Board Of Trustees:

Blackwater Community School and Akimel O'Otham PeePosh Charter School is operated under the effective supervision of five Board of Trustees representing the respective communities surrounding the school District. Board of Trustees are elected members from the local community served by our school. On behalf of our community and the parents, we would like to Welcome each one of you. It is our pleasure to oversee a school which is student-focused with a dedicated and committed employees. We try our very best to provide a well-balanced curricula and other activities for the development of a "all-rounded" and "whole-child". We are proud of the academic progress our children are making in core areas of the curriculum. We as the governing-body of this educational institution which is funded partly by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Arizona State under the PeePosh Charter status, make every effort to provide all necessary tools to our staff to ensure a continues and significant growth in all areas of the school curricula.

Academics and Our Culture...

We understand that the academic growth is important for the success of all children, but we equally believe in the preservation and promotion of our language and culture of our community (Gila River Indian Community), our rich heritage from our gloius past that we want to pass on to the future and young generations. It is no surprise therefore , that our Tribal Council earmarks a certain percentage of the tribal allocation for this very purpose. Secondly, a certain percentage of our annual tribal allocation also goes towards teaching our children the tranditional farming and agriculture techniques with modern tools which serves dual purpose of teaching the farming skills as well as instilling a sense of entrepreneurship among the youth of this community.

The charter school is located on federal trust land operated under the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education. The school was established in 1939 when Congress approved the establishment of the Gila River Indian Reservation. The school was chartered as a K-2 day school and typically served less than 100 students from District 1 (Blackwater) and District 2 (Sacaton Flats). However, because of the growing population and the community’s support of the school, there was a desire to expand grades on the campus. Parents also wanted to keep their children close to home instead of attending feeder schools off the reservation. Therefore, the Board and Administration requested that the school be allowed to expand grades. This was denied because of a Congressional Moratorium to limit BIE schools from expanding. Not to be deterred, the Board and Administration requested that the BIE allow the school to apply for a charter school for grades 3 – 5. This was granted and in 2000 the State Board of Charters approved the application for this charter. This is monumental because there had not been this type of shared governance on federal trust land. In addition, the Gila River Indian Community supported this expansion.

Our Committment...

The School Board & staff are committed to the following principles:

School climate which fosters individual responsibility for behavior, acceptance of others and acceptable child/adult interactions.

  • Cultural experiences which enhance positive attitudes toward self and others and creates an awareness of cultural heritage and language.
  • Opportunities for community support through school sponsored activities.

In conclusion, the Board of Trustes, teachers and support staff actively support and implement the schools vision "Quality Education Begins Here".

Mr. Henry Pino (Board President).....

Mr. Pino has been serving on the Board well over a decade and brings lot of wisdom and experience to the table. Mr. Pino represents GRIC District One (Blackwater District). It is my pleasure to oversee a school which is student-focused with a dedicated and committed employees. We try our very best to provide a well-balanced curricula and other activities for the development of a "all-rounded" anda "whole-child". Mr. Pino being retired from the Law Enforcement department, brings a different perspective to the discussions. Mr. Pino is fluent speaker of his native language and is well versed in the Gila River culture and traditions. Mr. Pino's few favorites are long walks, cooking and helping friends. (Jan. 1st 2017 thru Dec. 31st, 2019) D1.

Ms. Anne Garcia (Vice-President)

Ms. Anne Garcia represents GRIC District Two (Hashan Kehk) and has been serving on the Blackwater/Akimel O'Otham Charter School Board since 2015. Ms. Garcia is a retired educator herself and has worked with Tribal Early Childhood Education department for a number of years. She brings lot of ideas and wisdom in the area of Special Education when it comes to meeting needs of all studnets including children with special needs. She is very strong supporter of teaching Native language and Culture to all younger generation this school serves. Her favorite saying, "It is okay to make mistakes when children are learning their Language and Culture". (Jan. 1st, 2016 thru Dec. 31st, 2018) D2

Ms. Jeanne Gomez (Board Member)...

Board member Jeanne Gomez represents GRIC District Two (Hashan Kehk) which is located just north of our school. Ms. Gomez joined the Blackwater School Board back in 2016. She has worked with the various Tribal departments for a number of years and is now enjoying her retirement. She is very active in the community and always brings a unique perspective during the discussions at the Board meetings. We are very fortunate to have Ms. Gomez on the Blackwater Community School/Akimel O'Otham Pee Posh Charter School Board of Trustees Team. (Jan. 1st thru Dec. 31st, 2019) D2

Ms. Alberta Joyce McAfee (Board Member)...

Ms. Joyce McAfee joined the Blackwater School Board Trustees team back in 2016 and represents GRIC District One (Blackwater District). Ms. McAfee is a very active in the community and has been serving the community members in various capacities under different departments and committees of Blackwater District. Ms. McAfee strongly believes in teaching the language and culture to our young students to ensure the future generations of this Community continue to promote and preserve the rich and glorius heritage. (January 1st, 2016 thru December 31st, 2018) D1

Ms. Deanna Jackson (Board Member)

Ms. Deanna Jackson hails from District One of the Gila River indian Community. Deanna has been always very active in her Native Community and currently serves on committees within District One . Deanna actually studied at this school during her elementary schooling days. Entire School community welcomes Ms. Jackson to our Board of Trustees Team. We all wish her the best while she steps into a totally different role at Blackwater Community/Akimel O'Otham Pee Posh Charter School.

(Feb. 6th, 2018 thru Dec. 31st, 2019) D1