America's Choice
 

Elementary Arts PDF format
Elementary Fine Arts:

This is a State funded program for students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

It was enacted to provide funding to encourage school districts to offer opportunities for elementary school students to participate in arts education, including visual arts, music, theater and dance. This is based on the understanding that arts programs encourage cognitive and affective development by:

· focusing on a variety of learning styles and engaging students who might otherwise fail;
· training students in complex thinking and learning;
· helping students to devise creative solutions for problems;
· providing students with new challenges; and
· teaching students how to work cooperatively with others and to understand and value diverse cultures.


For the 07/08 SY the Zuni Public Schools was granted $124,370, which provides the salary of one art teacher that is shared between the two Elementary Schools, art supplies and materials, theatre and dance club costumes and materials, a student Pueblo Cultural Exchange and fees to cover two weeks of the National Dance Institute and arts related student assemblies.
 

GRADS/Child Care Center Parents Handbook / Child Care Center Form (PDF format)

GRADS/Daycare (PDF format)
Graduation Reality And Dual - roles Skills (GRADS):

The purpose of the GRADS program is to:

· Facilitate parenting teen’s graduation and economic independence
· Promote healthy multi-generational families
· Reduce risk-taking behaviors
· Reduce repeat pregnancies
· Retain students through graduation
· Develop positive parenting skills
· Develop skills for healthy relationships
· Foster a balance of work & family roles
· Prepare students for work and careers
· Reduce low birth-weight babies
· Demonstrate positive health care practices

Zuni Public Schools receives a total of $9,000.00 to implement this program for teen parents. One teacher is employed to teach classes to pregnant teens and their partners. A nationally validated curriculum is provided and an Advisory Committee made up of School District and Community volunteers is in place to support the teens and the GRADS program.

Early Childhood Education Center:

Zuni Public School District operates this center on the Zuni High School campus which provides age appropriate day care for children aged 6 weeks to 2 years old. First priority is for the children of high school students, and parents working on their G.E.D. or college courses at UNM; however the center is also open to the children of staff members and community families as well.

A handbook with policies and procedures is in place and can be found on this website for a more comprehensive view of the program and what it has to offer.


The Center is staffed by a full time Director, and two Educational Assistants. Two Foster Grandparents or “Hotdas” also work in the Center during the morning hours, and ZHS students also assist in the Center for elective credits. The Center also provides the setting for a lab environment for the high school teen parents and their partners to learn essential parenting skills. Currently there are approximately 28 children enrolled in the Center with an approximate average of 10 students attending each day.
 

Johnson O’Malley

The Zuni Public School district receives funding from the Bureau of Indian Education to operate programs for children aged 3 years through 12th grade. The district received $147,919.00 for the 07/08 school year. Funds are generated for this program through the number of student Certificates of Indian Blood or C.I.B.’s that the district collects from families. The program funds Educational Assistants, student school supplies, travel and training for Parent Advisory Committee members, an annual student recognition banquet for all district schools and their nominated students, and student traditional dance group travel and costume replacement. This is a small but vital program and is in danger of being eliminated by President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009
 

PreK (PDF format)
New Mexico PreK Program:

This program is a competitive grant and its purpose is to:
· Increase access to voluntary high-quality pre-kindergarten programs
· Provide developmentally appropriate activities for New Mexico children
· Expand early childhood community capacity
· Support linguistically and culturally appropriate curriculum and,
· Focus on school readiness
Zuni Public School District was awarded two different grants under this program for A:shiwi Elementary School. One grant in the amount of $40,874 covers a portion of the Teachers salary and a small amount of educational materials. The other grant in the amount of $13,862 covers an abundance of classroom supplies, materials and equipment. One full day program for 15 students is funded partially by this grant and the Title I program. One full time teacher and a full time Educational Assistant are employed in this program. Collaboration with the Zuni Tribal Head Start has been approved and funded as well, for shared professional developmental activities.
 

Rural & Low Income (PDF format)
Rural Low Income Schools:

The purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance to rural districts to assist them in meeting their state's definition of adequate yearly progress (AYP).Districts do not compete but rather are entitled to funds if they meet basic eligibility requirements. Eligibility is restricted by statute.
This year the Zuni Public Schools received $ 50,724.00 which was applied to training and travel fees for America’s Choice, and student materials for the America’s Choice program which assists students with remedial education in the areas of Algebra and Literacy at both High Schools.
 

Titles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (PDF format)
Title I – Part A Improving Basic Programs:

Title I is a federally funded program that provides funding to schools and school districts to assist with helping students reach state standards, providing training for staff with programs and activities that will assist students in attaining state standards, and numerous other activities that related to student achievement.

Additionally, funds are required to be set aside for Parent Involvement activities, School choice and Supplemental Service programs.
Funds are allocated to each eligible school site on a per pupil basis using the free and reduced lunch count at each site. All five public and both private schools in Zuni receive Title I funds.

A total allocation of $1,303,922 is received by ZPSD, and the school site allocations range from $26,350 to $215,687 for the 07-08 school year.
Please ask for a copy of your child’s school site Title I plan for specific information as to how these funds are being spent at your child’s school.


Title II – Part A Teacher and Principal Training And Recruiting Fund:

Title II is a federally funded program that provides funding to school districts and schools to assist with teachers and assistants becoming highly qualified in the content area that they teach in. This fund also provides money for staff travel and training that is tied to the school site or district level Educational Plan for Student Success (EPSS), and for recruiting and retaining staff.

All schools are eligible to receive funding through this grant; however for the 07-08 school year the majority of the funds are being retained at the Central Office to facilitate district wide activities. Funds have been allocated to the Private schools in Zuni and each school has a copy of their plan on site if you wish to view it.

The Zuni Public Schools receives a total of $191,815 from this federally funded program.


Title IV - Part A Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities

Title IV is a federally funded program designed to prevent violence in and around schools, prevent the illegal use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco by young people, and foster a safe and drug free learning environment that supports academic achievement.

The Zuni Public schools received $19,231 for the 07-08 school year and these funds have been allocated out to all five public and the two private schools within Zuni. Additional funds have been set aside at the district level to facilitate district wide programs such as the use of “drug dogs” to detect illegal substances.

Allocations to the school sites are small and range from $397.00 to $3,269.00. Each school site has a copy of their individual plan on file if you would like to learn more about this program and how your child’s school is using these funds.

Title V – Part A Innovative Programs:

Title V is a federally funded program that provides funds to school districts to assist schools with implementing promising educational reforms, provides innovative and educational improvement, help meet the needs of at-risk and high-need students, and supports programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance. These funds may be used in a variety of ways and each school has a plan on file if you wish to know how these funds are being utilized at your child’s school site.

The total allocation amount to Zuni Public Schools is $2,248.00, and all five and the two private schools located in Zuni receive allocations from this amount. The allocations range from $79.00 to $648.00.


Title VII – Part A Indian Education:

Title VII is a federally funded program that is designed to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian Native children so that they can meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards as all other children.

The total allocation to the Zuni Public schools for the 07/08 school year is $289,233.00. This amount is based on the total number of 506 student forms that are collected each year. The funds are utilized to provide Educational Assistants in the regular education classrooms, travel and training fees for the Parent Advisory Committee and staff members, student travel fees for the two High Schools to visit the Heard Museum, supplemental art supplies for the secondary schools, printing and binding costs for Zuni material development, and Parent Institute costs.


Title VIII – Impact Aid – Indian Set Aside:

Title VIII is a federally funded program that provides funds to districts in lieu of tax monies that cannot otherwise be generated by the local population due to students residing on federal land, or whose parents work on military property.

Zuni Public Schools received approximately $1,541,361 for the 07/08 SY under the Indian Set aside portion. One of the requirements of this program is that Indian Policies and Procedures are formulated to ensure equal access for American Indian Students to all programs and services provided in the district. These policies must be implemented and reviewed annually, with the input of Parents and Tribal Officials. The majority of this budget pays for salaries of employees in the district such as Educational Assistants, Bookkeepers, Secretarial Assistance, District wide Technology staff, and the associated fringe benefits for these positions.