, CVUSD is the first
new school district to form in Arizona in the last 40
years, according to Ted Carpenter, deputy superintendent
of county schools. Most unorganized areas join existing
districts, he said. The district includes the Rio Verde
Foothills, Desert Highlands and Troon.
CVUSD
was created last fall when area voters had the choice
of either joining Cave Creek Unified
School District or forming their own new district. They
chose the latter.
State
law provides very little guidance on how to create a school
district from the ground up, Carpenter related, explaining
that years ago, before open meeting laws were established,
people would get together in a room, smoke cigars and
work out the details of district‑making as needed.
“It’s
going to be a challenge, but nothing that can’t be overcome,”
Carpenter said. “I’m trying to help them become a successful
school district.”
Maricopa
County Schools is providing CVUSD with some technical
and administrative expertise, as well as a temporary place
to meet.
Although
the new board has a formidable task ahead, it will not
have to construct school buildings or hire teachers because
students will attend nearby school districts through open
enrollment.
“We
have no intention to build buildings at this point; we
intend to make the area a transportation district,” said
J. Todd Rash, a governing board member.
One
challenge is the district needs money to buy insurance
so it can hold public meetings, Carpenter
said. Another issue is it needs resources to formulate
intergovernmental agreements with the nearby school districts
that are educating Christopher Verde students. The IGAs
will cover tuition and the cost of bus transportation,
if provided by those districts.
CVUSD
students may choose to attend Cave Creek, Scottsdale,
Paradise Valley or Fountain Hills school districts.
However,
CVUSD does not have to pay tuition or transportation costs
to the districts its students
attend until next school year, said Dr. Kent Frison, associate
superintendent of Cave Creek Unified School District.
Christopher Verde taxpayers will be assessed a property
tax, based on the new district’s budget, to pay for these
costs.
Currently,
137 elementary and 64 middle school CVUSD students attend
Cave Creek schools, according to CCUSD statistics.
In
addition to Rash, the other two Christopher Verde board
members are Gladys Styles Johnston
and Cassandra Perkins.
Perkins
was a member of Citizens for Education, a group that,
leading up to the election, favored joining the Cave Creek
district rather than forming a new school district.
“I’m
looking at it as the election is done and what can we
do for the kids now,” Perkins said. “I want the best opportunities
and options for the children.”
Perkins
told The Desert Advocate she wants to make sure parents
are involved in the process and know their options. She
said there are about 450 students living in the district,
not including the kindergarten students that will start
school next fall.
Johnston,
former Chancellor of the University of Nebraska and Dean
of Arizona State University’s College of Education, is
retired.
