We hope the first month of 2016 has treated everyone well! We have had an exciting month - 2 Founding Board meetings, and this week we receive the final decision from the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) regarding approval of the Santa Clara Pueblo's application to convert Santa Clara Day School to Grant status.  We will be sure to post an update and send an email as soon we we receive word.

Please check out our School Board page to see brief bios of our board members and updated agendas and minutes from previous meetings. The Board is still seeking 1-3 additional members (the posting can be found below).  Also, the Board voted on the officers for 2016-2017.  They are:

President: Paula Gutierrez
Vice President: Loretta Chavarria
Secretary: Beverly Singer
Treasurer: Francis Tafoya

We've also updated our website URL to www.khapoeducation.org.  Be sure to check back for updated graphics, contests, and community engagement opportunities!
​

Happy 2016!  We hope everyone had a restful, relaxing holiday season. What were your resolutions this year?  Feel free to post them in the comments below!

January brings with it not only the New Year, but some important updates from the
Kha-p'o Education Initiative as well.  We are excited to announce that the application to transition the Santa Clara Day School from Bureau of Indian Education operated to Tribally Controlled status has been submitted and recommended for approval by Education Line Officer Casey Sovo. BIE Director Dr. Charles "Monty" Roessell has until January 27th to provide a decision to approve or disapprove the application. While we fully expect to be approved, if the application is disapproved KEI has 60 days to address any issues in the application and resubmit.  

We are also thrilled to announce that the Tribal Council has appointed the Founding School Board for the Tribally Controlled Santa Clara Day School.  The members are:

Loretta Chavarria
Paula Gutierrez
Francis Tafoya
Beverly Singer

We will be adding a "School Board" page to our website in the coming weeks, which will include short biographies of each member, schedule for upcoming meetings, and previous meeting minutes.

This transition School Board does not replace the current School Board at the Santa Clara Day School. They will be making decisions regarding hiring and policies in the coming months, but will not be responsible for the school or school outcomes until July 1, 2016.

We are only a few steps away from realizing a community vision for education in Santa Clara. We know there are questions and comments out there, so please feel free to comment here, on our message boards, or contact us directly!

All the best to you and your families in the New Year.