The Phoenix Elementary District (4256) Governing Board on Sept. 11 received a progress report on voter-approved bond projects, updates on partnerships to expand school social-worker services, and an overview of district efforts to boost early-literacy outcomes.

Board President Carmen Trujillo said the meeting drew “a great turnout of community members who came to speak in support of school social workers and the partnerships that ensure families and children are getting the emotional support they need to be successful in schools and in life.”

The meeting opened with Chief Financial Officer Mr. Whittle presenting images and a summary of work funded by a bond voters approved three years ago. The presentation highlighted campus improvements districtwide including parking-area repairs, new shade structures, tree plantings, HVAC and technology upgrades, cafeteria renovations at Capitol and Garfield, a new playground at Shaw, a family center renovation, and front-lobby safety renovations. Board members also discussed elevator work planned for Whittier and emergency demolition and reconstruction at Herrera following a flood.

Superintendent Deborah Gonzales said the district has updated its transportation fleet, noting, “We also upgraded our buses to include an electric fleet and charging stations as well as equipment to keep our plate fleet running safe.” (The transcript used the phrase “plate fleet”; the district identified transportation and charging upgrades as part of the bond update.) Gonzales and staff said Garfield and Edison are scheduled for additional building renovations under the same bond program and that districtwide energy-efficiency work is underway.

Coordinator of Social Services and Wellness Ms. Baumgartner described the district’s partnership with Southwest Behavioral Health Services and outlined how families and students can access those services. Ms. Baumgartner also referenced state statutes in the context of social-worker responsibilities related to suicide response and discussed ethical requirements tied to licensure.

On academics, the board heard from curriculum and instruction staff about an early-literacy target tied to board Goal 1. The district reported a third-grade state assessment pass rate of 23% in 2024 and set a target of 40% by 2028. Staff described curriculum changes that include high-interest, complex texts and classroom strategies such as annotation and questioning to support reading growth, while also noting the goal “may be too ambitious.”

The board reviewed a superintendent “communications guardrail” intended to maintain reciprocal and effective communication among the board, district employees and community stakeholders. The guardrail includes monthly meetings with student, employee and parent groups (cafecitos, site councils, PTA/PTO), district roundtables with legislators and community partners, targeted communications to specific audiences, and expanded translation services and messaging through apps such as ClassDojo. District staff reported a 33% increase in social-media engagement, 275 translation requests so far and that 84% of families are active on ClassDojo.

No formal votes or ordinance actions were recorded in the meeting transcript provided; the items discussed were updates, reports and planned communications and monitoring activities.

The board thanked attendees and noted the next governing-board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2 at 5:15 p.m., with student performances and recognitions beginning at 4:15 p.m.