News

First and foremost, the safety of our students is paramount. We are proud of the transparency we invited when we self-reported an internal financial issue and while we have not had any reportable safety incidents, any recommendations that will increase the safety of our students and teachers will be adopted. At no time before nor during the audit has the safety of our students been compromised.

The Auditor’s report made 23 recommendations and the district has agreed to implement all recommendations.

The media’s reporting sensationalizes unfortunate incidents and sadly tarnishes a cornerstone of our community that is Hyder Elementary School. We are more than a school, serving as the premises for the town’s after-school activities, post office, fire department, library, and general facility for town gatherings. We will continue to be a community school while working within the parameters set by the Auditor General.

Early in 2020, we discovered Hyder was the victim of an apparent financial crime. We immediately self-reported the issue to the Yuma County Sheriff’s office and the Arizona Auditor General. In addition to the misuse of funds, a former employee removed records relating to some of the findings in the report in what we believe was an effort to hide potentially $6,344 in theft. We will continue to support law enforcement in its investigation.

The three buses in our operation that are used to transport students are all less than three years old and are properly maintained according to the Department of Public Safety’s standards for bus safety. Never has a bus left our facilities without a proper safety check and everyone operating a bus is and always has been certified.

Our students are our priority and we are proud of our teachers. When weighed against peer districts, Hyder has lower operating costs but higher academic achievements. Our teachers deserve the credit, and we can assure the community that any discrepancies with our payroll documentation procedures have been rectified.

We will continue to actively support the Auditor General and the Yuma County Sheriff’s office and we look forward to a successful outcome for the Hyder community.