Santa Cruz County was awarded funding from the Arizona Department of Transportation Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program to prepare the Rio Rico Walking and Biking Study. The purpose of the Study is to enable Santa Cruz County to establish a program for the construction of bike lanes and sidewalks that are desired to provide safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access and connectivity to select Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 facilities as well as use for the general public for transportation and recreational purposes.

The Pinal Creek Trail corridor study is being conducted in conjunction with the Cobre Valley Comprehensive Transportation Study, to provide alternative modes of transportation to key educational and recreational areas in the Globe area. The purpose of the study is to review previous trail studies and recreation trail plans that will address the most critical current and future non-motorized modes of transportation within the study area. The concept of turning Pinal Creek, which runs through the City, into a functioning urban greenbelt, has long been the dream of several citizens of the community.

Pima County, in partnership with the National Park Service, has been an active participant in the development of a 70 mile segment of the trail. With the preparation of this Master Plan, Pima County has embarked on an active program to acquire the necessary rights-of-way and easements and to construct the Pima County segment of the national historic trail.

In fiscal year 2012, Laveen Elementary School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’ averages, and the District operated efficiently overall with lower costs per pupil than peer districts’, on average, in all operational areas. Despite operating efficiently, Laveen ESD spent 21 percent, or $751, less per pupil in the classroom than peer districts, on average, because it received less funding primarily because it had a lower poverty rate and fewer special needs students. In fact, the District had nearly the lowest overall per pupil spending amount in the State. Although the District operated efficiently overall, it needs to better ensure that its bus drivers meet all certification requirements and it may be able to reduce its plant operations costs by further reducing the amount it pays for custodial services.

In fiscal year 2011, Chinle Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’ averages, and the District’s operational efficiency was mixed, with some costs higher and some costs lower than peer districts’ averages. The District’s per pupil administrative costs were much higher than peer districts’, and it lacked adequate controls over its vehicles, accounts payable processing, and computer systems. The District’s plant operations costs were also much higher than peer districts’ because the District maintained more building space per student, which was likely not needed since Chinle USD operated its schools far below their designed capacities. The District’s food service program was reasonably efficient, and its transportation program had similar per mile costs as peer districts’. However, the District did not meet bus driver and bus preventative maintenance requirements.

In fiscal year 2012, Clifton Unified School District’s student AIMS scores were lower than both its peer districts’ and state averages. The District’s instructional program needs improvement. For example, some students were not provided the statutorily required number of instructional hours, and one of its four teachers did not have a teaching certificate. The District’s operational efficiencies were mixed, with some costs higher and some costs lower than peer districts’. However, the District lacked proper oversight and adequate controls over nearly all of its operations. In particular, the District lacked basic administrative processes such as monitoring budgets and maintaining proper controls over expenditures resulting in it overspending its legal budget limits in fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011. The District also failed to meet several transportation safety requirements. For example, its primary driver was not certified to drive a school bus. Lastly, the District lacked proper supervision of inmate workers on its school campus.

Provides recommendations that improve and enhance the inter-connectivity of trails and transit mobility in the City of Show Low and transit efficiency in the White Mountains, including the communities of Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor, Holbrook and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Upon its completion the study was further intended to update the City’s Five Year Transit Plan and the Trails Element of the Show Low General Plan.