At a Sedona-Oak Creek School District work session on Tuesday, Jan. 29, Superintendent Dennis Dearden and his administrative team proposed a preliminary budget for the coming school year and shared plans to reduce redundancy within the district while bolstering academic quality.

Before delving in the specifics of the budget, Dearden told the Governing Board what he sees as the two biggest necessary changes for the district: Closing the Dr. Nancy Alexander Administration Building and merging the superintendent post with the Sedona Red Rock High School principal — a position he would then assume. 

Building Closure 

“This is a great building; I’ve never had an office this nice in my 40-year career but it’s unsustainable,” Dearden said. 

“There’s plenty of room in the high school to accommodate our staff.” 

Dearden suggested that the district look at the possibility of leasing or renting the building out for other potential administrative/office space uses, citing the property’s enviable location off Brewer Road. The team stressed, however, that any potential revenue generated from leasing will not be factored into the coming year’s budget proposal. 

Instead, the closure was presented as a sensible financial move for the future that will continue to provide boons throughout many fiscal years ahead. Board member Karl Wiseman asked whether the team had investigated the possibility of selling the building, which prompted Randy Hawley and Heather Hermen, board president and vice president respectively, to contest that the building cannot, in fact, be sold due to state laws regarding public education property. Board members debated the property’s specifics, with Hermen assuring that it is state trust land that would revert back to the U.S. Forest Service — the original land owners — if SOCSD were to cede it. 

It became clear, however, that while all members at the table were open to the idea of closing the building, they found it a necessary next step to reference the deed for absolute clarity on what they can and can’t do with the property. 

The administration team told board members that it would at least explore the possibility of selling it — mostly for the sake of covering all bases — but that Jennifer Chilton, who heads SOCSD communications and facility operations, had already been in contact with organizations interested in leasing the space. Hawley took the opportunity to stress that, even if the district could somehow sell it, such a move would be ill-advised. 

Position Merger 

The idea to combine the superintendent and SRRHS principal role, which Dearden said would translate to “a lot more work on [him],” was proposed for the coming year or, at the very least, the year after. 

Jay Litwicki, who left his principalship at Big Park Community School to take over at Sedona Red Rock Junior High School, now serves as principal for both the high school and junior high. 

The administration team’s plan would land Superintendent Dearden straight in the principal’s office of the high school, doing double duty for the district at large while being a resource — and an inevitable gatekeeper of conduct — to the high schoolers on a daily basis. 

Litwicki, who said he has been working closely with Dearden on the plan, told the board that he has confidence in Dearden — a former principal — and his abilities to wear both hats well. 

“This is no reflection of Jay’s performance at all, let me be clear with everyone about that,” Dearden said. 

“I think it’s so important that we change the direction of this district and show this community that we’re responsible for the money that we’re spending,” he said regarding the plan’s emphasis on administrative changes. 

Board members welcomed this idea but were concerned that it may not be tenable to base a longterm strategic district plan on one person’s ability. Hawley and new board member Lauren Robinson implored Dearden to reach out to the board should he feel the burden has become too great. 

“I wouldn’t be proposing this idea if I didn’t think it would work,” said Dearden, who also assured board members that he would be transparent about any potential strain. 

Dearden stressed that he personally would welcome the opportunity to be around the students 

he serves as superintendent and, when questioned, confirmed that the high school has ample space in which the entire administrative team could operate should the board move forward with the plan to close the building. 

Part of the budget report presentation, led by Financial Director Heather Shaw-Burton, also included the closure of Building E in the high school. This reduction in space and utilities fit the general approach of a multi-step budget proposal that sought to “restructure” the district in a smarter, more quality-focused and more cost effective way. Lower enrollment heading into the next year will contribute to an approximate $136,000 funding gap. This gap, along with two-step raises for teachers and administrative personnel that would total $196,537, constituted a total district funding goal of $332,744 moving forward. 

Shaw-Burton also said the finalized budget will include insurance coverage increases — projected to be around 3 and 7 percent but not yet known for certain — so that the district doesn’t fall behind in providing health care coverage. 

When questioned as to why two-step raises were needed instead of just a one-step plan, Shaw-Burton said that the move represents solidarity with the Red for Ed movement that pressured the Arizona State Legislature to increase pay statewide. Dearden added that there is a need to make administrative positions and teaching positions attractive, lest the district doom themselves to C-rating stagnation. 

“Demographics is not an excuse for not being successful,” he said later on in the work session. 

The team cited its inclusion of a half-time music program at West Sedona School for fourth through sixth grade in its plan. Shaw-Burton said that such a program would help make West Sedona attractive compared to other area elementary schools. 

“We need to work with a sense of urgency because our students only get one shot at [a quality education],” Dearden said. 

He said he believes the district can be A quality so long as it doesn’t ignore its problems and acts boldly. To make up the $322,744 shortfall, the team also suggested:  

• Tackling the food service deficit by renegotiating or restructuring the district’s outsourced food provision contracts and instituting the mandatory completion of free and reduced lunch forms. 
• Realigning the special education program to better match the district’s needs;Trish Alley, the current SOCSD director of special education who will be moving to a full-time position in Cottonwood where there is greater need, said “With this district getting smaller, it’s a lot more comparable to ClarkdaleJerome and Beaver Creek. “Dennis and I talked about working with some of those other districts who also don’t need a full-time [special education] director and doing some collaboration.” 
• Sharing a half-time transportation director with another district and exploring the possibility of adjusting bus routes to accommodate students from outside Sedona. 

Among other things discussed was the recent rumor surrounding the future use of BPCS. Hermen and Hawley made a point to dismiss circulated rumors that a collegiate prep school was interested in setting up some form of a charter inside the defunct BPCS. 

“There is no plan to have that school in our community. I think having that message put out there now and really clarifying that we don’t have any intention of having a charter school in that space is the message we want out,” Hermen said. 

Dearden said the administration team has been looking at potential educational uses of that space — none of which having to do with an Arizona State University prep charter school or any such rumors — but that things were in too early of a stage to discuss them now. 

The budget proposal was agendized and will be brought to the board for a vote later in the spring. The board concurred but requested that more information and specific figures regarding the move be brought forward in the coming weeks.