FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253
Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174
Crystalyne Curley (928) 286-7918
[email protected]
StateTaskForcetomoveforwardonaddressingUtaheducationconcerns
LEUPP,Ariz.–TheNaabik’iyátí’Committee’sStateTaskForcemetlastThursday,todiscussthe
recentapprovalofSenateBill14bytheUtahStateLegislatureduringitsmostrecentlegislative
sessionthatendedonMarch10,whichwaslatersignedintolawbyUtahGov.GaryHerbert.
SB14,entitled“AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativeAmendments”soughtapproximately$2
milliononanongoingbasisbeginninginfiscalyear2017,toimplementapilotprogramtofund
stipend,recruitments,andretentionofteacherswhoteachinNativeAmericanschools.However,
thefinalbillonlyapproved$250,000forthepilotprogram.
TaskForcememberCouncilDelegateJonathanHale(OakSprings,St.Michaels),whoalsochairs
theHealth,Education,andHumanServicesCommittee,broughtthemattertotheattentionof
theStateTaskForce.Heacknowledgedthatlittlecanbedonenowthatthelegislativesessionhas
concluded,butwantedthetaskforce’sinputtodeterminehowtheNationcanproceedin
securingfundingtohelpschoolswithahighnumberofNavajostudents.
DelegateHalesponsoredLegislationNo.0061-16,seekingCouncil’ssupportforSB14,which
DelegateHalesaidhewillcontinuetopushthroughthelegislativeprocesstoestablishthe
Nation’sofficialposition.
“ThelegislativesessionhasendedinUtah,butwestillneedtoestablishanofficialpositionon
behalfoftheNationtoadvocateinthefutureforfundingtohelpeducateNavajostudentsinthe
stateofUtah,”saidDelegateHale,whoaddedthattheNavajoNationBoardofEducationisalso
expectedtoconsideraresolutionsupportingthefundingrequest.
StateTaskForcemembersmetonseveraloccasionswithtopstateleaderstoadvocatefor
fundingandotherinitiatives,however,memberssaidtheyunderstandthatmanyother
educationalprogramsandinitiativesalsoreceivedlimitedfundsornofundingatall.
“Weshouldviewthe$250,000asastartingpointtobuildon,anddowntheroadwehopetosee
theeducationalinitiativesfullyfunded,”DelegateHaleadded.
StateTaskForcechairCouncilDelegateKeeAllenBegay,Jr.(LowMountain,ManyFarms,Nazlini,
Tachee/BlueGap,Tselani/Cottonwood)recommendedthattheNationtakeaproactiveapproach
byeducatingUtahstateleadershipoftheneedsoftheschoolsandeducatorssothattheyhavea
betterunderstandingwhenthelegislaturerevisitsfundingforeducation.
DelegateBegayacknowledgedthatschoolsinArizonaandNewMexicoarealsoingreatneedof
additionalfundingandresourcesforstudentsandeducators,asnotedbyseveraleducation
advocateswhowerealsoinattendance.
TheadvocatessaidthatmanyNavajostudentsinthestateofUtahlackclassroomspace,which
oftenleavesteacherstoholdclassesinhallwaysandotherareasofschoolfacilities.Theyurged
Councilmemberstovisittheschoolstogainafirsthandperspectiveoftheconditions.
Attheconclusionofthemeeting,StateTaskForcemembersalongwithSpeakerLoRenzoBates
(Nenahnezad,Newcomb,SanJuan,TiisTsohSikaad,Tse’Daa’Kaan,UpperFruitland)agreedto
strengthencorrespondenceandadvocacyeffortswithstateleaders,particularlythosewhoserve
ontheeducationandappropriationscommittees.
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