Annual Stuff the Bus Event on September 25
Shannon Soule and Crystle Nehrmeyer
It is time for the annual “Stuff the Bus” event! Help us fill a school bus with needed school supplies that will benefit the students at Mountain Vista School in the Oracle Elementary School District! On Saturday, Sept. 25, we will be traveling to SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch. Join us in SaddleBrooke at the Minit Market parking lot from 8 to 10 a.m. or at The Ranch House Grill and Brewery parking lot in SaddleBrooke Ranch from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
This school year, we are in great need of the following new, packaged donations: disinfectant wipes, notebook paper, 2-pocket folders, face masks for children, hand sanitizer, white printer paper, composition books, paper towels, boxed facial tissue, earbuds/headphones for laptops, computers, bottled water for students, 1-inch 3-ring binder, dry erase markers, pencils, pens, and highlighters. For health and safety, we are unable to accept any used items or opened packages. Thank you for your support of our students! For more information, call 520-896-3003.
Much to be Proud of at Mountain Vista K-8 School
Crystle Nehrmeyer, Superintendent
The Oracle Elementary School District continues to improve the educational environment for students and maintain existing school facilities, all while maximizing taxpayer dollars. During fiscal year 2021, the school district received a $311,989.65 building renewal grant from the Arizona School Facilities Board (AZSFB).
Created in 1998, the AZSFB is a cabinet-level, state-government agency managing nearly $300 million in state funding appropriated for K-12 school district facilities. The 10-member board meets monthly to grant funding for new school construction and to renew existing school facilities.
The $311,989.65 grant received by the Oracle Elementary School District last fiscal year replaced the old cafeteria flooring, which also required asbestos abatement ($28,742.85), replaced the HVAC system on the science building ($7,150.00), repaired the roofs of three classroom buildings ($126,798.80), and completely replaced the roof on one of the classroom buildings ($149,298.00).
During fiscal year 2020, the Oracle Elementary School District received a $42,265.67 building renewal grant from the AZSFB. This grant replaced the bleachers in the school gymnasium, which were more than 30 years old and were not fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Allison Hendrix, an employee of the Oracle Elementary School District and a former classroom teacher at Mountain Vista K-8 School now serves as the grants and special programs coordinator for the district. Since moving from the classroom to the district office in 2019, Mrs. Hendrix has written and received competitive grants totaling close to $1 million. When asked what grants Mrs. Hendrix will write next, she said, “Any grant that will benefit our students and our community is a grant worth writing and pursuing.”
The Oracle Elementary School District looks forward to sharing more stories about the great things happening at Mountain Vista K-8 School with our SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch communities throughout the 2021–22 school year.