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School budgets No need for more feeling impact of the pandemic BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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OVID-19 is costing the Tempe Union and Kyrene school districts millions of dollars. Tempe Union is spending $2 million in the 2020-21 school year on laptops for all incoming freshmen – an expense that will become an annual expenditure. Kyrene Chief Financial Officer Chris Hermann told his governing board last week that the district will be spending $2.7 million in the
see SCHOOLS page 12
At least 200 parents and students gathered outside Tempe Union High School District headquarters June 24 to protest the district’s refusal to offer a five-day in-class option, but no more will be needed after the district in a surprise move Monday on Monday told parents it will provide that option.. Details: Page 3. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)
Mt. Pointe senior tells board: SROs aren’t the problem BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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or four hours June 24, the Tempe Union Governing Board heard adult speaker after adult speaker discuss the role of school resource officers in advance of a vote – possibly today, July 1 – on a move that would eliminate those positions at four campuses, including Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista. But it was the lone student voice – from rising Mountain Pointe senior Christian Nunez – that drew accolades as he talked about his experience as a young Black man. Taking note of the nationwide protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody, Christian criticized the move to take the $450,000 currently allocated for the SRO positions and spend it on counselors instead. While several major cities are eliminating their SRO positions, Christian told the board there is a need to address issues of racism and racist behavior by police in communities, noting, “To properly address the feelings that
Mountain Pointe senior Christian Nunez delivered an extemporaneous 11-minute speech to the Tempe Union Governing Board last week on what he called its “misguided” effort to eliminate SROs on four campuses. (Special to AFN)
students have regarding law enforcement extends far beyond the role of an SRO.” “An SRO is not the reason that George
Floyd died,” he said, speaking without the aid of notes. “An SRO is not the reason that certain students are profiled as they leave the school by other people regardless if it’s an officer or not. “I think that for us to entertain this conversation is for us to do a disservice to what really needs to be said. We know that the training that needs to be done, and the conversation that needs to be had, is not concerning SROs. It’s concerning the conduct of officers who need proper training and officers who need to be held accountable.” Stressing that board members should recognize “a distinction between SROs and the general police force,” he said resource officers are people who “want to work with children.” “I think that for us to pour all of our energy into SROs and the conversation of whether or not we need to have them in schools or not is a complete waste of time,” Christian said. “SROs can be the beginning foundation of
see SROS page 11