SAFFORD — Faced with a significant cut in federal funding for rural schools, and one district in a “high risk” capital situation, the Graham County Board of Supervisors took an unprecedented action to help that school district.
During Monday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to distribute 94 percent of the funding received under the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools program to the Bonita School District.
“With Bonita Schools in the situation that they’re in, I personally feel like if we gave Bonita Schools the full amount, I would like to think the other school districts would understand,” said Supervisor Clay Mack.
Mack’s district includes Bonita.
Bonita School District will receive $75,248.42, with Graham County retaining $5,000 to maintain roads on which school buses travel as required by the program.
Last year’s Secure Rural Schools funding was about $425,000. The funds are distributed based on the amount of untaxable Forest Service land in each school district. Last year, the funds were distributed on two factors — student population and the acreage of Forest Service land in each district — which gave every school district in Graham County some funding.
According to the Arizona Auditor General’s Office, Bonita School District is at high risk for not having enough in reserves to cover operating expenses and capital expenditures, as well as its overall general fund financial position.
Bonita (a K-8 school) has a student population, based on 100th-day attendance, of 88, compared to 158 in Solomon (K-8), Fort Thomas (K-12) 605, Pima (K-12) 1,007, Thatcher (K-12) 1,663, and Safford (K-12) 2,705. Dan Hinton Accommodation School, which serves special needs students, has a student population of 30.
