Littleton Elementary School District #65's July 14, 2026 governing board meeting centers on two major themes: adopting a new long-range strategic plan for the district and continuing a comprehensive modernization of personnel policies. Together, these actions will shape district operations, employee expectations, and educational priorities for the next several years.
The board is scheduled to consider adopting a district strategic plan covering fiscal years 2027-2031. Developed through approximately six months of planning with input from students, families, employees, community members, and district leadership, the plan establishes a shared vision, mission, core values, Portrait of a Learner, five strategic priorities, and performance measures intended to guide decision-making and monitor progress over time.
Personnel matters also receive significant attention. The board is expected to consider appointments for two senior administrative positions, approve numerous employment recommendations, review staff resignations and hiring actions, appoint student activity account treasurers, and designate qualified teacher evaluators for the upcoming school year. The consent agenda also includes routine employment actions and professional growth recommendations.
Financial business is comparatively routine. The board will ratify payroll totaling more than $1.27 million across three payroll vouchers, review district expenditure reports through June 30, authorize surplus equipment disposal, and receive student activity fund reports. No gifts or donations are presented for approval.
Major Discussion and Action Items
Adoption of the 2027-2031 Strategic Plan
The board is expected to vote on adopting the district's new strategic plan following a six-month planning process involving broad stakeholder participation.
The proposed plan establishes:
- A district vision and mission.
- Core values.
- A Portrait of a Learner.
- Five strategic priorities:
- High-Quality Teaching, Learning and Academics.
- Talent Development, Recruitment and Retention.
- Family and Community Partnerships.
- Well-Being, Safety and Inclusion.
- Organizational Effectiveness.
The plan also identifies long-term performance measures and accountability indicators that will be used to monitor implementation and continuous improvement over the next five years.
Comprehensive Personnel Policy Modernization
A substantial portion of the meeting is devoted to the first reading of recommended revisions to Section G personnel policies.
Rather than creating entirely new requirements, many proposals consolidate multiple existing policies into fewer, more comprehensive documents. According to the packet, the goals include reducing redundancy, improving clarity, updating terminology, organizing statutory references, and aligning the district policy manual with Arizona School Boards Association recommendations.
Topics include hiring, compensation, salary schedules, employee evaluations, leave policies, professional conduct, assignments and transfers, resignations, reductions in force, discipline, tutoring for pay, research and publishing, orientation, and professional responsibilities. Because these are first readings, discussion is expected but formal adoption is generally deferred.
Personnel Leadership Appointments
The board is scheduled to consider two significant administrative appointments.
Mrs. Kara Sehr is recommended as Director of Human Resources. The packet states she brings more than 20 years of educational experience serving as a principal, assistant principal, and district-level administrator with experience in organizational leadership, professional learning communities, staff development, systems improvement, and collaborative leadership.
Mrs. Jasmine Hyatt Dominguez is recommended as Director of State and Federal Programs. The packet highlights more than 15 years of experience in federal programs, grants management, compliance, school improvement, accountability systems, strategic planning, and securing competitive funding opportunities.
Both appointments follow multi-round interview processes and assessment exercises.
Employee Hiring and Staffing Actions
The consent agenda contains numerous employment-related items for the 2026-2027 school year, including:
- Employment of certified staff.
- Employment of support staff.
- Professional growth approvals.
- Staff transfers.
- Stipend and addenda payments.
- Qualified evaluator designations.
- Employment separations.
- Resignations.
- Student activity account appointments.
The packet notes salary advancement for approved professional growth may equal 2.5% of base pay for certified employees, while qualifying support staff may receive a 2.5% hourly increase.
Financial Oversight and Fiscal Reporting
Routine financial oversight includes payroll ratification, expenditure reporting, student activity fund reports, and expense voucher review.
The board will also receive expenditure reports required under Arizona's Uniform System of Financial Records and review disposal of surplus equipment through established district procedures designed to maximize reuse before auction or state surplus disposition.
School Operations and Student Activity Accounts
The district seeks annual approval of treasurer and assistant treasurer appointments for student activity and auxiliary accounts at district schools, ensuring compliance with state financial management requirements.
Named employees are assigned responsibility for financial oversight of student activity accounts at district campuses during Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
Financial Matters
Meaningful financial items include:
- Payroll Voucher #51 dated June 25, 2026: $545,259.00
- Payroll Voucher #52 dated June 30, 2026: $684,902.12
- Payroll Voucher #53 dated June 30, 2026: $41,285.15
Combined payroll reviewed totals $1,271,446.27. The board is asked to ratify these payroll expenditures.
Additional financial oversight includes:
- Expense vouchers FY26 #1096-1102.
- Expense reports through June 30, 2026.
- Student Activity Fund reports.
- Disposal of surplus equipment.
- Annual appointments for student activity account financial officers.
No gifts or donations require approval at this meeting.
Policies, Ordinances, Resolutions, and Governance
The principal governance work involves an extensive review of personnel policies.
Key themes include:
- Consolidating overlapping policies.
- Modernizing employee handbook language.
- Updating statutory references.
- Combining certified and non-certified employee provisions where appropriate.
- Clarifying hiring, leave, evaluation, compensation, discipline, assignments, resignations, and professional responsibilities.
- Moving certain school safety reporting requirements into Policy ECAC.
- Relocating religious instruction language into Policy IHAL.
- Deleting obsolete or redundant policies after consolidating their contents elsewhere.
The packet characterizes these revisions as organizational improvements rather than elimination of substantive protections or expectations.
The most significant informational presentation is the proposed Strategic Plan, which outlines district priorities through 2031.
The board also receives:
- Superintendent information.
- Expense reports through June 30.
- Student activity fund reporting.
- Routine financial monitoring required under state accounting rules.
No separate information items are listed beyond these reports.
Personnel, Appointments, and Organizational Matters
Personnel business dominates the meeting.
Supported personnel actions include:
- Director of Human Resources appointment recommendation.
- Director of State and Federal Programs appointment recommendation.
- Certified employee hiring.
- Support staff hiring.
- Professional growth approvals.
- Staff transfers.
- Qualified evaluator appointments.
- Student activity account treasurer appointments.
- Supplemental stipends and addenda.
- One employment separation.
- Twenty resignations.
- No retirements.
- No leaves of absence.
- No non-renewals reported.
Projects, Facilities, Infrastructure, and Operations
No major construction or capital improvement projects are highlighted.
Operational items include:
- Disposal of surplus equipment using established district procedures.
- Administrative oversight of student activity accounts.
- Continued implementation of district operational policies.
- Strategic planning intended to guide district operations through 2031.
The agenda includes a Call to the Public allowing community members to address the governing board.
Policy revisions scheduled as first readings provide an opportunity for public observation before future adoption.
Residents may also attend future governing board meetings identified on the agenda:
- Special Board Meeting: August 3, 2026.
- Regular Board Meeting: August 11, 2026.
Students and families may see future changes driven by the new strategic plan, particularly in academics, student well-being, family partnerships, and school improvement priorities.
District employees are most directly affected through proposed policy revisions governing hiring, evaluations, compensation, leave, professional conduct, assignments, resignations, and personnel expectations.
Taxpayers benefit from continued financial oversight through payroll ratification, expenditure monitoring, surplus asset disposal, and student activity fund accountability.
School administrators will implement strategic planning objectives, updated personnel policies, and new accountability measures if approved.
- How will progress on the Strategic Plan be measured each year?
- Which performance indicators will be reported publicly?
- What new initiatives are expected under each strategic priority?
- How do the proposed personnel policy consolidations change current practice?
- Which policy revisions are purely organizational versus substantive?
- How will the district evaluate success in talent recruitment and retention?
- What process was used to gather community input during strategic planning?
- How will surplus equipment disposal maximize value for taxpayers?
- Are additional staffing changes anticipated before the school year begins?
- When will the revised personnel policies return for formal board approval?
Important Dates, Deadlines, and Next Steps
- July 14, 2026: Governing board considers Strategic Plan adoption and personnel appointments.
- July 14, 2026: First reading of numerous Section G personnel policy revisions.
- 2026-2027 School Year: Proposed personnel appointments and staffing actions become effective if approved.
- Fiscal Years 2027-2031: Strategic Plan implementation period.
- August 3, 2026: Scheduled Special Governing Board Meeting at 8:00 a.m.
- August 11, 2026: Scheduled Regular Governing Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
- Future board meetings are expected to include second readings and possible adoption of the personnel policy revisions.
Key Takeaways
- The board is scheduled to adopt a new district Strategic Plan covering FY2027-2031.
- The strategic plan was developed through approximately six months of stakeholder engagement.
- Five strategic priorities will guide district decision-making.
- Extensive personnel policy modernization continues through first-reading discussions.
- Two senior administrative appointments are proposed.
- Payroll totaling approximately $1.27 million will be ratified.
- Routine financial oversight includes expense reports and student activity funds.
- Student activity account treasurers will be appointed for FY2026-2027.
- The district reports no gifts or donations requiring approval.
- Numerous hiring, transfer, resignation, evaluator, and professional growth actions appear on the consent agenda.
Official Sources
About the Public Body
- Name: Littleton Elementary School District #65
- Organization type: school-district
- Government body: school-boards
- Location: Avondale, arizona
- County: Maricopa
- Provider: simbli
Keywords
Littleton Elementary School District #65, Avondale, Arizona, Governing Board, July 14 2026, Strategic Plan, FY2027-2031, Human Resources Director, State and Federal Programs, personnel policies, Section G, certified staff, support staff, payroll vouchers, student activity funds, qualified evaluators, surplus equipment, family partnerships, employee hiring, compensation, leave policies, school governance, district planning, organizational effectiveness, community engagement, board meeting, policy revisions, school district, Maricopa County
