I will be studying mechanical engineering at Colorado School of Mines. Abigail Grace Whitlock. Thank you to my mentor Amy and counselor Kimmy for always keeping me on track. Thank you to my family, especially my older brother, for always supporting me through my journey through life. I will attend University of Miami majoring in exercise physiology. Suri Annabelle Raleigh Williams. Thank you to my mom, brother, Savannah, and Dante for holding my hand, encouraging my motivation. Thank you to Susan for always reminding me to take a breath, even when high school got hard. As to my future, I plan on enlisting and becoming a soldier. Go Army. Kyle [cheering] Edward Willis. I want to thank everyone in my life who helped get me to this point, specifically my parents and brother for their support, and my teachers who helped me learn what I needed to get here. I will always remember high school, but I'm thankful it's over.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Miss Box Shandi for reinvigorating the math challenge club on the CHS campus. She stepped up two years ago and said, "Hey, I want to start a math club." And has taken hold and taken students to competition time and time again, both in-person competition as well as online competition. And these students would not be competing at this level without her leadership. and I'm very grateful for that. On that same note of leadership, I would like to invite Mr. Taylor and Mr. Shrill to share about the achievements of our news media students in their recent um competition out of state. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Brian Taylor. This is Paul Triel. He's my emotional support buddy tonight. Uh thank you guys for the opportunity to hear about the exemplary accomplishments from the a select number of students that represent our news media outlets on campus.
Um, this is the action item to approve our final revision for fiscal year 26. >> Board members, are there any additional questions or motions? >> There's no additional questions. I motion to approve. >> Second. Lisa, I have a motion and a second. >> Shante Rothschild, >> I. >> Ben Owens, >> I. >> Lisa Garcia, >> I. >> Caramela Lopez. >> Hi. >> Patty Catra. >> Hi. >> I don't know. Well, it looks like it's your turn to stay up here for a while. Okay. Discussion and possible approval of the Joocc contract and above threshold purchase. Mr. Harmon. >> Thanks again, President Coutree, members of the board, Dr. Lopeman. This uh item before you is for a um a job order contract uh approval for PBLO Mechanical for the central plant at Maropa High School. This is really a brand new central plant at Maropa High School.
>> Any discussion? Okay, we'll vote. Signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? 26-17 is passed. 26-118, approval of bid package number five, general trades. Dr. Brown. >> Yeah. I recommend the board approve bid package number five, General Trades to the Pool Group, Inc. in the amount of 8,146,000. Again, that's for the Early Learning Center. So, asking for approval of that bid. >> Can I get a motion? I'll make a motion to pass 26-118. >> A second. >> I'll second.
Truly amazing. And our my son and my brother Jake's daughter who you all just saw roll in so adorably would [snorts] be so lucky to have somebody like you, you know, in charge when they're going to school. It is such a blessing. I there's so many wonderful things to share about my mom that make her a strong leader, but the one that I'm going to share tonight that is some people have said already, but I find it probably your strongest superpower is that you have such incredible people skills and that is something that you really can't you can't always teach to somebody, especially not adults. You know, it's hard. Not all Not everybody has that. And you can be smart, and you can be a hard worker, and you can have all these other wonderful things about you, and you can learn new things, but people skills are so nuanced, and you are a master.
And that's something that you'd be surprised that they don't know. They just don't know that because they're used to just using it as like a fun chat tool or, you know, just surfing the net. So >> I sound old saying surfing the net, but truly like there's this whole you can run a business on your phone. like I don't want them to not be able to do those things because that's what they're going to have to do. And at the at Yellow, they all said like we want a digital citizenship course that's mandatory. Like we want to leave this school knowing how to properly use this technology to enrich our lives and have a balance so that we know when to put it down, when to not have it out, how to learn without it, but also how to harness it. So, I'm glad we're having the conversation and I hope we can move towards maybe not the pouch and more of an easier, cheaper alternative.
And at the at Yellow, they all said like we want a digital citizenship course that's mandatory. Like we want to leave this school knowing how to properly use this technology to enrich our lives and have a balance so that we know when to put it down, when to not have it out, how to learn without it, but also how to harness it. So I'm glad we're having the conversation and I hope we can move towards maybe not the more of an easier, cheaper alternative. >> Yep. >> All right. Member David, >> I just wanted to make a comment as uh from the perspective of a teacher, a classroom teacher uh in a I work in a school that went with yonder pouches starting last year and the difference has been incredible. Uh and my perspective is not very long. Last year was also my first year at the school, but looking at the difference in school culture and everything from the beginning of last year when students were still addicted to their phones and used to having them out all the time to now um the the difference has been huge.
Uh is there is there uh is there an opportunity for um for presenting or sharing this this uh change with the uh with the different middle schools and how getting their input also or not need >> so the shift from integration integrated math to this is not part of this process. This is a process specific to the curriculum and the textbooks that are being used now with the algebra 1 sequence. >> That decision already >> happened. >> Okay. >> And that's what we communicated with our parents last year. >> We didn't have a so there were there any um did we get any feedback from from them? So what I'm trying to ask is is there anything that we we can we can do to stop this or we didn't have any option right we have to adopt this >> we're we have we're in alignment with east side union and that's and that's the work and that is the work that we've been doing in partnership in our east side alliance >> so I I know that some families were not >> didn't want and we've received that feedback and we continue to share we're in alignment with our high school feeder district because The other piece too when we're looking at the accelerated pathways, as I've shared with parents, we want to assure that our students get credit for that when they transition to the high school.
Shelby Worsig. Thank you to Mrs. Redinger and my friends for having faith in me. Mrs. Redinger, you never gave up on me and I don't think that is something I could ever repay you properly for. Kendall Denise Wright. >> [screaming] >> There have been ups and downs to high school, but at the end of the day they have helped me become who I am today. Thank you to my parents, step-parents, siblings, friends, and cousin Cameron. I really am who I am today because of you. Maya Rose Yates. >> [cheering] >> Thank you to CR, Shannon Baker, and my family for always believing in me and helping me become the best version of myself. I plan to attend Guilford College majoring in exercise science and playing collegiate volleyball. >> [cheering] >> Isabelle Zarowsky. Thank you to everyone that helped me find my voice. Thank you to Susan, Redinger, Flan, Nash, and Jake for your support.
Uh we have three uh we have the epoch yearbook responsible for putting together the annual book uh the rundown television production staff and then the combs courier which is our campus newspaper. Um, in last month we traveled to Minnesota where these guys got to deal with some like below 20 degree weather. A little out of the ordinary for them. Um, but while we were there, they had the opportunity to compete uh at a national level against over a thousand students. Um, and so I'd like to take the time to recognize their accomplishments tonight. Uh so to start um last year's yearbook staff uh we have Natalie Nash here to represent them and their work. Uh the yearbook from the 25 school year was entered into a best of show competition uh for which they placed ninth nationally uh for the quality of their yearbook. Would you guys like these guys to stand?
Um about 70% of the campus is currently on a central plant for heating and cooling. Um this uh is a new plant, a new control system plus real redundancy, first-time redundancy. Um it also ties into our construction project at Maropa High School for the workforce development and the gym renovation project. This will be a combination of bond funds about 2.3 million from bond and 1.5 million from our district local funds to fund this this project. The the central plant was assessed. It's beyond useful life. Um, plus we had some damages a couple of years ago and it's really been held together by, you know, chewing gum and bailing wire. >> So, um, we really seek your approval for this project. >> Um, Mr. Harmon, on the bond dollars, any bond money that we spend on something like this, if it should go bad or need repairs, um, and let's say just for giggles and grins, the state actually starts offending us again for that kind of stuff, what percentage of that is is not going to be covered by anything from the state?
>> Any discussion? >> We'll vote. Signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? >> 26118 pass. 26-119. Approval to bid package number six, masonry. Dr. Brown, >> I recommend the board approve bid package number six, masonry to the pool group, Inc. in the amount of 1,599,000 for the Early Learning Center. Can I get a motion? >> Make a motion we approve 26-119. >> Can I get a second? >> I'll second.
You get along well with people you don't get along with that you don't share the same views with. Sorry, [laughter] I I really haven't slept much in 12 weeks, you guys. I'm just kidding. But you get along well with people that you have different opposing views with, and you navigate those situations with grace, and you hear other people You hear their opinions, and you value other opinions even when they differ from your own. You make people feel seen and heard, which I know others have said tonight, but it's true. Not everybody can do that. Few can do that. So, we're really proud of you for that. And we see it in your personal life, we've seen it in your professional life in many ways. Lots of people here, but maybe not everybody knows that you've had many professional careers, and you absolutely kill it in all of them because of that skill.
>> Yep. >> Great. >> All right. All right, member David. >> I just wanted to make a comment as uh from the perspective of a teacher, a classroom teacher uh in a I work in a school that went with yonder pouches starting last year and the difference has been incredible. Um and my perspective is not very long. Last year was also my first year at the school, but looking at the difference in school culture and everything from the beginning of last year when students were still addicted to their phones and used to having them out all the time to now um the the difference has been huge. So, one way or another, um, the state's position on this is based on teachers experiences and no phones in schools is it we have to we we can't have students constantly distracted while they're supposed to be studying is too disruptive for everything.
So, one way or another, um, the state's position on this is based on teachers experiences and no phones in schools is it we have to we we can't have students constantly distracted while they're supposed to be studying. It's too disruptive for everything. So, um, I I love the idea of teaching students how to be better digital citizens as well. Um, but I fully support the ban as a as a teacher and thank you for keeping up with this issue and um, you know, maintaining a commitment to keeping them off and away one way or another. >> All right, member. >> Is this something we should possibly also be looking into at an elementary level? Are we enforcing the no cell phone policies at that level? Uh I did not look into that for you because this was more yonder pouch type scenario but we can I have not heard so anecdotally right I have not heard that it's a problem at the elementary school levels but if it is and they tell me then we will have to start addressing it.
So, we have to have a match. Um, I've received some feedback from parents. Well, they're not necessarily going to Eastside Union, but that is our partner. That is our feeder high school district, and that's who we're in alignment with. >> That's how we plan our correct. So, that's what we do. Okay. So, I was just curious how that process worked and you know and uh Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> As a as a former East Side Union High School District administrator, I am really happy about the algebra 1 curriculum. So, thank you. >> How does the um help me is algebra 1 now going to be most likely an eighth grade math class? Okay. So, how does the sequence change for students from sixth, seventh to eth? >> Uh, that wouldn't change. Six, seven, eight doesn't change. Um, and actually it's we chose to do algebra and they're going to actually at the high school started geometry.
Can't wait to show my abs in college. Juliana Zenz. >> [applause and cheering] >> I would like to thank my family for always being supportive, for my mom for all the late nights, and dad for always being there. I would like to thank my siblings for the silly moments over the past 4 years. I will be attending ASU in the fall. >> [applause] >> Let's give one more round of applause to the class of 2026. >> [cheering] >> Time, please prepare to receive our graduates. Class of 2026, please stand. Congratulations, you are now officially graduates of Village High School. You may now move your tassels from the right to the left. >> [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you for attending this year's Village High School graduation, Class of 2026. As you recess out to celebrate with your family and friends, do so with a heart of gratitude for the memories you have made and the bright futures you have ahead of you.
>> Yes, please. >> Natalie, go ahead. >> You can bring them up. >> They can come up. They can come up. We'll take we'll get a picture afterwards. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Stand right here. And then uh we had two students from our television production program uh compete in broadcast news packaging where they had to show up at 9:00 a.m. for a press conference, be given a topic, and then they were tasked in six hours to go out in downtown Minneapolis, uh find people to interview, find a story to produce, and turn that in in a very short deadline. Uh and so representing the team of Mason Lrod and Hoody Larios, we have Hoody here. Uh they received the recognition of excellence for a news package that they produced about art in downtown Minneapolis. Uh and then lastly, we have two people here representing the newspaper outlet.
>> That's a great question. Uh typically when we build a space that's a combination of of uh um local funds and state grant funds, that's really when the BR the building renewal grant um question comes into play. I think was the the heart of your question. Can we put in a building renewal grant for this this replacement this uh central plant? Um if the state had funds, we potentially could have sought a grant for that uh heating cooling. The challenges are timing and the state budget right now is it's not an option >> plus the timing of our overall construction project. This is the the central plant is already on the books. This is still a project or a a portion of our building that could be a future building renewal grant. That doesn't change um the scope of that. The the central plant was built with uh some deficiency corrections dollars.
>> Any discussion? >> We'll vote. Signify by saying I. I. Any oppose? 26119. Pass. 26-120. Approval of bid package number 7 fire suppression. Dr. Brown. I recommend the I recommend the board approve bid package number seven, fire suppression to quality fire protection in the amount of 224,750 for the new Early Learning Center. >> Can I get a motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve 26120. >> Can I get a second? >> I'll second.