The Superintendent Stakeholder Committee isn’t just another meeting: It’s where real decisions happen. As Salt River Schools embarks on a new era of Strategic Planning, we need your input. Attend our meetings! Since Fall 2024, Superintendent Sheryl Houston has led a series of courageous conversations about the state of our schools and the future stakeholders like YOU envision.
Join Superintendent Sheryl Houston on Thursday, April 16, for the next stakeholder committee meeting.
We hope to see you at the next planned meeting. Are you interested in being on the committee? Click this link and let us know, and we'll send you a meeting reminder! Regardless, the meetings are open to the public. We need collaborators. We need action. We need you.
Regardless of whether you have participated in one, none, or several of theses public events to discuss strategic goals and plans, we want and appreciate your feedback. Please review these PRIORITY AREAS outlined by the Education Board and Superintendent, and then fill out the short, anonymous survey by clicking the button on the right side of this page ➡
Thank you for your time and input!
Questions? Call 480-362-2500 or email [email protected]. Join us to speak up, step up, and make a difference for our students, families, educators, and our Community.
PREVIOUS MEETING DISCUSSION POINTS
February 10, 2026
Click here to view the Feb. 10 agenda. This was an excellent working meeting in which all participants brainstormed pathways and solutions to the Education Board's and Superintendent's four strategic priority areas.
Below you'll see photos of the notes taken during these brainstorm roundtables, which informed the feedback survey we're asking stakeholders to take.
Based on the data we receive from the surveys and from what stakeholders have shared at the committee meetings, the Superintendent will create action committees to address short- and long-term strategic goals and implement solutions.
PRIORITY AREAS: Safety & Program Access | Culture & Language | Professional Development | Engagement
SAFETY & PROGRAM ACCESS
GROUP 1 Are students safe at Salt River Schools?
- Yes, because of the relationships that are built between students/staff, and the training staff undergo.
- Yes: Haven’t seen any issues that would suggest anything is unsafe. Erica Richardson is at the front of SRES and is competent at what she does re: safety protocols. We have an SRO and a nurse with health protocols.
- No: Staff need more training re: STUDENT HEALTH, including what to do for ESS students, students with cognitive disabilities beyond ADHD. What do staff do during an evacuation? What do staff do if a child or staff is choking? Parents aren’t confident in staff ability to keep students safe with regard to health.
What motivates students to go to school each day? Attendance is around 95% (according to SRES principal). Adding clubs and classes that let kids garden, make O’odham/Piipaash art and music would increase motivation.
GROUP 2 Are students safe? Yes, in general.
- Bullying of various forms happens in front of adults.
- It would helpful to have signs, student team building
- Bullying has been seen/heard by family members
- Fighting happens a lot on the bus
- Need de-escalation training for bus monitors
- [??]MPS buses
- ILUG had a lot of info +
- So much construction around campuses (ECEC) makes it unsafe
Is there sufficient access to programs for Community members (re: Higher Ed)
- Yes, there are good options and format
- Have previous Higher Ed students speak to get the word out about Higher Ed opportunities
- Do more advertising of what access points there are
- Get a Community map and more signage of what SRS has available
GROUP 3 Are students safe?
- Yes, we have a 6-minute lockdown at our sites (security staff quote).
- ECEC staff note that student growth in any area indicates that the student feels safe. You can’t grow if you don’t feel safe.
- Parents must feel safe if they return to SRS; student numbers continue to grow.
- Grandparent in group says her granddaughter talks about safety drills at home and that makes her feel like the school is being proactive.
- Caregivers feel like that staff know the know the kids really well. Good communication.
- Transition from ECEC to SRES has improved.
- Transition from ALA to Higher Ed has improved.
- Increased communication = building relationships = safety
- Connection before correction (all sites = safety)
- [??] Systems all 3 school how school starts
- SOP
- Going to help you through ed journey
GROUP 4 Are students safe?
- SRES survey noted front entrance unsafe
- More cameras, more lanyards
- Needs locks on all front doors with card readers for staff (make all campus front entrances like ECEC)
- Want security on site/all times + SRES building A and portables (those feel unsafe, structurally)
- Bus Cameras
MPS/SUSD had cuts; need to partner with schools to share SRO and counselors + other safety/health staff (SRS would pay for staff)
- [??] in building and I received an email about talking to children
- Parents need PowerSchool training
- Want laptops at SRES PAC meetings
- [??] Bus monitor incident reporting form
CULTURE & LANGUAGE
GROUP 1
- Pro: People are "Met where they are at" as Opposed to expecting everyone is at the same place
- Con: Large group learning
- Suggestion: Possible partnership with CRD and Community members (including staff, so it counts toward PLC hours)
- S: SCC college classes in ENLC
- P: Cooking Demos
- S: Family activities for ENLC learning
- S: Games to help with learning ENLC
- P: Activities are more family-oriented
GROUP 2
Suggestions
- Culture + Language component for all events
- Building capacity of teachers and culture staff
- Develop a system for teaching + collecting data on teacher + student efficacy
- System for encouraging teachers to use language and culture
- Establishing accountability
GROUP 3
Pro: Storytelling Play + introductions
Suggestions
- More speaking parts
- Using intros during events, e.g., graduations
- Encouraging teachers to reach out to Community for field trips, etc.
- Continue to share events
- Reach out to ENLC Statt with questions
- ID ENLC Staff and contact information during Welcome Back event and on PD welcome slides
- O’odham/Piipaash word of the day; add to introductions
- Ask questions during PD
GROUP 4
Suggestions
- Classes on O’odham pottery or Demo days
- Storytelling Community members, demonstrating other arts (Education Fair)
- Access to ENLC Lesson Files
- Send home parent flyers; take home so parents can support at home
- Culture club – ex: focus on river, land elements, etc.
- Garden @ SRES incorporating lessons + activities
- Share monthly/weekly videos – culturally related; create more digital footprint
- More singing and dancing - other styles
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
GROUP 1
- Ensure policy alignment
- Policy communication to Stakeholders
- Within sites → make sure staff are aware of how best to support students
- Process for anonymous reporting
- Parent education on behavior and other topics
- Knowledge about behavior matrix
- Strategies for identifying behavior - describe how they are feeling
- Strategies for de-escalation
- incident reporting
- correct documentation process
- effective reporting @board level
- staff reporting accurately
- informal feedback cycle to make sure we know what staff need
- informal community feedback for what they want to learn
GROUP 2
- Data - strategies teachers use to document student understanding not just growth or achievement
- Processes for addressing bullying
- identifying → interventions → follow up
- Conflict that is happening
- opportunities to build skills for student self-regulation/emotions
- Not all students learn the same way
- how to support teachers with differentiated needs
- Every program knows each other’s policies on bullying
- Transition planning for staff, kids, parents
PD is more than staff (teaching and learning) – needs to be for parents, families, grandparents, etc.
GROUP 3
- Process for collecting parent feedback on what they want learn
- Conscious discipline training for all staff
- training for kids on how to balance importance of self-care through play
- train staff to assess whole child to ensure whole child can learn
- training in Community's himdag (traditions)
- incorporate throughout opportunities
- Red Mountain for all staff
- Community updates → enterprises, depts → CRD
- Resources available
- AIS 101 Intro to Indian Studies at SCC
GROUP 4
- Include tracking of interventions
- Look at process for parent compact
- Training for discipline
- Trauma training → Native American trauma needs (Ginger Mortin or Kim Smith speakers)
- Students define trauma – will overcome this (k-6)
- Staff protocol for putting game plan in place
- Students talk about emotions → incorporate river (take parents out to wetlands with students)
DATA
- Collect student data to include PE/health data and share with parents
- Intervention data or regulation strategies
- Positive behaviors
ENGAGEMENT
GROUP 1
- district-wide newsletter (families)
- parent access to teachers
- barriers to communication
- digital signage?
- Parking lot distribution
- parent culture classes (social gatherings)/language
- partnerships with Community entities
GROUP 2
- Class dojo
- Consistent messaging across all platforms
- Field trip opportunities in the Community entertainment corridor
- new elementary bldg.
- School garden/garden club
- Culture
- financial literacy at elementary school
- paid apprenticeships through Higher Ed.
- focus on both college and career
- incentives for events: movie tickets or field trips
GROUP 3
- Social media - school website, FB/Insta and/or Email
- Who is the target audience?
- A 'school" calendar for the Community - links?
- Embrace entire family with ENLC approach
- Community Manager/Council share info at meetings
- Superintendent Forums not on Community Calendar [yes they are]
- How can some of the events be actual collaborations with schools or departments?
- How many / which events get published in the newspaper?
GROUP 4
- access through social media
- Share a calendar with stakeholders, include families!
- text opt-in check boy
- Events at times that parents can’t attend
- provide childcare
- No Wednesday events
- Coordinate w/ Mesa USD
- PLAN AHEAD
- GO LIVE ON SOCAL MEDIA
- "FAMILY CHAMPIONS"
November 4, 2025
- Update on the Education Board's Priority Areas
- Culture & Language
- Host of 2025 Cultural Teacher Gathering
- Social Dancing as part of PE
- Curriculum & Academic Goals
- Staff Professional Development & Problem of Practice
- Expansion of Programming
- ECEC classrooms
- Food Services changes
- Transportation routes
- Increased enrollment
- The next 90 days
Committee Q/A
- Q: Can charter funds pay for a new elementary school? Short answer: No. Longer answer: We cannot double-dip when it comes to funding. The elementary school is funded by the BIE. We would need to formally close down SRES as a BIE school (not a short process), then request the state charter board approve SRES as a new charter school (not a short process), then get approval for land use, building concepts/designs, permits, etc. (not a short process), all before the actual school is built and opened.
- Q: Will the high school ever reopen? It definitely could. But we need a PLAN. What are the intentions of this school? Who will fund it? Who/how many will attend? The current high school had capacity for more than 500 students and never reached that number - what's to say a new high school would do that?
- Q: Could we create programs to connect SRS students with Community elders? Yes! We have a plan already to partner with Senior Services for World Mother Language Day in February to connect our elementary students with elders to do language activities, and then expand on that partnership for more opportunities.
Superintendent Houston held her first Stakeholder Committee meeting on April 29, 2025; the second meeting was held Aug. 14, 2025. Several staff, guardians, and even a couple of students attended the meetings.
At the first meeting, the committee discussed the new, Education Board-approved I Love U Guys Foundation and its standard response protocol, which were well-received. The rollout timeline still needs to be finalized, but it includes training the trainers, training all staff, training families, and running drills at schools and with students and emergency personnel. The committee also briefly discussed security issues, staff incentives, and family engagement.
At the August meeting, the committee focused its discussion on the school breakfast served at SRES. Caregivers and staff shared concerns about the nutritional content/value of the food and concerns about where the food is served (in the classroom vs. the cafeteria). Questions about the number of security staff were brought up again; it was stated that a new security hire was forthcoming.
