Board of Education - Feb 17, 2026

001GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, SORRY WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WELCOME. HAPPY SCHOOLBOARD NIGHT. EVERYBODY FEELING GOOD? YES? WE ARE. OH, OKAY. [ LAUGHTER ] SO, AT --OH, APOLOGIES --AT 6:25, I OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. SECRETARY NOLAN, WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLLCALL? YES. THANK YOU! APPRECIATE THAT. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? CAN YOU HEAR US? VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN. SORRY. I THINK THE AUDIO IS WORKING NOW. OKAY. LET'S TRY IT AGAIN. MEMBER TENORIO? >> MS. MEMBER TENORIO, PRESENT. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? >> MEMBER WOFFORD IS HERE. SECRETARY NOLAN, I AM HERE. AND PRESIDENT CORT? I AM HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. APPRECIATE IT. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR STUDENT ADVISER, JOSIAH, FROM MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

002WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE AND WE WELCOME YOUR INPUT AT ANY POINT. GRAB MY ATTENTION JUST SAY, "PRESIDENT CORT?" AND WE WILL BE RIGHT THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH! NOW, TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I HOPE I AM SAYING YOUR NAME RIGHT, BRANYEICKER? BRANYEICKER, AM I SAYING YOUR NAME CORRECTLY? FANTASTIC. THAT IS A FABULOUS NAME. FROM UNIVERSITY HILLS, HE IS GOING TO COME UP AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. [ APPLAUSE ] >> ALL RIGHT, BRANYEICKER, WHENEVER YOU ARE READY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. [ SPEAKING IN A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE ] I SALUTE THE FLAG OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND THE ZIA SYMBOL OF PERFECT

003FRIENDSHIP AMONG UNITED CULTURES. [ SPEAKING IN A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE ] GIVE BRANYEICKER A BIG HAND. >> [ APPLAUSE ] AND BRANYEICKER, WILL YOU COME UP HERE, FOR A SECOND? DO YOU MIND? YOU DID SUCH A FABULOUS JOB. DO YOU MIND COMING UP? I JUST HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR EXPERTISE TODAY. NICELY DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHAKE EVERYBODY ELSE'S HAND? GOOD JOB. [ APPLAUSE ] YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO CALL MR. FLOREZ, THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, TO INTRODUCE OUR ENTERTAINMENT THIS EVENING. I'M SO EXCITED. GOOD EVENING, MADAME PRESIDENT CORT, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER JOSIAH AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE

004TO INTRODUCE MEMBERS OF THIS YEAR'S LCPS HONOR ORFF ENSEMBLE UNDER PAUL HOMESTEAD WHO IS THE FINE ARTS SPECIALIST FOR ELEMENTARY MUSIC AND SECONDARY CHOIR. BEFORE THEY PERFORM, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE. THESE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR INAUGURAL LCPS HONOR ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE IN DECEMBER. THE PROJECT BROUGHT TOGETHER ELEMENTARY MUSICIANS FROM COLUMBIA, LUMA HEIGHTS, SUNRISE, AND TOMBALL, ONE FROM EVERY FEEDER PATTERN, ALONGSIDE MEMBERS OF THE CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSION PROGRAM. FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH ORFF WHICH I A THAT WILL BE ALL OF YOU, IT IS PRIMARILY AN ELEMENTARY APPROACH TO TEACHING MUSIC THAT CENTERED ON ACTIVE AND ARTISTICALLY RICH MUSIC MAKING. STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH MOVEMENT, SPEECH, SINGING, AND INSTRUMENTS LIKE XYLOPHONES AND OTHER PERCUSSION. IT IS DESIGNED SO EVERY CHILD CONTRIBUTES AT THEIR OWN LEVEL WHILE WORKING

005AS PART OF A COHESIVE ENSEMBLE. IN NON-MUSIC AND YOU SPEAK, WE CALL THAT MLSS --MULTILAYERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT. SO, WHAT MADE THE EVENT ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL IS THE INTENTIONAL SOCIAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THROUGHOUT THE FALL, CENTENNIAL PERCUSSION STUDENTS EXCHANGED --SORRY, IF I GET EMOTIONAL, IT'S SO COOL -- IT IS SO COOL, DO IT! >> CENTENNIAL PERCUSSION STUDENTS EXCHANGED LETTERS WITH THEIR ELEMENTARY PARTNERS, BUILDING CONNECTION BEFORE EVER REHEARSING TOGETHER. I HAVE ASKED ONE OF OUR CENTENNIAL STUDENTS TO SHARE A LETTER THEY RECEIVED FROM THEIR ELEMENTARY PENPAL. PLEASE WELCOME SENIOR, GABBY PEÑA. [ APPLAUSE ] HELLO. MY NAME IS GABRIELA PEÑA. I AM A SENIOR AT CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS IS A LETTER I RECEIVED FROM ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS. HELLO. HI, GABBY PEÑA. I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU, TOO.

006I AM 10 YEARS OLD AND IN THE FIFTH GRADE, I AM ON THE SWING TEAM, THE TEAM IS CALLED THE WILD WEST. I HAVE THE SWIM ONE HOUR PER DAY. MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PURPLE AND MY FAVORITE FOOD IS SUSHI. I HAVE THREE PETS, THEY ARE ALL DOGS. ONE OF THEM IS CALLED SOCHI. SHE IS 11 YEARS OLD AND A YORKY. THE OTHER ONE IS CALLED PEACHES, SHE'S 2 YEARS OLD AND IS A HEELER-PITBULL-BOXER MIX. SHE ALSO HAS THE SAME BIRTHDAY AS ME. THE LAST ONE IS MOLLY. SHE IS SIX MONTHS OLD, AND MIGHT BE A JACK RUSSELL MIX. NATALIA SALAZAR. THAT'S SO SWEET. THANK YOU! [ APPLAUSE ] WHAT SHE DIDN'T GET TO SEE WAS ON THAT LETTER, WAS A DRAWING, AND STICKERS, AND ALL FANTASTIC THINGS. OH, YEAH! BEFORE GETTING TO THE COOL

007PART WHERE I STOP TALKING AND THEY PERFORM, I WANT TO FINALLY SHOW THAT NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COMMITMENT OF OUR ELEMENTARY MUSIC TEACHERS FROM THOSE SCHOOLS. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM NOW. THEY WILL WAVE AT YOU. FROM COLUMBIA, LIAM MAFFEI AND ALEX POLLARD. [ APPLAUSE ] >> FROM LOMA HEIGHTS, TIFFANY WARD AND AUNT WINNETKA CELLO. [ APPLAUSE ] >> FROM SUNRISE, JARROD DAVIS. [ APPLAUSE ] >> FROM TOMBALL, ALEX ELLIS WOULD. [ APPLAUSE ] AND FROM CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL, KAREN PADILLA. SO, NOW, HERE WE GO. LCPS HONOR ORFF ENSEMBLE WILL BE PERFORMING ONE OF THE PIECES FROM THEIR HONOR PROGRAM. "DING DONG DIGGY DIGGY DONG" BY KARL ORFF. PLEASE WELCOME ME IN --JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THE FIRST EVER LAS CRUCES HONOR ORFF ENSEMBLE. [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE

008] [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] WOW. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. AND I LOVE SEEING THE COLLABORATION. IT'S MY FAVORITE PART OF THE MEETING. I WISH YOU ALL COULD PLAY MANY MORE SONGS. AS A PERSON WHO ENTERED BAND HER ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL CAREER --INCLUDING COLLEGE --AND MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS A MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATOR AND MY SON WHO IS A PERCUSSIONIST, Y'ALL ROCKED IT, IT WAS AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ONE MORE TIME. [ APPLAUSE ] FANTASTIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, AND NOW, FOR THE EXCITING PART OF THE MEETING. [ LAUGHTER ] I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FEBRUARY 26, 2026, REGULAR AGENDA PRINT SO MOVED. SECOND. MOVED BY MS. TENORIO AND SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN. SECRETARY NOLAN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? MS. TENORIO? YES. >> SECRETARY NOLAN

009VOTES YES. PRESIDENT CORT? YES. >> PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES. 4-0, THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 20th, 2026, REGULAR SESSION MINUTES. SO MOVED. SECOND. >> MOVED BY SECRETARY NOLAN AND SECONDED BY VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD. ONCE AGAIN, WOULD YOU TAKE THE ROLL, PLEASE? MS. TENORIO? >> YES. >> SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES. THAT'S 4-0. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION NOW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. 25-26-03P, A&E DESIGN SERVICES ZIA MIDDLE SCHOOL FIRE ALARM AND HVAC SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS REQUESTS, OR B.A.R.S, 6.8.3, PROPERTY DISPOSITION AND 6.8.4, VENDOR PAYMENTS. SO MOVED. SECONDED. >> THAT'S FINE. MOVED AND SECONDED BY MS. TENORIO AND SECONDED BY VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, ONCE AGAIN. MS. TENORIO? >>

010YES. SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> PRESIDENT CORT? I VOTE YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S 4-0. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE BOARD MET IN CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 2026, FROM 4:42 P.M. TO 6:18 P.M. -- EXCUSE ME --TO DISCUSS LIMITED PERSONNEL MATTERS AS PERMITTED UNDER 10-2-1 OF THE NEW MEXICO OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SPECIFICALLY SO THAT ONE, THE SUPERINTENDENT COULD UPDATE THE BOARD AND THE LEGAL COUNSEL COULD ADVISE REGARDING SPECIFIC MOVEMENT AND REGARDED MOVEMENT. TWO, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN UPDATE THE BOARD AND LEGAL COUNSEL CAN ADVISE REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION OF CLASS AND OR CERTIFIED EMPLOYEES. AND MEET WITH COUNSEL TO DISCUSS PENDING OR THREATENING LITIGATION AS PERMITTED UNDER SECTION 10-15-1 H.7 OF THE NEW MEXICO OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS AXTELL V. LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS --HRB NUMBER 25-10-1078-E BEFORE THE

011HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INCLUDING UPCOMING MEDIATION, AND DISCUSS CONTENTS OF COMPETITIVE SEAL PROPOSAL SOLICITED PROCUREMENT -- I CAN'T SAY IT --PROCUREMENT CODE, MY APOLOGIES, DURING THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION PROCESS, AS PERMITTED UNDER SECTION 10-15 MINUS 1H.7 OF THE NEW MEXICO OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SPECIFICALLY SCHOOL BOARD POLICY ALIGNMENT AND GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONSULTING SERVICES FOR REQUEST 25-26 MINUS 04Q AND I AFFIRM THAT THE ITEMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION WERE LIMITED TO THOSE STATED ABOVE. I WOULD LIKE TO, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, CALLED MS. PRENTICE? OH, THERE YOU ARE. I KNOW YOU ARE HERE, SOMEWHERE. MS. PRENTICE, TO TALK ABOUT AN AMAZING STUDENT. YES, HI, HOW ARE YOU? I'M GREAT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I HAVEN'T BEEN UP HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE. GOOD EVENING, MADAME PRESIDENT CORT, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, STUDENT ADVISER JOSIAH, AND MEMBERS OF THE

012BOARD. I AM MARISSA PRENTICE, COORDINATOR OF AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR LCPS AND I AM 100% HONORED TO RECOGNIZE A STUDENT FROM LAS CRUCES HIGH SCHOOL, MARGARET COLLINS, AND I'M GOING TO INVITE HERE TO STAND UP HERE WITH ME. [ APPLAUSE ] SO, MARGARET, A SENIOR AT LA CRUZ'S HIGH SCHOOL AND A VALUED MEMBER OF OUR STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. WE ARE RECOGNIZING HER FOR BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF NEW MEXICO'S TOP STUDENT LEADERS TO ATTEND A 64th ANNUAL UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS HIGHLY SELECTIVE PROGRAM RINGS TOGETHER 100 FOR EXCEPTIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE NATION FOR A WEEKLONG, IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE WORKINGS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SHE WILL MEET WITH U.S. SENATORS, THE PRESIDENT, AND OTHER LEADERS. IN ADDITION, MARGARET WILL RECEIVE A $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO SUPPORT HER UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

013IN FIELDS SUCH AS GOVERNMENT, HISTORY, AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. AT LAS CRUCES HIGH SCHOOL, MARGARET HAS DISTINGUISHED HERSELF THROUGH HER LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE. SHE SERVES AS AN OFFICER IN THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, IS THE FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THE LAS CRUCES HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL TEAM AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTES AS A MEMBER OF OUR STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHERE SHE COLLABORATES WITH PEERS AND DISTRICT LEADERS TO ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS. SHE HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN PRESTIGIOUS LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS INCLUDING THE NATIONAL HISPANIC INSTITUTE AND THE FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY ASSOCIATES YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. BEYOND ACADEMICS AND LEADERSHIP, MARGARET PLAYS VARSITY TENNIS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL INITIATIVES, DEMONSTRATING HER COMMITMENT TO MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT. MARGARET SELECTION FOR THIS NATIONAL PROGRAM REFLECTS HER DEDICATION, HARD WORK, AND EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP. SHE WILL JOIN SENATOR MARTIN HEINRICH, SENATOR BEN RAY LUJAN FROM RIO

014RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL AS NEW MEXICO'S DELEGATES, REPRESENTING OUR SCHOOLS AND STATE ON A NATIONAL STAGE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING MARGARET COLLINS ON THIS OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND CELEBRATING THE INCREDIBLE WAY SHE REPRESENTS LAS CRUCES HIGH SCHOOL AND OUR DISTRICT. [ APPLAUSE ] [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, MAGGIE. MR. SILVER WILL COME TO US NEXT FOR ANOTHER RECOGNITION, AND THEN I HOPE EVERYONE STICKS AROUND FOR PICTURES. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, GOOD EVENING MR. RUIZ, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE A FAMILIAR FACE TO MANY OF YOU, THE NEW MEXICO STATE ADVISER, MS. JONI. THANK YOU, JOSH. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JONI DEBERRY I AM THE NEW MEXICO STATE HOST ADVISER, I REPRESENT THE CAREER TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT IS HOUSED AT EASTERN NEW MEXICO

015UNIVERSITY. ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION, I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK THE LCPS DISTRICT AND SCHOOL BOARD FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF CTE PROGRAMS AND THE CTSO'S THAT ARE A BIG PART OF THEM. YOUR VISION HELPS SET THE STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE STATE. WE ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE HOW DEEPLY WE APPRECIATE THE EXPERIENCE, DEDICATION, AND MENTORSHIP PROVIDED BY THE CTSO TEACHERS WHO NEED A HOST OF PROGRAMS. THEIR COMMITMENT GOES FAR BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR HEALTHCARE CAREERS. FOR WORKPLACE OPPORTUNITIES, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND REAL-WORLD SKILL DEVELOPMENT WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR FUTURES. WE ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK YOUR DISTRICT CTE TEAM. IF I COULD HAVE THEM STAND, NOW? [ APPLAUSE ] THIS TEAM HOSTED THE FIRST EVER SOUTHERN REGIONAL HOSA CONFERENCE. THE ENTIRE DEME DID A FANTASTIC JOB HOSTING AN

016EVENT OF THIS SIZE WITH OVER 500 STUDENTS AND 93 DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS, IS NO SMALL TASK. THEY HAD TO COORDINATE JUDGES, THEY HAVE TO BE JUDGES. THEY ORGANIZE SPACE, THEY MANAGE TESTING AND LOGISTICS AND IT IS NO SMALL TASK AND I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH. WE KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT THEY PUT IN BECAUSE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND THOSE STUDENTS FROM THIS REGION ARE CONTINUING ON TO STATE IN APRIL, AND A LOT OF THESE FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE THERE WITH US, AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU FOR GETTING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS GREAT TEAM. SO, PLEASE JOIN ME UP HERE. MARISSA, GABBY, RACHEL, JENNIFER, ABBY, KATHLEEN, AND MARINA. I JUST WANT TO OFFER THEM A SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION. IT IS A PLAQUE THAT JUST SAYS, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING LCPS

0172025. AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK WITH YOU GUYS IN THE FUTURE. SO, THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] AMAZING. SO, SINCE YOU ARE ALL STANDING, LET'S DO THE PICTURE --IF THAT'S OKAY, MAGGIE? WE WILL DO THIS PICTURE FIRST, AND THEN YOUR PICTURE NEXT? IT'S VERY JUST PERSONALLY COOL FOR ME TO LOOK OUT AT THAT ROW OF PEOPLE AND JUST SEE ALL OF YOU, WHO I HAVE WORKED WITH. IT KIND OF BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES, BECAUSE LIPS IS CHECK YOU ALL OUT, YOU ARE AMAZING! THEY ARE AMAZING. YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL WHO IS FROM LAS CRUCES. I'M JUST SAYING. BIG SMILES, PLEASE, ON THE COUNT OF THREE. ONE, TWO, THREE. CONGRATULATIONS! THANK YOU! CONGRATS! NO, NO, IT'S OKAY. >> MY APOLOGIES! NO, NO, NO, NO, I DIDN'T WANT TO PHOTOBOMB. WE HAVE SUCH AMAZING

018PEOPLE IN LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TRULY. SO, BEFORE WE MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND OUR AUDIENCE PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING PUBLIC COMMENT WHICH ARE FOUND IN BOARD POLICY BEDH AND ON THE PUBLIC INPUT FORM REFERENCED IN POLICY. PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER, HOWEVER THE BOARD PRESIDENT MAY FURTHER RESTRICT OR WAIVE THESE TIME LIMITS. THE BOARD WELCOMES PUBLIC INPUT. THE BOARD DOES NOT PROHIBIT A PUBLIC CRITICISM OR COMMENT UPON PERSONNEL MATTERS. HOWEVER, ANY PERSON MAKING COMMENT SHALL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR COMMENTS. THE BOARD NEITHER ADOPTS NOR ASSESS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY COMMENTS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION OF THE BOARD MEETING. AND WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING. WE WILL GO IN ORDER THAT THEY WERE RECEIVED AND OUR FIRST ONE IS CAROL OWENS

019BE. WELCOME. THANK YOU! GOOD EVENING, MADAME PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ AND JOSIAH. MY NAME IS KAREN AND I AM HERE, ONCE AGAIN, TO ADDRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN AIR IN SCHOOLS AND WHY I WEAR A MASK. AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR CLEAN AIR IN CLASSROOMS PRETTY MUCH SINCE WE RETURNED TO FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION IN 2021, THIS IS BECAUSE COVID WAS A NOVEL VIRUS AND WE WERE UNSURE OF ITS EFFECTS. HOWEVER, AFTER SIX PLUS YEARS OF STUDY, WE NOW KNOW THAT IT IS NOT JUST A COLD, BUT RATHER A VASCULAR ILLNESS MASQUERADING AS A RESPIRATORY ILLNESS. NOT ONLY THAT, ONE GIFT OF COVID INFECTION IS THAT IT TEARS DOWN IMMUNE CELL FUNCTION AND MAKES US MORE PRONE TO CATCHING ILLNESSES AND BEING SICK FOR LONGER. STUDY AFTER STUDY SHOWS

020THAT EVEN VERY YOUNG PEOPLE, THOSE IN THEIR 20s AND THEIR TEENS, HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS OR STROKE FOR UP TO THREE YEARS FOLLOWING A MILD INFECTION. NOT ONLY THAT, COVID IS CONCLUSIVELY PROVEN TO CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE, ANYWHERE FROM A 2 TO 9 POINT IQ LOSS WITH EACH INFECTION, THERE IS ALSO CORRELATION BETWEEN COVID INFECTIONS AND NEW ONSET DEMENTIA IN AGE GROUPS THAT ARE ATYPICAL. LOST OF TASTE AND SMELL THAT SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIES COVID INFECTIONS AS PART OF HOW IT AFFECTS THE BRAIN, AS WELL. THIS IS WHY I FEEL IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR US AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ADVOCATE NOT JUST FOR CLEAN AIR, BUT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN GENERAL. BY ALLOWING THIS VIRUS AND OTHER PATHOGENS TO CIRCULATE FREELY IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE ACTIVELY HARMING THOSE WE SHOULD BE PROTECTING. OUR

021STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, AND THEIR FAMILIES. I HAVE BEEN SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THAT FOR YEARS, IN HOPES THAT LCPS COULD BECOME A BEACON OF COVID AWARENESS AND A LEADER IN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR OUR AREA. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO SHARE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RISKS OF REPEATED COVID INFECTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE. EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTERS COULD ALSO INCLUDE COMMENTS AND ADVICE REGARDING MASKS, AND PUBLICIZE WHAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING TO PROMOTE CLEANER CLASSROOM ERA. WHILE I DO REPRESENT A SMALL GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT COVID SAFETY IN SCHOOLS, MUCH MORE AWARENESS IS NEEDED. PUBLIC HEALTH, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS CURRENTLY BROKEN. I FEEL THAT IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US, AS EDUCATORS, TO EDUCATE OURSELVES ON THIS MATTER, AND TO SPARE OUR STUDENTS THE BURDEN OF LONG-TERM ILLNESS AND POSSIBLE DISABILITY THAT CAN

022OFTEN RESULT FROM REPEATED COVID INFECTIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF THIS INFORMATION AND I WILL BE EMAILING A COPY OF MY COMMENTS TO YOU, ALONG WITH CITATIONS OF PEER-REVIEWED MATERIALS THAT SUPPORT THESE ASSERTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT, AND LAST, IS PAUL FRISK. DR. FRISK? WELL, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, AND OUR STUDENT MEMBER, JOE SIALE, A COUPLE WEEKENDS AGO, I WAS OUT CAMPAIGNING WITH A FRIEND WHO IS RUNNING FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 53 AND I ASKED HIM, "WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?" AND HE ANSWERED, "SMALL BUSINESSES, LIMITING GOVERNMENT OVERREACH AND I AM A BIG PROPONENT OF TWO A." AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "WOW A POLITICAL CANDIDATE FOR IS TO A HIGH SCHOOLS! SO, I TOLD HIM, I AM A BIG PROPONENT OF SIZE 2A HIGH SCHOOLS."

023BUT, AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SIZE 2A MEANT. 2A MEANS BETWEEN 250 STUDENTS, 4A MEANS LESS THAN 1300 SO I GUESS I AM HERE TO SAY, I AM A BIG PROPONENT OF SIZE 3.5 A HIGH SCHOOLS. WHY? STUDENTS ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST LEARNING OUTCOMES IN SMALLER SIZED HIGH SCHOOLS. I HAVE GIVING YOU REFERENCES AND ABSTRACTS FROM THREE ARTICLES ON HIGH SCHOOL SIZE, I PUT IN BOLD, THEIR MAJOR FINDINGS. IN THE FIRST ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN 2024, I QUOTE, "THE CRITICAL BENCHMARKS WERE A SCHOOL SIZE OF 801 STUDENTS AND A CLASS SIZE OF 27 STUDENTS." AND THE SECOND ARTICLE FROM 2021, I QUOTE, "WITH A TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 400-500 STUDENTS, A HIGH SCHOOL IS SMALL ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN AN INTENTIONAL CULTURE AND LARGE ENOUGH TO OFFER A COHERENT CURRICULUM." IN THE THIRD ARTICLE, FROM 1997,

024I QUOTE, "RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE IDEAL HIGH SCHOOL SIZE --DEFINED IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND ROLES BETWEEN 200 AND 900 STUDENTS. AND AGAIN, I QUOTE, "LEARNING IS MORE EQUITABLE IN VERY SMALL SCHOOLS." WHAT HAVE WE DONE, HERE IN LAS CRUCES? WE HAVE BUILT MONSTER SIZED HIGH SCHOOLS. AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT? NOT GOOD, IF LEARNING IS THE GOAL. BUT, IF 5A CHAMPIONSHIPS AND OTHER 5A ACCOLADES ARE THE GOAL, THEN WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH. WE HAVE ONE MODERATELY HIGH ACHIEVING AREA HIGH SCHOOL, ARROWHEAD PARK EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, WITH 550 STUDENTS, AND MATH PROFICIENCY ABOVE 40%, A READING PROFICIENCY ABOVE 60%. WHAT ABOUT THE BIG FOUR? CENTENNIAL HAS 1660 STUDENTS, BUT THE MATH IS AT 19%, AND READING AT 44%. AND THE STORY ONLY GETS WORSE, FOR LAS CRUCES, MAYFIELD, AND OREGON MOUNTAIN. SO,

025HERE WE ARE AGAIN, PREPARING TO REBUILD MAYFIELD AS A COMPREHENSIVE 5A HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY? DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT. SINCE WE HAVE MOVED TO LAS CRUCES, 30 YEARS AGO, CENTENNIAL WAS BILLED, CRUCES HIGH RECEIVED A MAKEOVER, AND NOW, MAYFIELD IS PROMISED TO BE COMPLETELY REDONE. AND IN THE MEANTIME, OUR STUDENTS ARE FAILING. THE SILVER STAR IN ALL OF THIS IS ARROWHEAD PARK AND NOT THAT IT'S PERFECT, BUT IT'S A MAJOR STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU, DR. FRISK. AND NOW, WE WILL MOVE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ? THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CORT POINT AN THANK YOU. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, JOSIAH --FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR NEA-LAS CRUCES PARTNERS, WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR REPORT TODAY FROM OUR CSEC-LAS CRUCES PARTNERS. GOOD EVENING,

026PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ AND JOE SIALE, WE STARTED BARGAINING LAST WEEK AND OUR FIRST TWO DAYS WENT REALLY WELL. WE WERE THRILLED THAT WAS HIRED BACK WITH FMCS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE HIS SERVICES AGAIN THIS YEAR. NEA-LAS CRUCES AND CSEC HAD OUR MEETING LAST NIGHT WITH THE FIRM HELD TO SEARCH FOR CANDIDATES FOR LCPS'S NEW CHIEF OF HUMAN RESOURCES, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE BEING PART OF THE PROCESS, SO THANK YOU, MR. RUIZ FOR INCLUDING US IN THAT. FINALLY, HB 47, THE INSURANCE BILL, IS NOW IN THE SENATE BEING DEBATED. THE SESSION IS ON THURSDAY, SO WE ARE STILL VERY HOPEFUL. THANK YOU AND I STAND FOR QUESTIONS, VERY SHORT AND SWEET THIS MONTH. THAT WAS LOVELY. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS? JOSIAH? I WAS GOING TO ADD, THE 1%, IT

027IS BEING DEBATED IN THE HOUSE? IT IS BEING VERY HEAVILY DEBATED. IT WAS A BIG SURPRISE TO US AND FROM WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY, IT'S STILL VERY MUCH IN THE AIR. SO --THANK YOU FOR ASKING. THANK YOU. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 80-20? IT STILL BEING DEBATED IN THE SENATE. SO, VERY HOPEFUL, BUT IT IS STILL ON THE FLOOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU! >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN THE TIME OVER TO JOSIAH FOR STUDENT ADVISORY REPORT. MADAME PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS JOE SIALE ESTRADA, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE TODAY. I WANT TO START --NOT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD --BUT TO CONGRATULATE MY FELLOW MEMBER, ONLY ONE BACKUP 2 STUDENTS FROM

028NEW MEXICO SELECTED FOR THE YOUTH PROGRAM. I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR STUDENT COUNSELORS WHO JUST RETURNED FROM THE CONFERENCE AND I AM PROUD TO SAY WE HAD A 100% PARTICIPATION FROM OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, WE BROUGHT HOME A TON OF AWARDS AND EVERY HIGH SCHOOL EARNED PLATINUM STATUS COUNCIL RECOGNITION. ON TOP OF THAT, TWO OF OUR VERY OWN STAFF MEMBERS WERE ELECTED FIRST DAY OFFICERS, SO I THINK THAT IS VERY AWESOME AND CONGRATS TO THEM. WE SINCERELY THANK OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF LCPS ACTIVITIES. YOUR COMMITMENT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR STUDENTS LIKE US WHO HAVE THESE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES, WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. SO, FOR A FEW UPDATES, IN APRIL, WE WILL BE HOSTING SHATTERED LIVES, THE SPECIAL

029OLYMPIC BASKETBALL AND THE BEST BUDDY WALK. AND THEN, MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH OUR ACCREDITATION PROCESS. NOW, FOR A FEW CONCERNS FROM OUR STUDENTS, ARROWHEAD RECENTLY GOT A NEW P.A. SYSTEM THAT IS GIVING THEM A LITTLE TROUBLE, BUT THEY ARE ALSO DEALING WITH VANDALISM AND THEY WOULD LIKE LARGER SIGNS SO IT IS EASIER TO FIND THEIR CAMPUSES BECAUSE I KNOW IT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING. AND THEN, AT CENTENNIAL, STUDENTS LIKE GRADUATION TO BE ORDERED ACADEMICALLY WITH THE TOP 10%. RIGHT NOW, STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATION HAVEN'T FULLY AGREED TO, AND THE STUDENTS WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE A SAY IN SOME DISCUSSION OF HOW GRADUATION IS ORGANIZED. THE TOPIC WE TALKED MOST ABOUT, THOUGH, WAS THE NEW ABOUT TRANSFERRING AND STILL PLAYING VARSITY, WE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT THE

030TRANSFER PROCESS IF THERE ARE GOING TO BE NEW REGULATIONS AND CAN YOU TRANSFER FOR AN ATHLETIC REASON? OR, WILL YOU STILL NEED AN ACADEMIC REASON AS YOUR MAIN POINT? AND OUR MAIN FOCUS WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS NEW RULE COULD IMPACT THE RECENT WORK OF THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE AND WE LIFT US HOW WE ARE GOING TO NAVIGATE THIS NEW RULE THAT THEY ARE VOTING ON. AND THEN, FINALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MR. RUIZ TO AN UPCOMING MEETING, SO WE CAN DISCUSS THIS MORE IN DEPTH, AND ALSO HEAR YOUR INSIDE, SINCE YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD. AND THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOSIAH. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. OF COURSE. BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR JOSIAH? NO, THANK YOU. WELL DONE. YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ]

031YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH, YOU KNEW THAT SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ WAS ON THE --WELL PLAYED, YOUNG MAN. WELL PLAYED. [ LAUGHTER ] I HAVE ONE QUESTION? >> YES, OF COURSE. AS FAR AS THE SCIENCE REQUESTED BY ARROWHEAD, CORRECT? IN ORDER TO HAVE THE STUDENTS KIND OF FIND THEMSELVES --FIND THEIR WAY AROUND -- YES, MA'AM. I CAN'T REMEMBER --I MEAN, I HAVE BEEN THERE ENOUGH TIMES, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER, PRECISELY, IF A SIGNED WOULD WORK OR IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO, LIKE, PAINT THE WORDS ON THE WALL, ON THE EXTERIOR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LET IT BE VERY VISIBLE. YES. [ LAUGHTER ] WITHOUT BEING UGLY. YES, UNDERSTANDABLE. [ LAUGHTER ] I KNOW RECENTLY, THERE WAS A NEW RULE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE SKVARCE TRANSFER AND I KNOW STUDENTS WERE KIND OF GETTING LOST BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS ON

032THE CAMPUS AND SUCH SO THEY WERE JUST HOPING THE GOOD OF SOMETHING THAT SAYS, "HEY, THIS IS WHERE ARROWHEAD IS," KIND OF LIKE HOW ALL THE OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE, "JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS MAYFIELD, IF YOU ARE LOST, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE," ON A SIGN, SO ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP THEM IDENTIFY THE CAMPUS EASIER. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. >> OF COURSE. YOU HAD MENTIONED ACCREDITATION, THAT THERE WAS SOME CONCERN, MAYBE? WAS THAT --BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT IS AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL? IS THAT PART OF THE PROCESS? OH, NO, NO, NO. SORRY, NOT TO CUT YOU OFF. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT WAS JUST PART OF SOME UPDATES. SO, MAYFIELD IS GOING UNDER ACCREDITATION, THERE IS NO REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AND ORGAN MOUNTAIN IS HAVING THEIR --LIKE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME

033ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND THEN I MOVED ON TO THE ACTUAL CONCERNS, WHICH WERE THE P.A. SYSTEM, AND FINDING THE CAMPUSES, AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO, AS FAR AS THE ADVISORY STUDENTS, THERE WEREN'T ANY COMMENTS TOWARDS ACCREDITATION? OH, NO, NO, NO PRUDE OKAY. THANK YOU. OF COURSE. >> AND FOR ME, JOSIAH, IF THERE IS A WAY THAT WE CAN FIND OUT THE DATES OF SOME OF THOSE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT ORGAN MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL? YES, MA'AM, OF COURSE. IF YOU CAN GET TO US, THAT WOULD BE LOVELY PER OF COURSE, YES, MA'AM. >> THANK YOU. MR. WOFFORD? JUST A THANK YOU, THANK YOU, JOSIAH. I APPRECIATE THE REPORT POINT THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOSIAH. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO RECENTLY ADDRESS THE STUDENT LED WALKOUTS, AS WELL, THAT OCCURRED ACROSS

034SEVERAL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND A FEW OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN RESPONSE TO NATIONAL EVENTS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR PRIORITY HAS BEEN, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, STUDENTS' SAFETY AND CONTINUED LEARNING. WHILE THE DEMONSTRATIONS WE SAW WERE MOSTLY PEACEFUL, ANYTIME STUDENTS LEAVE CAMPUS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, THERE ARE LEGITIMATE SAFETY CONCERNS. ONCE A STUDENT LEAVES SCHOOL GROUNDS, THE DISTRICT CANNOT ENSURE THEIR SUPERVISION OR SAFETY. THERE ARE EVENTS CIRCULATING ABOUT POSSIBLE PROTESTS, WE COMMUNICATED PROACTIVELY WITH FAMILIES ON JANUARY 29th, FEBRUARY 2nd, AND AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 4th, AND THOSE MESSAGES, WE REAFFIRMED THAT ALL LCPS CAMPUSES ARE CLOSED CAMPUSES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD POLICIES JHCA AND JICE. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ON CAMPUS DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY. AT THE SAME TIME, WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPPORTS OUR STUDENTS' FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

035WE RESPECT THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND EXPRESS REVIEWS, TO BALANCE THOSE RIGHTS WITH OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS, AND OFFER SPACE ON CAMPUS, WHERE THEY CAN PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLE WITHOUT LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS. WHEN WE ANTICIPATED POTENTIAL WALKOUTS, CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF PROVIDED ADDITIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AT CAMPUSES TO HELP MAINTAIN SUPERVISION AND SAFETY. WE ALSO USED THOSE MOMENTS AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPEN DIALOGUE. SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS ABOUT WHY THEY WERE CHOOSING TO PROTEST, ENSURING THEY FELT HEARD, WHILE REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF REMAINING ON CAMPUS. AND I HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL SPECIFICALLY AT LYNN, HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH KIDS, THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING THAT AND THEY ALSO KNEW WHAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO, SO THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AS WELL. WE

036HAVE CONTINUED TO MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY RELATED TO POTENTIAL DEMONSTRATIONS AND ENCOURAGED STUDENTS WHO COORDINATE WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IF THEY WISH TO ASSEMBLE BEFORE SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, OR DURING LUNCH, IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY INSTRUCTIONAL TIME INTACT. AS WELL. WE HAVE ALSO ASKED PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO SPEAK WITH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT DISTRICT POLICIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING ON CAMPUS FOR THEIR SAFETY. OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN STEADY AND CONSISTENT, PROTECTIVE STUDENTS, RESPECT THEIR RIGHTS, A PORT --UPHOLD BOARD POLICY AND CREATE A SAFE AND SECURE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK OUR PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, SECURITY TEAMS, CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, PARENTS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND CALM LEADERSHIP DURING THESE EVENTS. WHEN WE LEAD WITH TRANSPARENCY, LISTEN INTENTIONALLY, AND COLLABORATE AS ONE COMMUNITY, WE MODEL THE VERY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND RESPECTFUL

037DISCOURSE WE HOPE OUR STUDENTS WILL CARRY INTO THE WORLD. AND BEFORE I MOVE INTO THE REST OF MY SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, I WANT TO PAUSE AND ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE AN JOSIAH, AS WELL. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. WE WILL START WITH BOARD MEMBERS. MS. TENORIO? I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE QUESTIONS. I THINK I HAVE MORE A COUPLE COMMENTS, AND --A THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE ADULTS WHO WERE INVOLVED, THAT WERE LISTED, AS FAR AS KEEPING THE KIDS SAFE, AND ALSO AS FAR AS KEEPING THEM AWARE AND MAKING THEM MORE EDUCATED ABOUT MAYBE THE LIVES OF, WERE THEY DOING THIS FOR THE RIGHT PURPOSES? WAYS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. SO, FOR ME, THE INTERESTING PART WAS, THE FIRST TIME WE CAUGHT WIND OF THIS HAPPENING NATIONALLY, STUDENTS WERE PLANNING THIS, IT WAS MORE

038LIKE NOT A DEFINITIVE THING, IT WAS MORE LIKE MAYBE OTHER CITIES DOING IT, NOT SURE WHO IS --IF THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I MADE A MISTAKE OR NOT, I DID NOT BRING IT UP TO MY CHILDREN, MY TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND BY HIGH SCHOOLER, BEFORE I WENT TO SCHOOL THAT DAY. AND BY THE END OF THE DAY, I FOUND OUT THAT TWO OF THEM DID NOT, CHOSE ON THEIR OWN, THAT MAYBE THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN AT THE MOMENT AND ONE OF THEM WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED AND SHE DID DO IT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK, KNOWING THAT IT CONTINUED AND IT WAS STUDENT DRIVEN --THIS IS SOMETHING THEY WERE TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT -- THAT THERE ARE WHAT

039SEEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION GETTING INVOLVED AT THAT POINT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE SAFE. SO, I DO APPRECIATE THAT. JOSIAH, ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, JUST WISE WORDS FROM MS. TENORIO. ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ABSOLUTELY. CONTINUING MY REPORT, THIS YEAR'S NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE SESSION CONCLUDES ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19th AND THROUGHOUT THE SESSION, LCPS MAINTAINED A STRONG PRESENCE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE, ADVOCATING FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. DURING VALLEY DAYS IN SANTA FE, SHIRLEY O'BRIEN AND MYSELF JOINED OUR COMMUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. ADDITIONALLY, EARLIER IN FEBRUARY, MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION ALSO TRAVELED TO SANTA FE TO ATTEND THE NEW MEXICO SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING, CONTINUING IN IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE

040STATE. WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL TO MEMBERS OF OUR LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS , NEA-LAS CRUCES, AND CSEC-LAS CRUCES PARTNERS WHO MADE THE DRIVE UP TO SANTA FE AND ADVOCATED ON BEHALF OF LCPS STUDENTS AND STAFF. OVERALL, THIS WAS A PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR OUR DISTRICT AND AS THE SESSION COMES TO A CLOSE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING THE BOARD WITH A MORE DETAILED LEGISLATIVE UPDATE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6th, LCPS HOSTED OUR ANNUAL DISTRICT SPELLING BE HERE IN THIS COMPLEX, HERE IN OUR BOARDROOM. THE EVENT OPENED WITH A PERFORMANCE BY THE MAYFIELD TROJAN MARCHING BAND AND FEATURED 31 LCPS STUDENTS. THE COMPETITION SERVES AS A PRACTICE EXPERIENCE TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE REGIONAL SPELLING BEE. STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED WILL ADVANCE TO THE 2026 EL PASO SPELLING BEE SEMI FINALS, HELD ON FEBRUARY

04125th THROUGH MARCH 4th, WITH FINALISTS COMPETING IN PERSON ON MARCH 27th IN EL PASO, TEXAS. THIS YEAR'S LCPS DISTRICT SPELLING BEE CHAMPION IS TWO TIME WINNER VANESSA LOYA. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO HER, A FIFTH GRADE STUDENT FROM HERMOSA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCUM A AND HER WINNING WORD WAS "SYNDROME." CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF HER. NICELY DONE. LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS ATHLETICS AND COMMUNICATION HOSTED OUR SPRING SPORTS MEDIA DAY ON FEBRUARY 11th, AT THE FIELD OF DREAMS BASEBALL COMPLEX. MORE THAN 80 STUDENT-ATHLETES FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT PARTICIPATED, REPRESENTING POWERLIFTING, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, GOLF, TRACK, AND ATHLETIC TRAINING. STUDENTS ROTATED THROUGH THE PROFESSIONAL STYLE INTERVIEW AND PHOTO STATIONS, SHARING THEIR GOALS, PERSONAL STORIES, AND PRIDE IN THEIR TEAMS AND SCHOOLS. THE EVENT WAS ORGANIZED BY OUR LCPS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, AND PROVIDING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE A PROFESSIONAL MEDIA SETTING, WHILE

042BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS, BOTH OFF AND ON THE FIELDS. THAT WAS A GREAT EVENT. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THAT GUY? HE IS, LIKE, A NEWS --USUALLY DOES THE NEWS? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? THE ONE ON THE LEFT? IN THAT FIRST? OR? I KNOW HE IS AN NMAA REPRESENTATIVE. USED TO BE, LIKE, A SPORTSCASTER, AND STILL KIND OF DOING THAT? THAT'S COOL. YEAH, THERE WAS A GREAT MEDIA PRESENCE THERE. ON FEBRUARY 12, LCPS WAS AGAIN REPRESENTED IN SANTA FE AS MISSY A PARK COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS RECOGNIZED WITH A BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AWARD. THIS AWARD HONORS THE SCHOOL'S STRONG COMMITMENT TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION, WITH A FOCUS ON MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CELEBRATION. CONGRATULATIONS TO PRINCIPAL BARELA AND THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. OUR OFFICE PROFESSIONALS ARE THE FRIENDLY

043FACES WHO WELCOME STUDENTS AND FAMILIES EACH DAY. THEY ARE ORGANIZERS, PLANNERS, SCHEDULERS, PROBLEM SOLVERS, AND BEHIND THE SCENES LEADERS WHO KEEP OUR DEPARTMENTS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. ON FRIDAY THE 13th, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT HOSTED OFFICE STAFF FROM AROUND THE DISTANCE FOR A DAY OF FUN, FRIENDSHIP, AND LEARNING. THE FOCUS ON THAT DAY WAS MAKING SCHOOLS SHINE, AND ATTENDEES HAD OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE DAY. SPECIAL THANKS TO OREGON MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL, REAL NIGHT REGIMENT, CENTENNIAL CHAMBER SPRING ENSEMBLE, AND LOTS OF STUDENTS FROM MAYFIELD AND ARROWHEAD PARK AND THE GOLDEN EAGLE EVENT PLANNING TEAM AT RIO GRANDE PREP. THESE STUDENTS MADE THE DAY EXTRA SPECIAL. AND THANK YOU, ALSO, TO MAGGIE RAY AND ROBIN VAN ZANDT AND THE WHOLE TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK IN THIS EVENT. AS I WENT INTO SOME OF THE SESSIONS, THEY DID AN

044AWESOME JOB ON PRESENTING. THE FEEDBACK WAS, THIS IS THE BEST ONE, YET. AND I GAVE THE CHALLENGE TO THE TEAM, IF IT CAN BE BETTER, IT IS NOT ENOUGH. SO, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE. THANKS A LOT, SUPERINTENDENT. OUCH! [ LAUGHTER ] I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND, FOR ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVEN'T RIDDEN A BICYCLE IN YEARS, OUR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM IS OFFERING A DINNER, FROM THE BICYCLE SKILLS CLASS TO HELP PARTICIPANTS REGAIN CONFIDENCE IN JUST TWO HOURS. THIS CLASS WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, THEY WERE 21st, FROM 1:00 TO 3:00 AND SPACE IS LIMITED, SO EARLY REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED. A LIMITED NUMBER OF BICYCLES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO BORROW WITH ADVANCED REQUEST FOR THE CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUR CERTIFIED SAFETY SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS AND REFLECTS OUR

045CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SAFETY, WELLNESS, AND FUN. ALSO, IF ANY BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO JOIN, YOU ARE ALSO WELCOME. I DID REGISTER TO SUPERVISE. NICE. TO SUPERVISE? [ LAUGHTER ] >> I NEED THE PRACTICE. [ LAUGHTER ] AND ON --YEAH. THIS --SIDE NOTE HERE, ONE MORE ITEM I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE, THE LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS FAMILY SENDS OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF SUE GARDENHIRE, A LONGTIME THIRD-GRADE TEACHER AT MUSSINA PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SHE TAUGHT THERE FOR 31 YEARS, AND WAS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE LCPS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, NOW KNOWN AS AN EA LAS CRUCES. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HER SERVICE AND SEND OUR THOUGHTS TO HER FAMILY. WE ALSO WANT TO SHOW THAT OUR DISTRICT IS GRIEVING THE LOSS OF EMILY, A FOURTH-GRADE TEACHER AT SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. EMILY PASSED AWAY

046ON FEBRUARY 3rd AFTER A BRIEF BATTLE WITH CANCER. IN ADDITION TO BEING A PASSIONATE TEACHER, EMILY WAS ALSO A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER, A SISTER, AND A FRIEND TO SO MANY. I WANT TO SHARE MY SINCEREST CONDOLENCES WITH SUNRISE PRINCIPAL DORIS SO LEASE AND ALL OF THE STAFF AND STUDENTS AT EMILY'S SCHOOL WHO ARE STRUGGLING, INCLUDING EMILY'S DAUGHTER, WHO ATTENDS SUNRISE. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, MANY OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WERE RECENTLY IN SANTA FE FOR THE NMSBA BOARD MEMBER INSTITUTE AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE PRESIDENT CORT TO SHARE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THIS EVENT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SUPERINTENDENT. WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO DO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAINING HOURS, AND OUR BOARD ALWAYS SUCCEEDS AND WE GET AWARDS EVERY YEAR FOR OUR -- FOR OUR

047--FOR OUR EXEMPLARY ATTENDANCE AT ALL OF THESE EVENTS. AND SO, ALL OF THESE --I --DO YOU ALL HAVE --BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE MINE -- OH, OKAY. SO, EVERYONE GOT THEIR AWARD. WE GET A CERTIFICATE AND A PEN. SO, THIS YEAR, I HAVE EARNED 20 OR MORE HOURS OF TRAINING WITHIN THE 2024-2025 PROGRAM YEAR. SECRETARY NOLAN, HOW DID YOU DO, THIS YEAR? WHERE DOES IT SAY THE HONORS? LESS THAN THAT, PROBABLY! WOW, LOOK AT YOU! A LOT LESS! 36 HOURS! [ LAUGHTER ] YES! [ LAUGHTER ] YES! YOU HAD THE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD. WATCH OUT. VERY NICELY DONE. SECRETARY NOLAN. AND MS. TENORIO, DID YOU ALREADY PUT YOURS AWAY? I AM WEARING MY PIN. YES, YOU ARE. AND I THINK THERE'S FOUR CATEGORIES. YES. AND I THINK ONE OF US -- NOT ME -- GOT A

048DIFFERENT AWARD. I THINK MR. FRANK GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL. I BELIEVE HE DID. BUT, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS PEERED ME, NEITHER. AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT -- BECAUSE HE IS EXEMPLARY. HE GETS IT FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR. HE DOES, ABSOLUTELY. SO, I BELIEVE WE ALL RECEIVED 20 OR MORE HOURS OF TRAINING. IT IS A ONE-TIME AWARD, THE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR YOUR 36 CUMULATIVE HOURS. NICELY DONE. AND THEN, MR. FRANK OUTDID ALL OF US, AS HE ALWAYS DOES, AND WE ARE MISSING HIM, BUT HE WILL BE BACK SOON. SO, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO AWKWARDLY TELL EVERYBODY WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT I AM PROUD OF OUR BOARD, WE TRAIN, WE GO TO CONFERENCES, AND ALL OF THAT MAKES US A BETTER BOARD. SO, THANKS TO ALL MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS

049AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BOARD! AWESOME JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I TAUGHT MS. GARDENHEIER, BOTH OF HER DAUGHTERS, I DID NOT KNOW SHE HAD PASSED, SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT NEWS, AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO HER FAMILY AND HER TWO GIRLS. WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO OLD BUSINESS. SO, THIS IS THE THIRD READING --MR. PERIO -- AND POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF POLICY GBJC --EMPLOYMENT, HIRES, INVESTIGATIONS, VERIFICATIONS, AND EXAMS. THANK YOU FOR COMING UP TO TALK TO US ABOUT OUR THIRD READING. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, STUDENT ADVISER JOSIAH --AS YOU MENTIONED, I COME BEFORE YOU FOR THE THIRD READING OF POLICY GBJC. THE TWO UPDATES, REALLY, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING, ONE

050IS THE UPDATED FIRST SENTENCE FOR CONSISTENCY AND BETTER ALIGNMENT OF 4A AND THAT WAS USING MR. WOFFORD'S RECOMMENDATION, AS WELL AS 4D, I HAVE UPDATED THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THAT, TO ELIMINATE A LOT OF REDUNDANCY. AND AGAIN, THAT WAS USING MR. WOFFORD'S RECOMMENDATIONS. I DO WANT TO APOLOGIZE, YOU ALL, AND I DO HAVE HARDCOPIES TO PROVIDE. THE VERSION IN THE PACKAGE, YOU WILL SEE THE BLUE SENTENCE THERE UNDER 3A, THAT SHOULD BE 4A. SO, WHAT SHOULD BE THERE, UNDER 3A, WAS THE DEFINITION THAT WE DID AGREE UPON IN SECOND READING, FOR THE DEFINITION OF "APPLICANT." SO, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I WILL GIVE YOU ALL A COPY OF AN UPDATED, EDITED VERSION AND CLEAN VERSION, SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT. THANK YOU, YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. PERRIO. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

051OH, I SEE. THIS IS WHAT IS IN THE PACKET. WHAT IS IN THE PACKET, IS WHAT IS HERE. THANKS. I SEE IT, I AM WITH YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE HARDCOPIES VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. PERRIO POINT AN THANK YOU. ANY OTHER -->> WITH THAT, I DO STAND FOR QUESTIONS AND I KNOW I THREW A CURVE ON THAT, BUT -- ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY! SO, BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS, OR COMMENTS, ON POLICY GBJC? I THINK, JUST GIVE US A MOMENT AND WE WILL JUST TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS -- THAT THE CHANGE YOU HAVE IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. ABSOLUTELY. LET'S SEE --SO, THAT NOT THIRD READING, IS THE ORIGINAL? OR, THE -- THE ONE WITH THE PAPERCLIP IS THE CLEAN VERSION. THE STAPLE IS THE

052EDITED VERSION. AND YOU WILL SEE THE TWO EDITED SECTIONS IN BLUE. PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES? YES, THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD. FOR 30, MR. PERRIO, WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS YOU HAVE ADDED THE WORD "APPLICANT" IN 3A FOR DEFINITIONS? ETHICAL MISCONDUCT, IS D AND THEN YOU HAVE "APPLICANT" FOR A? YES. AND WHAT I ACCIDENTALLY REMOVED WAS THE 3A WHICH WAS THE DEFINITION OF "APPLICANT" THAT WE AGREED UPON, SECOND READING. AND INSTEAD, I REPLACED THAT WITH THE REVISED SENTENCE FOR 4A. SO, WHAT I DID ON THE HARD COPY THAT I JUST PROVIDED WAS REINSERT THE DEFINITION OF "APPLICANT" FOR 3A THAT WE AGREED UPON IN SECOND READING. OKAY, VERY GOOD. >> OKAY. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. >> IS A POSSIBLE, MS. GALLEGO, FOR ME TO TAKE A PICTURE AND SEND THAT TO MR. WOFFORD SO

053HE CAN GET EYES ON IT? I HAVE THE SECOND READING COPY IN FRONT OF ME. OKAY. AND PRESIDENT CORT, THE ONLY OTHER THING, IF THIS GETS CONFUSING, ONE OPTION MIGHT BE --UNLESS TIME IS A FACTOR -- TO JUST TABLE THIS AND PUT IT ON AS A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MEETING? IF THERE IS ANY CONCERN ABOUT THE CLARITY. OKAY. BUT, IF YOU ALL ARE FOLLOWING IT CORRECTLY, I THINK AS LONG AS THE RECORD IS CLEAR AND ROBIN IS CLEAR FOR THE PURPOSE OF MINUTES, WHAT YOU ARE IMPROVING, THAT IS FINE. BUT, IF YOU GET BOGGED DOWN AT ALL AND WOULD FEEL BETTER, YOU CAN ALWAYS TABLE IT AND PUT IT ON A CONSENT AGENDA. I APPRECIATE THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO, MR. WOFFORD, I THINK THE BALL, RIGHT THERE, IS IN YOUR COURT

054BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SEEING THE HARD COPY AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY, OKAY? MR. PERRIO HAS INDICATED THAT THE CHANGE WAS JUST THE DEFINITION AND I HAVE THAT ON THE SECOND READING, I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW. SO, I AM SATISFIED. THANK YOU. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? I HAVE A COMMENT. YES? YOU, LIKE, YOU MANAGED TO CREATIVELY NOT USE PRONOUNS. YOU WERE ABLE TO SAY, "THE APPLICANT," "THE INDIVIDUAL," A LOT OF TIMES, WE ARE JUST LOOKING FOR THAT CONSISTENCY, AND I JUST FOUND IT AMUSING, FUN? I DON'T KNOW. LIKE, GOOD JOB. THAT'S NEAT, THAT'S DIFFERENT. YEAH, THAT'S ALL. FANTASTIC PER JOSIAH, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? NO, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD?

055NO. I AM HAPPY WITH IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE POLICY GBJC --EMPLOYMENT --HIRES, INVESTIGATIONS, VERIFICATIONS, AND EXAMS. MOVED. SECOND. >> MOVED BY MS. TENORIO AND SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? MS. TENORIO? YES POINT SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> PRESIDENT CORT? YES. >> ALL RIGHT, 4-0, THAT PASSES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. PERRIO, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A HARD COPY SO WE CAN SEE THAT, I APPRECIATE THAT PART ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU, GOOD EVENING. SOMETHING ABOUT PAPER, RIGHT? I KNOW, I AM A PAPER GIRL, FOR SURE. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ONTO NEW BUSINESS AND WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO ALL-ELECTRIC PURPOSE-BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOLBUS PILOT PROJECT WITH

056--I'M SORRY, I DON'T --YOU WILL INTRODUCE -- YES. THANK YOU. >> I WAS LIKE, WITH --OH, HELLO, THERE! GOOD EVENING, HI! WELL DONE, PRESIDENT CORT. THAT WAS TERRIBLE. MR. RODRIGUEZ, TAKE IT AWAY. [ LAUGHTER ] IT EVEN, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO COME HERE BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT TO PROPOSE AND DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF THE NEW MEXICO ALL-ELECTRIC PURPOSE-BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOLBUS PILOT PROJECT AND THIS IS MARK FROM GREEN POWER, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WERE AWARDED THE RFP FOR THIS AND WILL BE CONDUCTING THE PILOT, SO WITH THAT, I DO HAVE HIM AND HE REALLY WILL BE GOING OVER WHAT ALL THE PROJECT DETAILS ARE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS YOU WILL

057NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT -- THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. SUPERINTENDENT, STUDENT ADVISER, I AM MARK NESTLING, I AM THE PROJECT ADVISER FOR GREEN POWER MOTOR COMPANY, THIS PILOT PROJECT THAT THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO IS CONDUCTING AROUND THE STATE, WITH ALL-ELECTRIC PURPOSE-BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOLBUS IS. THIS IS A TWO YEAR PROJECT THAT THE STATE UNDERTOOK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES, HOW THEY FUNCTION IN DIFFERENT TERRAINS AND CLIMATES, AND 7 DEGREE WEATHER AND 7000 FEET. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE BUSES IN CUBA. SO, IT IS PART OF THE STATES APPROACH IN HELPING TO BACKSTOP THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION OF MOVING TO ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES. GREEN POWER MOTOR COMPANY HAD BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE STATE FOR SOME TIME ON POTENTIAL MANUFACTURING,

058IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, IN THE FIRST STAGE, SO WE AGREED TO DO THIS PILOT PROJECT FOR THE STATE. MAY HAVE RECENTLY SEEN THAT WE HAVE NOW AGREED OUR MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR NORTH AMERICA AND OUR OPERATION HEADQUARTERS WILL BE HERE. SO, BY JUNE 1st, OUR FACILITY IS SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN. WE ALL KNOW THAT WILL BE A WEEK OR TWO LATE, BUT WE WILL BE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM LAS CRUCES WITH OUR NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS. THE PROJECT IN THE FIRST YEAR, THERE ARE THREE TYPES A SCHOOL BUSES THAT ARE ROTATING AROUND SCHOOLS. THOSE TYPE A BUSES ARE MORE OF AN ACTIVITY BUS, FOR A LESSER NUMBER OF STUDENTS. WE WILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE WORKED WITH THE STATE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO BRING TWO BUSES HERE WHERE USUALLY ONLY GETS ONE BUS

059TAKEN TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE REASON WE ARE DOING THAT IS PART OF THE PROJECT IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO IS REALLY TO LOOK AT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE. WE DID A VERY SIMILAR PROJECT IN WEST VIRGINIA, THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT PROJECT IN WEST VIRGINIA WAS ALL ABOUT THE BUSES, HOW WE OPERATE. UNDERSTANDING THERE IS NOT A STRAIGHT, WIDE, OR FLAT ROAD IN THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, SO THAT IS A LOT OF HOW IT WAS, HOW DID THOSE BUSES OPERATE IN THAT TYPE OF TERRAIN? IT WASN'T AS MUCH LOOKING INTO THE CHARGING OF THE STRUCTURE. THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO REALLY WANTED TO DIG INTO THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF THEIR PILOT AND THAT IS PART OF THIS DATA WE ARE COLLECTING WITH THE STATE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SO BY BRINGING YOU TWO

060BUSES HERE, WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE ONE OF THESE BUSES WITH A LEVEL THREE FAST CHARGER, AND ONE OF THE BUSES WILL CHARGE ON A LEVEL TWO SLOW CHARGER. THAT WILL GIVE US A COMPARISON OF HOW THE OPERATIONS WORK WITH TWO BUSES IN THE SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT IN SAME AREA AND HOW THAT DATA CAN HELP THE STATE LOOK AT WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO FOR CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE STATE AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF GETTING THIS DONE. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BRING IN A DIFFERENT FAST CHARGER THEN YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN YOUR OPERATIONS. WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE CHARGERS THAT YOU HAVE, AND WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE MODIFIED OR SUBJECT TO ANY PROBLEMS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CHARGER THAT

061WILL COME IN BUT WE HAVE WORKED WITH YOUR STAFFS TO MAKE SURE WHERE THAT GOES, THAT DOESN'T IMPACT ANYTHING YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING. SO, THE BUSES WILL ARRIVE ON FRIDAY, THE 20th OF MARCH. WE WILL DO TRAINING FOR DRIVERS, MECHANICS, FIRST RESPONDERS ON WEDNESDAY, THE 25th. AND THEN, THOSE BUSES WILL DEPLOY THE FIRST TIME ON THURSDAY, THE 26th. THEY WILL RUN THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN, THEY WILL GO BACK AFTER THAT. WE HAVE ALSO COMMITTED WITH THE STATE THAT IN THE FIRST ROUND OF NEXT YEAR, THE TYPE D SCHOOLBUS, LAS CRUCES WILL GET ONE OF THOSE IN THE VERY FIRST ROUND OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, THE TYPE D BUS CALLED THE BEAST, THIS ONE IS CALLED THE NANO BEAST. THE ONE ISSUE THAT YOU DO HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU,

062AND THEN I WILL STOP TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, IS THAT THERE IS A WAIVER YOU HAVE TO SIGN TO REQUEST FROM THE STATE AND IT IS SIMPLY IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BACK DOOR, THE LOWER WINDOW IS FOUR SQUARE INCHES SMALLER THAN STATE SPECS. THE UPPER WINDOW IS ACTUALLY BIGGER THAN STATE SPECS, SO THE VIEW AND SAFETY IS ACTUALLY BIGGER ON THE STORE AND IT'S ACTUALLY, THE CENTER PORTION IS A STURDIER DOOR THAN YOU SEE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES. OBVIOUSLY, IF WE WERE RUNNING THESE IN MASS QUANTITIES IN THE STATE, WE WOULD RE-ENGINEER THE DOOR BUT THAT IS A $500,000 RE-ENGINEERING, FOR THREE BUSES, IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. SO, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAS DONE THE PILOT HAS HAD TO ASK FOR THAT TO BE APPROVED, AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF YOU

063SIGN THE LETTER AND THEY APPROVED THAT AS THEY HAVE APPROVED IT FOR THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN RUNNING THE BUSES DURING THE YEAR. SO, THAT IS THE ONE ACTION ITEM THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, THAT YOU HAVE TO REQUEST FROM THE STATE. AND AGAIN, WITH THAT, I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PILOT FOR ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES IN GENERAL, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON YOUR MIND. REALLY QUICKLY, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STATE REQUIRES THAT WINDOW TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT FEDERALLY, YOU ARE WITHIN THE STANDARD, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. >> I KNOW THAT IS IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY TO THE PUBLIC, THAT IT IS WITHIN THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES. IT DEFINITELY IS AND YOU KNOW THERE I 50 DIFFERENT SPECS FOR SCHOOL BUSES, ONE FOR EACH

064STATE AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT DIFFERENT STATES DO DIFFERENTLY, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MINOR SCENARIOS THAT ARE HERE. THERE IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE TO THE DOORS. THE DOOR, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE OF ITS STRUCTURE AND THIS BUILD IS ACTUALLY A SAFER DOOR, AND THAT IS WHY THE WINDOW IS SMALLER, BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE GUTS, IF YOU WILL, TO THE DOOR IN THE CENTER SECTION BETWEEN THE WINDOWS THAT ACTUALLY MAKES IT A STARTER, AND STRONGER, AND SAFER DOOR. SO, NO, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SAFETY ISSUES WHAT IS BEING DONE HERE FOR THIS REQUEST. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? FOR MY OWN CURIOSITY, IS THIS WHAT IS GOING TO BE MANUFACTURED? YES, SO, GREEN POWER IS AN OEM OF THESE TWO SCHOOL BUSES, PLUS THERE IS

065A THIRD SCHOOLBUS THAT IS THE SAME AS THE SECOND, IT IS CALLED THE MEGA BEAST, THAT IS THE 40 FOOT, IT IS THE SAME VEHICLE, TWICE THE RANGE. MEGA BEAST! >> IT HAS TWICE THE RANGE WITH 384 KILOWATT OF BATTERY. I WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU ARE NAMING BUSES. BEAST ACTUALLY HAS ITS BATTERY ELECTRIC ASSISTANT STUDENT TRANSPORTATION, I THINK IS WHAT "BEAST" STANDS FOR. BUT, THEN, WE ALSO MAKE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH YOUR STAFF ON WHAT SOME OF YOUR OTHER NEEDS MAY BE, JUST FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, BE IT BOX TRUCKS, UTILITY TRUCKS, AND THE LIKE, OTHER THINGS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY HAVE A NEED FOR, AS WELL, AND THINGS THAT --FINAL MANUFACTURING WILL ALL OCCUR IN THIS FACILITY IN SANTA MESA. ASIAH? >> JUST ONE. SO, SORRY,

066THE TOP BUS IS THE ONE WITH THE SAFER DOOR? YES, THE TOP BUS IS OUR BUS, AND YOU CAN SEE, THE WINDOW IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER AT THE BOTTOM, THAT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE OF THE --MORE OF THE BARS AND THE CLOSURES THAT ARE OCCURRING THROUGH THERE THAN YOU HAVE IN ANOTHER VEHICLE. AND ACTUALLY, I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY --I DON'T THINK THAT IS A TYPE "A" ON THE COMPARISON, SO THE DOOR IS A LITTLE OUT OF COMPARISON, BECAUSE THAT IS A SMALLER BUS ON THE ONE UP THERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I WOULD DEFER TO MR. WOFFORD, FIRST. THAT MAY ANSWER SOME OF MY QUESTIONS, IF HE IS THERE. YOU GOT IT. ALL RIGHT, VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. HOW DID LAS CRUCES COME ONE

067OF THE PILOT SITES? AND MR. RODRIGUEZ, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. YES, SIR, MADAM COURT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL AND SHE IS THERE --FORGIVE ME, MS. JULIA BROWN FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FROM NEW MEXICO, REACHED OUT TO ME WHILE WE WERE IN, ACTUALLY IN ANNAPOLIS ON OUR TRIP AND SHE CALLED ME SO THEY WERE LOOKING FOR DISTRICTS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN THE PILOT, AND SO I KNOW WE HAD ALREADY BOUGHT SOME VEHICLES AND WE HAD OUR CHALLENGES WITH THEM, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WITH THE INFORMATION THEY WERE GOING TO BE MOVING INTO OUR AREA, GAVE US A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT IT, ONE BECAUSE ONE THING WE HAVE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH, ARE

068WORKING ON THE BUSES. AND SO, WORKING WITH THEM IS GOING TO BE --THEY ARE GOING TO COME IN AND TRY TO TRAIN US ON THAT, SO WE ARE TRAINING OUR MECHANICS AND OUR CONTRACTOR, SO, THAT WAS REALLY THE BIGGEST PUSH FOR US, IN TALKING WITH MR. RUIZ ON THIS, RIGHT? WE BOTH STARTED COMMUNICATING ABOUT THAT, AND THOSE WERE THE BIGGEST POSITIVES, AS FAR AS LOOKING AT THIS IN GOING WITH IT IN THE FUTURE AND SEEING WHAT ELSE THERE WAS, DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER, DIFFERENT BUSES, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN REALLY LOOKING AT THE WHOLE FLEET OF WHAT THEY HAVE, ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR US, VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, ON THAT, IS THE UTILITY TRUCKS, EXPANDING INTO THE PHYSICAL WAREHOUSE, THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MAY HAVE IN THE FUTURE, AS WELL. AND THE PROPONENT IS RIGHT DOWN THE

069ROAD. THANK YOU. YOU ANTICIPATED THAT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE CURRENT ELECTRIC BUSES WE HAVE, AND WHETHER THEY WOULD BE --HOW WE WOULD BENEFIT IN USING THOSE BUSES FROM THIS STUDY. AND IT'S --IS THIS JUST --THIS IS JUST OVER TWO YEARS? THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND ONE MORE YEAR THAT THE PILOT PROGRAM IS GOING? CORRECT. >> OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO, THE BUSES THAT WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE, A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER, ARE THEY IN ANY WAY A PART OF THIS PILOT? OR, IS IT JUST THE BEASTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT? MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, IT WOULD --THESE TWO BUSES FROM GREEN POWER WOULD BE PART OF THE PILOT. OUR OTHER BUSES ARE THE BUSES THAT WE CURRENTLY OWN. SO, WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE RUNNING

070THEM AND ALSO COMPARING THE DATA AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO PURCHASE OR WHERE WE ARE GOING, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY WHERE THE PUSH IS COMING FROM, AS WE WORK WITH THEM, AS WELL. SO, THE PILOT STUDY WILL BE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE RANGE IS WHAT WE THINK IT IS, THE CHARGING AND TURNAROUND ASPECTS, SUCH AS THOSE, AND THEN WE WILL JUST HAVE THAT DATA FROM OUR OWN BUSES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE? PERHAPS, AS A POINT OF COMPARISON. WILL WE BE GATHERING THAT SAME INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT ELECTRIC BUSES? MADAM PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, YES, SIR, WE HAVE BEEN COLLECTING THAT DATA AND WE WILL ALSO BE COLLECTING THE DATA FROM THE PILOT. VERY GOOD. MR. NESTLING, I AM

071VERY HAPPY TO MEET YOU TONIGHT, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOUR COMPANY'S PARTICIPATION WITH LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MR. VICE PRESIDENT. SUPERINTENDENT? PRESIDENT CORT AND MR. RODRIGUEZ, IN ADDITION TO THIS, PART OF THIS IS LOOKING AT A BETTER BUS, POTENTIALLY, RIGHT? RANGE, STRUCTURE, ET CETERA, SO THIS WILL ALSO INFORM THAT, AS WELL, AS WE LOOK AT POTENTIAL FUTURE --OUR FUTURE NEEDS, BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT MEETING THOSE NEEDS WITH BETTER BUSES, BETTER RANGES, ET CETERA, RIGHT? YES, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, CORRECT. ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS AS WE MET WITH MR. NESSLIN IS USING THE HEATER USES THE BATTERY --CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, SIR --USING THE AC, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO USE THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, DOES NOT AFFECT THAT, RIGHT?

072AND SO, THAT IS A BIG POSITIVE FOR US. HE PRETTY MUCH SAID YOU CAN HANG SOME MEAT IN THERE AND KEEP IT CHILLED. HUH [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, THEN. YEAH. THAT'S QUITE A VISUAL. >> WE KNOW WE HAVE ISSUES WITH HOT DAYS, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS EXCITING TO US AND LOOKING AT THAT WHOLE COMPONENT, BUT AGAIN A BIG POSITIVE IS THEN BEING OUR NEIGHBORS, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT US AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS AND BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT CHARTERS OF WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO, ABSOLUTELY. AWESOME. YES? >> OKAY, SO, FORGIVE ME, BUT I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO KIND OF WORK MY WAY THROUGH SOME OF THE Q&A'S THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH. IS IT MR. NESSLIN? I DIDN'T CATCH THE FIRST SLIDE? NESSLIN -- I'M

073BAD AT THIS STUFF, I'M SORRY. IT'S OKAY. >> COULD YOU REPRESENT? I REPRESENT GREEN POWER MOTOR COMPANY WHICH IS THE OEM OF THESE BUSES. YOU HAPPEN TO BE DOING WORK IN WEST VIRGINIA, BUT NOW YOU ARE EXPANDING TO CENTRAL MESA? SO, WE CURRENTLY HAVE MANUFACTURING IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AND SOUTH CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. THIS FACILITY IS GOING TO BECOME THE MAN YOUR --MAIN MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR NORTH AMERICA. INTERESTING. SO, I'M STILL TRYING TO, AGAIN, WRAP THIS AROUND MY BRAIN. I FEEL LIKE THE LAST BOARDMEMBER FRANK BUSES WE HAD WERE PART OF A PILOT OR A GRAND? OKAY POINT YOU MIKE YES, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, IT WAS AN EPA GRANT WE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT PURCHASED THOSE FIVE BUSES FOR US, WHICH OTHER DISTRICTS ALSO TOOK SOME OF THOSE, BUT

074YES, MA'AM, IT WAS A GRANT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE FIVE BUSES, AND ALSO THE FIVE CHARGING STATIONS. AND THEN, PART OF THAT AGREEMENT IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO SWAP OUT FIVE OF OUR OTHER BUSES, IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT PART OF OUR FLEET, IS THAT GOING TO APPLY TO THIS? NO, MA'AM. NO. >> OKAY? >> THIS IS BEEN REALLY LENDING US THE BUSES THAT ARE PILOTS AROUND THE STATE, AS WELL, BUT WE WILL GET THOSE BUSES HERE FOR US TO USE AND THEN THE OTHER BUSES, ONCE WE GET THE LARGER ONE. OKAY. >> THE MEGA BEAST, OR THE BEAST. THE BEAST. JUST, THE BEAST. >> HAVE THE NANO BEAST AND THE MEGA BEAST BEEN USED IN WEST VIRGINIA AND CALIFORNIA? YES. >> OKAY, AND SO, YOU HAVE WORKED OUT ALL THE

075ISSUES? WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE HEADLINES FOR ANY BAD THINGS HAPPENING? LIKE -- THEY ARE ALL MECHANICAL VEHICLES, AND MECHANICAL VEHICLES BREAKDOWN. AND SO, I CAN'T SAY THAT THERE WON'T BE A BREAKDOWN, BECAUSE JUST LIKE WITH A DIESEL BUS, A BUSES GOING TO BREAK DOWN. I WILL TELL YOU, AS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS, AND SOME OF OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, IF YOU DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND THERE IS A DIESEL BUS BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU WILL DRIVE RIGHT ON BY IT. IF THERE IS AN ELECTRIC SCHOOLBUS BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU WILL TAKE A PICTURE AND PUT IT ON FACEBOOK. AND THAT'S JUST PART OF THE CULTURE WE ARE IN, THIS MOVEMENT, AND THAT SCENARIO. AS I SAY, THERE

076IS LOTS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. A LOT OF ELECTRIC SCHOOLBUS IS -- THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS SPENT $3 MILLION IN PUTTING THEM ON THE ROAD, SO THERE IS A LOT OF THEM, BUT THEY WILL BREAK DOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE MECHANICAL VEHICLES. THE GOOD NEWS IS, AS WE HAVE TALKED WITH YOUR STAFF, IS THAT WE WILL BE HERE, ON THE PILOT, WE HAVE STAFF ON THE GROUND, THAT MAKE THE PILOT WORK TO GET THAT DATA, SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF WEEKS THAT SOMETHING IS BROKE DOWN. IT'S A MATTER OF HOURS, PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE, WHERE WE ARE DOWN THE ROAD FROM YOU. PILOT IS A PILOT. AND I WILL GIVE THAT EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE UP NORTH, BECAUSE THESE BUSES RIGHT NOW ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING IN SHIPROCK,

077IN CUBA, AND NOT FAR FROM YOU IN MELROSE. AND THERE WAS A SITUATION TAKING PLACE PARTICULARLY IN CUBA, AT 7000 FEET, WHERE YOUR AIR IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, YOUR AIR MOLECULES ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND HOW THEY COME INTO THE HEATING SYSTEMS, THAT THERE WAS A CHALLENGE WITH THE HEATING AND OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, OUR ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION ON ADDING HEATERS TO THE BUS TO THE POINT THAT IT ACTUALLY HAS EXTENDED THE RANGE ON THOSE BUSES NOW BECAUSE AGAIN, HE TAKES ENERGY, AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT. THE MORE YOU RUN THE HEAT, THE LESS YOU RUN THE RANGES, BY ADDING THESE ADDITIONAL HEATERS IN THIS EXTREME COLD WEATHER THAT WE ARE FACING IN CUBA, WE HAVE ACTUALLY EXTENDED THE RANGE AT THE SAME TIME. SO, AGAIN, A PILOT IS A PILOT, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO

078LEARN FROM IT. I THINK SOMEBODY COULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, "OH, YOU WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE YOUR HEATER WASN'T GETTING IT WARM ENOUGH." I LOOK AT IT AND SAY, THAT IS A PILOT BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIX IT AND PUT IT BACK ON THE ROAD WORKING. SO, AS YOU ARE PILOTING THINGS, THINGS DO CHANGE. OUR CURRENT GENERATION OF THE BEAST IS CURRENTLY LAST GENERATION BASED ON DRIVER INPUT FROM THE PROJECT IN WEST VIRGINIA. THIS IS AT THE END OF THE ROUND, AND WE WILL SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOUCHED THAT BUS WHILE THEY WERE HERE AND WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT THEY LIKE, WHAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE. WE WANT COMPLETE HONESTY. BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT IS DATE OF THE STATE WANTS. THAT IS

079DATA THAT WILL HELP THE STATE MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW THEY WILL MOVE FORWARD, AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALL OF THESE PILOTS, IT IS STILL NEW TECHNOLOGY, SO WHEN YOU DO A PILOT IN SOMEPLACE THAT IS DIFFERENT, THAT HAS DIFFERENT CLIMATE, THE WHOLE NATION IS LOOKING AT THAT PILOT TO SEE WHAT THOSE RESULTS ARE LIKE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, GENUINELY. AND I FEEL LIKE MY QUESTION WAS MORE THE THOUGHTS OF THE TESLA, AND CYBERTRUCK --IS THAT WHAT IT IS CALLED? THE TESLA CYBERTRUCKS AND NOT HAVING THAT, YOU KNOW, TO CONTEND WITH. MORE LIKE, IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF HEAT OR COLD ISSUE, COOLING ISSUE, OR MECHANICAL FAILURE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU WOULD WORK WITH LCPS AND HOW THAT TRANSPARENCY OF, LIKE, WE ARE GOING TO GET THESE KIDS DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE

080KEEPING THE DRIVER AND THE STUDENTS SAFE, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. AND THEN, JUST MORE THINGS, AS FAR AS THE EV BUSES WE CURRENTLY OWN, IT WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARGERS THAT ARE COMING IN? SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND MS. TENORIO, SO, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THOSE CHARGERS, SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, THAT IS WHY WE ARE GOING TO TRY THE OTHER CHARTERS, BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE HAD. SO, IT OPENS UP OUR SCOPE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE, AND THE TECHNOLOGY. LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE HAD CHALLENGES WITH THOSE, AND WHATEVER IT IS, THEY ARE UP AND DOWN, SO I THINK REALLY OPENING THIS UP TO A PILOT, WITH MR. NESSLIN AND LOOKING, WHAT ARE OUR OTHER OPTIONS AS WE GO FORWARD? IT'S NOT LOOKING AT JUST THE ONE

081BRAND, THE ONE WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT OPENING IT UP TO LOOK AT THE OTHER ONES, AS WELL. SO, I KNOW THE OTHER CHARTERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY GETTING INSTALLED NOW, THE OTHER FIVE, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TO GRID CAPABILITY, WHICH THESE CHARGERS WILL ALSO HAVE THAT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THEY CAN HAVE THAT CHARGE FROM THE BUS BACK TO THE GRID AND GET SOME COMPENSATION FOR THAT, FOR OTHER CREDITS. AND THEN, WE CHARGED DURING THE OFF-PEAK HOURS DURING THAT TIME. OKAY, SO, THE CURRENT BUSES WILL HAVE THEIR OWN CHARGERS AND THEN THE PILOT BUSES WILL HAVE THEIR OWN CHARGERS AND THEN WE WILL KEEP THEM SEPARATE? YES, MA'AM. >> OKAY. WHEN YOU SAID "TRAIN OUR MECHANICS," AND THEN YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT STS --AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE

082HAD TO SHIP EVERYTHING TO EL PASO TO GET FIXED, SO WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR MECHANICS AND STS? DO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MECHANICS? OKAY. YES. >> SO, YOU ARE GOING TO BE TRAINING MECHANICS, AS WELL? YES, WORKING WITH THEM OR WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM TO DO THAT PART. IT WILL BE THE MECHANICS IN SCS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MECHANICS FROM THE DISTRICT THAT ARE HOURS THAT WORK ON THAT. WE HAVE MECHANICS FROM THE DISTRICT BUT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE ON WORKING ON OUR FLEET VEHICLES AND ALSO TRANSPORTATION FLEET. HAVE YOU HEARD BACK FROM THE MECHANICS, WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT? MADAM PRESIDENT, MS. TENORIO, SO, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH STS ON THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE FOR THE PILOTS, SO THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRAINING THAT IS COMING UP THE WEEK

083AFTER SPRING BREAK, SO THEY WILL BE INVOLVED IN THAT PART, AS WELL. SO, TALKING WITH MR. BRAND AND --I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER HIS TITLE --HE IS THE ONE WHO WORKS FOR STS AND OVERSEES THE PROGRAM, SO WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THAT. THE EXCITEMENT FOR THEM IS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TRAINING, THEY CAN DO THE WORK, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT AND FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES, GO YOUTUBE, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT IT'S BETTER THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE IT HERE AND HAVE THAT ACCESS TO THE COMPANY AND THE BUS. I KNOW A FORMER MECHANIC AND THE CONVERSATION CAME UP A FEW YEARS BACK AND HE HAD MOVED ON BUT HE HAD EXPRESSED THAT EXCITEMENT, ABOUT WORKING WITH EVs WOULD BE DIFFERENT, IT WOULD BE LIKE NEW LEARNING AND IN SOME

084WAYS, CLEANER AND, YOU KNOW, JUST DEVELOPING THEIR SKILLS, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NICE, AND --LET'S SEE. AS FAR AS THE HARDWARE/SOFTWARE, SO, LIKE, I OWN AN EV AND WE HAVE SEEN, LIKE, WINDOWS UPDATES HAPPEN, OR THERE IS A CHANGE IN COMPANY, OR HARDWARE AS AN SOFTWARES, CAN BECOME COSTLY OVER TIME. I AM JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, ARE YOU --DOES YOUR COMPANY OWN ALL THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE? ON THE VEHICLE, YES. OUR CHARGING PARTNER OWNS THE SOFTWARE ON THE CHARGING SYSTEM. SO, YES. AND WE DO THE UPDATES, WE ARE THE ONES FLASHING THE VMs, OR WE ARE THE ONES CHANGING THE PUD. JUST LIKE WHEN WE PUT THOSE HEATERS ON, WE HAD TO GO IN AND CHANGE THAT. WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE WHEN YOU CHANGE ONE THING, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE

085SOMETHING ELSE, SO THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH OUR ENGINEERS BEFORE ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF UPDATES ARE DONE AND WE DO THOSE UPDATES, OURSELVES, FOR YOU. AND YOU EXPECT SOME STABILITY IN YOUR COMPANIES, AS FAR AS --YOU ARE NOT NEW COMPANIES, THAT'S WHAT I AM ASKING. GREEN POWER HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2011. OKAY. >> GREEN POWER, VIEW I.D., AND A LIEN ARE THE THREE OEMS I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU ARE THE PURPOSE BUILT ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND THEN YOU'RE MORE LEGACY SCHOOLBUS DEALER, THOMAS IC, BLUEBIRD, THOSE ARE RETROFIT VEHICLES, SO FIT TO A PURPOSE BUILT VEHICLE, THAT MEANS IT WAS BUILT TO BE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. IT'S NOT A DIESEL VEHICLE THAT YOU RIPPED THE GUTS OUT OF AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT THE BATTERIES AND CREATE AN ELECTRIC BATTERY OUT OF IT

086--THESE ARE BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP TO BE ELECTRIC, SO THE CHASSIS ARE BUILT DIFFERENT WHERE THE BATTERIES ARE STORED ARE DIFFERENT, THEY ARE SAFER. THE TURNING RADIUS ON THE BIG BUS -- IF YOU TAKE A TYPE C AND DO A 360 IN THAT TYPE C I CAN TAKE THAT 40 FOOT TYPE D AND PUT THAT IN THE TYPE C BUS, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE WAY THE PURPOSE BUILT VEHICLES' CHASSIS IS SET UP, THAT IS NOT ON A --THAT VEHICLE IS NOT ON A TRUCK CHASSIS, IT IS ON A BUS CHASSIS, AND MUCH TO WHAT MR. RODRIGUEZ WAS SAYING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THE CUSTODIAN ALUMINUM VERSION OF, LIKE, A TRANSIT BUS, AND PUT IT INTO A SCHOOL BUS. THE SCHOOL BUSES OUR KIDS ARE RIDING ON TODAY ARE THE SAME

087SCHOOL BUSES WE ALL RODE TO SCHOOL ON. SO, THERE HAS BEEN --YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT IN BUSES, BUT THE STRUCTURE, AND BOOKS, AND FEEL OF A BUS, HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR 50 YEARS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BEAST, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT AT ALL. AND AGAIN, IT IS A --IT IS A FOUNDATION, IT IS A SAFER, STRONGER, MORE DURABLE BUS. IT IS FLAT CEILING. IF YOU ARE THE LUCKY KID WHO GOT TO SIT ON THE WHEEL WELLS, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR KNEES ON YOUR CHEST, WELL, IT IS 54, THE FLOOR IS HIGHER, WHICH ALSO MEANS, IN FACT, FOR COLLISION, THE KIDS ARE OUT OF THE CRASH ZONE EVEN IF IT IS A LARGER VEHICLE. IF YOU LOOK -- IF YOU TOOK THE SKIN OFF OF A BUS, AND A

088TRADITIONAL BUS, YOU WOULD JUST SEE THE RIBS, THEY WOULD JUST FLOP, BECAUSE IT NEEDS THE SKIN TO CREATE THE STABILITY OF THAT STRUCTURE OF THE BUS. THE STRUCTURE OF THIS BUS DOESN'T EVEN NEED SKIN OR RUB RAILS ON IT TO CREATE THE SAFETY, AND BE ABLE TO PASS THE TESTS THAT ARE DONE. SO, YOU ARE JUST CREATING A STRONGER SCENARIO. THE ROLLOVER TEST THAT THE BEAST GOES THROUGH CAN'T EVEN BE DONE IN THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE IT HAS TO PUT SO MUCH WEIGHT ON. THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES WE CAN DO IT. WE DO IT IN OUR FACILITIES IN MALAYSIA BECAUSE IT HAS 48,000 TONS OF CONCRETE OVER THE TOP OF IT. THERE ARE VIDEOS YOU CAN WATCH ON HOW IT GOES AND THE MEASURABLE THROUGH THERE, THROUGH THE ROLLOVER TEST, AND

089THAT IS BECAUSE THESE BUSES ARE HEAVIER. SO, YOU HAVE TO CREATE THAT WEIGHT ON THE TOP OF THESE BUSES TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THOSE SAFETY TESTS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH. THANK YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE MORE. OKAY. I WILL TRY TO BLEND THEM. THE BEGINNING OF THE CONTRACT IS BETWEEN EL PASO ELECTRIC AND US, SO WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP? BECAUSE YOU ARE WITH GREEN MOTOR INC., CORRECT? SO, MADAM PRESIDENT -- GREEN POWER MOTOR? MS. TENORIO, SO, AS FAR AS EL PASO ELECTRIC, CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THAT PLEASE? I DON'T KNOW, I JUST SAW THE PACKET, AND I THOUGHT THE AGREEMENT WAS BETWEEN EL PASO ELECTRIC AND US? SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBER TENORIO -- OH, THE CHARGES? YES, MA'AM, THAT IS A SEPARATE ACTION ITEM WE WILL HAVE HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE.

090AND WE TALKED ABOUT OWNERSHIP, WE TECHNICALLY HAVEN'T OWNED ANY OF OUR FORMER BUSES, RIGHT? SO, WITH THE OWNERSHIP OF THESE PILOT BUSES, WOULD THEY BE TO US, LCPS, OR ARE WE GOING TO SELL IT? MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBER TENORIO, IT IS JUST THE PILOT NOW, SO WE WILL NOT HAVE OWNERSHIP OF IT. CORRECT. TIME WILL PASS AND AT SOME POINT, OWNERSHIP WILL PASS OVER? KNOW, WITH THIS ONE, IT WILL BE MORE SO --IT IS REALLY THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO HAVING TO DO THE PILOT SO THEY CAN GET THE DATA AND INFORMATION FROM THEM, TO SEE WHERE THE STATE IS GOING TO GO AS FAR AS, IS THIS THE BUSES --IS THIS ONE OF THE BUSES THAT WE CAN THEN PURCHASE? OKAY. >> YES, MA'AM. >> OKAY. >> SO, AT THE END OF THE PILOT, THE

091BUSES WILL LEAVE? YES. >> THE CHARGERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE BRING IN WILL DISAPPEAR, THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO OWNS THE BUSES, THEY OWN THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALSO PROVIDE THE INSURANCE ON THE VEHICLES. AND THEN, THE STATE WILL MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT THEY WILL DO WITH THOSE VEHICLES WHEN THE PILOTS ARE OVER. THOSE ARE DECISIONS THAT ARE ABOVE MY PAY GRADE THAT I DON'T GET TO MAKE, BUT I WILL DO SOMETHING WITH THOSE VEHICLES AFTER THE PILOT IS OVER. WONDERFUL. MY LAST ONE WOULD BE, IF WE ARE LOOKING FOR, LIKE, SAFETY TESTS, OR STUDIES, HOW CAN I FIND THOSE ONLINE? I HAVEN'T DONE IT, YET. YOU COULD, BUT I COULD ALSO SEND YOU SOME STUFF SO YOU CAN GO ON AND SEE SOME OF THOSE STRUCTURAL SAFETY TESTS THAT GO ON ON THESE

092VEHICLES, THAT WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR YOU, AND I WILL GET THAT THROUGH MR. RODRIGUEZ. OKAY, THANK YOU. >> PERFECT. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. THE BUSES THAT ARE ARRIVING THE END OF MARCH ARE THE SMALLER BUSES? AND WHAT WILL THEY BE USED FOR? HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE THOSE TWO NEW BUSES? THOSE PILOT BUSES? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ. SO, REALLY LOOKING AT THESE, THEY ARE MORE THE SIZE OF OUR SHORT BUSES, SO, LOOKING AT THAT, IT IS REALLY LOOKING AT THAT EXACT THING, IS IT THE REPLICATION OF THOSE ROUTES? LOOKING AT THOSE --WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PUSHING THE VEHICLES TO GET DATA FROM THEM, SO, REALLY, LOOKING AT THOSE ROUTES THAT WE HAVE, SPECIAL ROUTES, WHETHER THEY ARE MID-DAY ROUTES, SPECIAL

093ROUTES, RUNNING THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO GET AS MUCH DATA AS WE CAN, SO IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT THOSE TYPES OF ROUTES AND WORKING WITH STS ON WHICH ARE THE BEST ROUTES. THE LONG RUNNING ROUTES WHERE WE ARE PICKING UP FIVE OR SIX STUDENTS, YES, BUT IN THE DISTANCE WE ARE COVERING, THAT'S A LOT OF DISTANCE, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT AREAS, WITH THE SPECIAL ROUTES THAT WE HAVE. SO, THAT IS A MAJORITY OF WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE USING THEM WITH THOSE, SO IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE INNER-CITY, LIKE WE HAVE DONE WITH OUR CURRENT BUSES, BUT IT WILL BE LOOKING AT THE OUTSIDE, TOO, FOR RADIANT SPRINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE HAVE ON ALL OF THOSE SPECIAL ROCKS. OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. BOARD MEMBERS,

094ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I WILL JUST ADD, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS. I THINK ELECTRIC BUSES ARE CLEARLY GOING TO BE THE FUTURE, SO BUILDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE NOW MAKES A TON OF SENSE. SO, THANK YOU. ANYTHING? >> NO, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MR. NESSLIN, NOW THAT I KNOW YOUR NAME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING AND RELATING SO WAIT INTO THE EVENING TO PRESENT TO US. APPRECIATE IT. I GO TO A LOT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, AND YOU HAVE A VERY IMPRESSIVE GROUP THAT I SAW HERE THIS EVENING AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY THAT BEFORE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK I WAS BUTTERING YOU UP. [ LAUGHTER ] >> BUT, I WAS ADMIRING --AS I SAY, I GO TO A LOT OF THESE, AND YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD GROUP

095OF KIDS, OBVIOUSLY, HERE, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BRING SOME BUSES IN TO HELP THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO ALL ELECTRIC PURPOSE BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOLBUS PILOT PROJECT. SO MOVED. >> SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT, MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD AND SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN. SECRETARY NOLAN, PLEASE? MS. TENORIO? YES PERETS >> SECRETARY NOLAN VOTE YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES. ALL RIGHT, UNANIMOUS. 4-0. AND YES, YOU DID BUTTER US UP A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE DID THE VOTE, MR. NESSLIN. I WAS LIKE, UH-OH --YOU ARE SPEAKING TOO SOON! THANK YOU SO MUCH! AND I BELIEVE YOU ARE -- I'M SORRY, MR. WOFFORD? JUST A QUESTION, A CLARIFICATION,

096DID WE NEED TO PUT THE WAIVER AS PART OF THE MOTION, OR WAS THAT INCLUDED? I DIDN'T CATCH THAT, MR. WOFFORD? HE ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO DO THE WAIVER AS PART OF THE MOTION. OH, THE WAIVER? YES, THE -- THE WINDOW SIZE SAFETY WAIVER. SO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND WE ARE CONFERRING WITH THE LAWYER. WELL, IF WE DIDN'T DO IT, AND WE NEED TO, IT'S DONE. I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT WOFFORD WAS GOING TO ASK MY QUESTION. ME, TOO. BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL INCLUDED, I AM ASSUMING THAT THE WAIVER IS INCLUDED IN THAT, IN THAT MOTION, BECAUSE IT WAS ALL PART OF THE PACKET AND ALL PART OF THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE AN INCORRECT ASSUMPTION. SO, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT OBSERVATION.

097IN TERMS OF NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, IT WAS PART OF THE PACKET, IT WAS CLEAR IN THE PRESENTATION THAT IT WAS AN INCLUSIVE WAIVER, THE WAIVER WAS A NECESSARY PART OF IT, BUT I THINK WE WANT TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, WE JUST REDO THE MOTION --I THINK IN TERMS OF THE ACTION ITEM, I THINK IT IS SUFFICIENTLY SPECIFIC, TO INCLUDE THE MOTION. AND IF YOU WANT TO BE CLEAR WHAT THE MOTION ENCOMPASSES, YOU COULD JUST REVOTE WITH THE MOTION WITH EXACTLY THE LANGUAGE YOU JUST USED, "MOTION TO APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO ALL-ELECTRIC PURPOSE-BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOL BUS PILOT PROJECT, INCLUSIVE OF THE APPLICATION FOR WAIVER." SO, YOU WOULD JUST ADD THE, "INCLUSIVE OF THE APPLICATION FOR WAIVER." DOES THAT SOUND OKAY TO YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ? DOES THAT GIVE YOU ALL THE AUTHORITY THAT YOU NEED?

098YES, MA'AM. >> ALL RIGHT, SO, DO WE JUST GO IN FOR A REDO? I WOULD JUST DO A REDO, SURE. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. HA GIVEN THE COMMENTS BY VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, WE ARE GOING TO REDO THIS MOTION, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO ALL-ELECTRIC PURPOSE-BUILT ZERO EMISSION SCHOOL BUS PILOT PROJECT INCLUDING THE APPLICATION FOR WAIVER. SO MOVED, AGAIN. SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT, MOVED BY MR. WOFFORD, SECONDED BY MR. NOLAN. MR. NOLAN, LET'S GO ONE MORE TIME. MS. TENORIO? >> YES. >> SECRETARY NOLAN VOTE YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES, AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME CROSS THE T'S. AND PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE OUR T'S ARE CROSS. AND THANK YOU, FOR THE INFORMATION ON THAT. AND ARE YOU READY TO GO? HERE,

099WE GO. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT FOR THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. YES. MADAM COURT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH, TONIGHT IS REALLY ABOUT JUST BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU FOR POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF THE AWARD WE GET FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. AND REALLY, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS, IT IS A $700,000 MATCH GRANT THAT WE HAVE BY LOCAL MATCH AND THE REST OF IT IS A FEDERAL MATCH, AND REALLY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IS TO CONTINUE DOING THE GREAT WORK THAT ASHLEY AND HER TEAM DOES EACH AND EVERY DAY, AND EACH AND EVERY WEEK, AT EACH AND EVERY EVENT WE DO, SO IT IS REALLY JUST SEEKING HER APPROVAL FOR THAT GRANT, SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. BOARD

100MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I LOVE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, AND THEY HAD A GREAT, LIKE, EVENT, THIS PAST WEEKEND, IF WE CAN REMEMBER WHAT THEY --MAYBE SATURDAY? OH, YEAH, FRIDAY. AND EVEN WITH ALL THE PRECIPITATION, THE RAIN, PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE BIKING, AND WALKING, AND BEING INTERVIEWED, AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY COOL THING. APPRECIATE IT. ABSOLUTELY. I, MYSELF, AM ALSO A HUGE FAN OF SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND ALL THE THINGS THEY DO AND IT'S NOT JUST GETTING --"NOT JUST," IT'S NOT ONLY GETTING KIDS TO BIKE AND RIDE TO SCHOOL, IT'S ALSO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SO THE KIDS CAN BIKE, AND RIDE, AND WALK TO SCHOOL. IT'S SO IMPORTANT, ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND I KNOW YOU GOT A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I

101KNOW THAT'S NOT REALLY IN OUR JURISDICTION, BUT YOU ALL MAKE SO MANY GREAT THINGS HAPPEN SO KIDS CAN HAVE ALTERNATE ROUNDS TO SCHOOL. IT'S LOVELY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, YOU ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. SO MOVED. SECOND. MOVED BY MS. TENORIO, SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN, SECRETARY NOLAN WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? MS. TENORIO? YES POINT SECRETARY NOLAN VOTE YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> AND PRESIDENT CORT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS APPROVED, 4-0. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU DO, THANK YOU FOR BEING BACK HERE AND HANGING WITH US AT 8:00 AT NIGHT. MR. RODRIGUEZ, WE GET TO SEE YOU AGAIN, THIS IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF THE NEW MEXICO TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PLAN --TAKE

102CHARGE NEW MEXICO PROGRAM WHICH, I BELIEVE, MS. TENORIO HAD REFERRED TO THAT EARLIER? YES. MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ AND STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH, WE ARE SEEKING APPROVAL FOR THE CUSTOMER AGREEMENT FOR THE COMPANY THAT WILL BE EL PASO ELECTRIC TO PROCURE, INSTALL, AND ACTIVATE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING FACILITIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROPERTY AS PART OF ITS TAKE CHARGE NEW MEXICO PROGRAM UNDER THE NEW MEXICO TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PLAN. SO, REALLY, WITH THIS, IT IS A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THEM, THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT IS GOING TO INCLUDE THE EQUIPMENT FOR US AND THIS WILL BE CHARGING AND EV CHARGERS FOR EV VEHICLES. SO, NOT BUSES OR ANY OF THE OTHER THINGS, SO REALLY LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS AND WE

103WILL HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP OVER THESE, OF THE EQUIPMENT. WE WILL HAVE TITLE TO THAT, AND ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AFTER THE METER. SO, THE METER UP TO THERE AND EVERYTHING UP TO THERE, BUT THEY WILL INSTALL THOSE DIFFERENT ITEMS. THE COMPANY AND ITS CONTRACTORS WILL PROVIDE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS NECESSARY TO INSTALL THE FACILITIES THAT WE SELECT TO HAVE ON THE PREMISES. THE COMPANY AND ITS CONTRACTORS WILL ATTAIN ANY NECESSARY PERMITS REQUIRED FOR SUCH INSTALLATION, WITH CUSTOMERS' CONSENT. THE CUSTOMER MAY PROJECT DESIGNS, MARKS, OR ADVERTISING DEVICES ON OR ABOUT THE PREMISES INCLUDING SIGNAGE ON OR AROUND THE FACILITIES DESIGNATING THE AREA EV CHARGING ONLY. SO, THESE ITEMS WILL BE IN --AND I WILL GO OVER HERE IN A LITTLE BIT --AS FAR AS THE LOCATION THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO

104INSTALL THESE. WE WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO MONITOR AND MAINTAIN THE FACILITIES AFTER THEY ARE TURNED OVER TO US. SO, ANYTHING ON OUR SIDE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THOSE THINGS. AND WITH THAT, IT IS --WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOFTWARE AND ALL THOSE DIFFERENT ITEMS AND THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION OF, OKAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR THOSE? AND I WILL GO OVER THAT IN A LITTLE BIT, AS FAR AS WHAT OUR PLAN IS FOR THOSE ITEMS AND THOSE CHARGES THAT WILL INCUR ONTO THAT PART. SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT IS REALLY -- WE WILL BE ABLE TO CHARGE OUR OWN DISTRICT VEHICLES, CURRENTLY, WE HAVE THE TWO MOCK E THAT WE HAVE RIGHT THERE, FOR THE REQUEST IN OUR BUDGET, BUT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO RUN THOSE MIRACLES EVERY

105DAY OR EVERY OTHER DAY --THE OPERATIONS ANALYTICS WILL ALL BE HERE ONCE THEY ARE INSTALLED AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE THOSE, ONCE WE RELOCATE THOSE ONCE PHASE TWO IS DONE, WE WILL HAVE THOSE CHARTERS THAT ARE HERE, OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC USE, AS WELL. SO, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WOULD BE, CURRENTLY, WHEN WE USE THEM, WE WOULD CHARGE. OF COURSE, WE ARE PAYING FOR OUR OWN VEHICLES, BUT IT WOULD OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE THEM, THEN OF COURSE WE WOULD CHARGE THEM FOR ELECTRICITY AND ALSO SMALL ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WILL COVER THE MAINTENANCE AND THE COST OF THE SOFTWARE PART, SO THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN WHATEVER THEY ARE PAYING FOR THE CHARGING OF WHAT THEY HAVE, SO A SMALL UPTICK THAT WOULD HELP US COVER THOSE CHARGES FOR THE OTHER

106MAINTENANCE AND MAINTAINING THE SOFTWARE AND THOSE OTHER ITEMS WE WOULD HAVE. BUT, IT WOULD --I KNOW, CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, I KNOW THERE IS SOME ON VALLEY, THERE IS SOME NEAR THE LIBRARY. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND HERE, SO THAT IS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM, IS TO EXPAND IT, BUT ALSO FOR PUBLIC USE, SO THAT IS PART OF WHAT THEY ARE WANTING, IS THAT WE CAN OPEN IT UP TO THAT, SO I THINK IT IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR THEM, FOR LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND FOR THE VISION OF THE BOARD, WE HAVE AN EXPANDING, AND REDUCING OUR PROGRAM IS EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS, AND ALSO CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND OPENING A VOICE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS, AS WELL. SO, I THINK IT

107IS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN THAT PART. WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THESE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AFTER THEY ARE INSTALLED AND TURNED OVER TO US, THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO USE THEM FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. AND WITH THAT --I WILL GO BACK TO THE LAST PICTURE, I APOLOGIZE. WHERE WE ARE LOOKING TO INSTALL THESE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TLC, AND BETWEEN THE TLC AND OPERATIONS CENTERS, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IN THE PARKING LOT. IT WILL TAKE ITS OWN TRANSFORMER TO REALLY INSTALL, WHICH EL PASO ELECTRIC WILL DO THAT FOR US, SO WE ARE STILL KIND OF IN THE PART OF LOOKING, IS THIS THE BEST PLACE FOR IT? SO I KNOW IT IS REMOVING SOME OF THOSE HANDICAPS, BUT WE ARE REQUIRED BY CERTAIN CODES, WE ONLY HAVE

108CERTAIN HANDICAP SPACES SO WE WILL REPLACE THOSE ONES BUT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS FOR THE EV CHARGERS SO STILL LOOKING AT WHERE THE BEST PLACES FOR ACCESS FOR THOSE AND WHERE THE BEST PLACES, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL LIT, THAT THEY HAVE CAMERAS ON, ALL THE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND THAT THEY ARE SECURE, AS WELL. AND WITH THAT, I WILL STAND FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? MS. TENORIO? THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT PICTURE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. FOR SURE, NOW I CAN SEE IT. YES. QUESTION? YES, MR. VICE PRESIDENT? MR. RODRIGUEZ, YOU ANTICIPATED MOST OF MY QUESTIONS, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND ALL THE WORK YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE

109TO BRING THIS ABOUT. THE CHARGERS, WHAT IS THE SPEED ON THE CHARGERS? ARE THEY TRICKLE SLOW? IS IT A FAST CHARGE? OR, IS IT A VARIABLE THING, WILL ALL VEHICLES BE ABLE TO USE THEM? TESLA AND OTHER COMPANIES? MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, CURRENTLY WITH WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, WE WILL BE INSTALLING THE FLOOR, SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HAVE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHARTERS ON THEM, FROM WHAT I KNOW, THEY ARE ALL LEVEL TWO CHARGES, SO THEY ARE NOT THE SLOW CHARGERS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AT HOME THAT YOU ARE GOING TO CHARGE ALL NIGHT LONG, SO THERE WILL BE QUICKER ONCE OF THOSE AND THEY MAY NOT BE THE WIRELESS TWO HOUR CHARGERS THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THEM AS FAR AS

110THAT BECAUSE THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO SPEND ALL DAY CHARGING, SO THAT IS THE GOAL, IS THAT WE DO GET SOMETHING THAT IS NOT THE SLOW TRICKLE CHARGERS THAT WE WOULD HAVE AT HOME. ALL RIGHT, VERY GOOD. AND THEN, THE SAFETY --HAVE THERE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER PLACES, WHERE THESE CHARGERS HAVE BEEN PUT UP? YOU SAID, THE LIBRARY, AND SOMEWHERE ELSE? THANK YOU, FOR THE QUESTION, MADAME. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD, NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY VANDALISM IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY, THEY HAVE NOT MENTIONED ANY KIND OF VANDALISM GOING ON THERE AT THE BRANIGAN LIBRARY. I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT HAS THE TESLA CHARTERS OFF OF VALLEY, SO I AM NOT SURE, NOR

111HAVE I EVER HEARD OR SEEN ANYTHING IN THE NEWS. THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT. BOARD MEMBERS? JOSIAH? NO, MA'AM. >> ALL RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NEW MEXICO TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PLAN, TAKE CHARGE NEW MEXICO PROGRAM. SO MOVED. SECOND. >> MOVED BY MS. TENORIO, SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN. SECRETARY NOLAN, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE? MS. TENORIO? YES. >> SECRETARY NOLAN VOTE YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> AND PRESIDENT CORT? I VOTE YES. 4-0. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU. IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE THE TABLE AND CHAIRS, YEAH? [ LAUGHTER ] WE ARE NOW MOVING TO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE AT THE 2026 NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WITH MR. SILVER. THANK YOU, MR. SILVER. YES, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING,

112PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, GOOD EVENING, MR. RUIZ, STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH. I AM HERE REALLY JUST TO FACILITATE THE CONVERSATION AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE. IF I COULD ALL MAYBE JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, THIS YEAR, THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE WILL BE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND IS HELD APRIL 10th THROUGH PER THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD --THIS IS FROM THEIR WEBSITE --THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION'S NATIONAL CONFERENCE IS THE NATION'S LARGEST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONVENING FOR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT'S, AND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAMS. THIS CONFERENCE IS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL GOVERNANCE, AND PRESIDENT CORT, SHOULD YOU, OR ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DECIDE TO GO, NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO WORK WITH ROBIN AND WORK ON ALL THE LOGISTICS TO DO THAT. YES, SO, WE ARE

113HERE TO ANY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT, MR. SILVER. AND AS I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE AT OUR LAST NEW MEXICO SCHOOL BOARDS CONFERENCE BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A NICE IDEA FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO CAN, TO ATTEND. THE LAST TIME WE ATTENDED A NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, WE DID GO TO THE EQUITY CONFERENCE, LAST FEBRUARY. BUT, MS. TENORIO, I BELIEVE MR. WOFFORD, AND MYSELF, WENT TO SAN DIEGO. YES, WENT TO SAN DIEGO THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO? AND SO, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAVE BEEN TO A NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE AND I THINK GETTING THE NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS OUR NATION AS FAR AS SCHOOL BOARD GOES, IS VITAL. SO, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? CONCERNS?

114NO, NO NOTES. [ LAUGHTER ] YES, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO MEET OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, COMPARE NOTES. IT MAKES SENSE. MR. WOFFORD? >> THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US. THE CONFERENCES IN WASHINGTON AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT OR TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT IN SAN DIEGO, WERE BOTH VERY VALUABLE. MS. TENORIO? SURE, YES, SO, I THINK IF THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD IS EXPRESSING INTEREST IN GOING, I WOULD SUPPORT IT, BUT I, PERSONALLY, DON'T HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE NSBA. I FEEL LIKE I GOT MORE OUT OF THAT EQUITY AND ADVOCACY INSTITUTE. IT JUST SEEMED TO BE MORE FOCUSED AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MEET AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS. BUT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING

115YOU GUYS WANT TO DO, I'M NOT GOING TO GO GET IN THE WAY. [ LAUGHTER ] ALRIGHTY. PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES? >> I THINK THE EQUITY ADVOCACY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON WAS A CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION. CORRECT POINT THAT IS CORRECT. AND IT IS IN FEBRUARY AND THE WEATHER IS NOT AS NICE. ALSO THAT. [ LAUGHTER ] YES. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SO, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD MEMBER ATTENDANCE AT THE 2026 NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION -- NSBA --ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD APRIL 10th THROUGH 12th IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AS PART OF THE DISCHARGE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES AS A BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER. SO MOVED. MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD. SECOND. AND SECONDED BY SECRETARY NOLAN. SECRETARY NOLAN, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TAKE ROLL?

116MS. TENORIO? I WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE COMMENT? OF COURSE. >> JUST AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE, I THINK IT WAS 2022 THAT WE WENT TO SAN DIEGO, '24 TO D.C., AND NOW '26, SO IT'S NOT EVERY YEAR. IT SEEMS TO BE EVERY OTHER YEAR. NOTED. ALL RIGHT, I VOTE YES. SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. AND PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES, SO THAT IS PASSED 4-0 AND I WILL GET WITH ROBIN AND ANNETTE, THANK YOU, AND START MOVING FORWARD WITH ALL OF THAT. THANK YOU, MR. SILVER. I WAS GOING TO SAY, PRESIDENT CORT WILL FOLLOW-UP AND FIND OUT WHO EXACTLY IS GOING, AND WE CAN START ALL THE THINGS FROM THERE. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH! >> AND THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE EVEN SMALLER THAN US,

117AND THEY GO TO THESE ALL THE TIME. IT IS VERY TRUE. YEAH. >> YES. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET A NATIONAL VIEW. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL TO PROCEED AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, REGARDING THE UPCOMING MEDIATION IN AXTELL V. LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HRB NUMBER --WAIT --YES, YES. SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. EXCUSE ME. AXTELL V. LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HRB NUMBER 25-10-1078-E. BEFORE THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INCLUDING THE UPCOMING MEDIATION. I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I ENTERTAIN A MOTION, DO WE HAVE A DISCUSSION? BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. MY APOLOGIES. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL TO PROCEED AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, REGARDING UPCOMING MEDIATION IN AXTELL V.

118LAS CRUCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HRB NUMBER 25-10-1078-E, BEFORE THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INCLUDING THE UPCOMING MEDIATION. SO MOVED. SECOND. >> MOVED BY SECRETARY NOLAN AND SECONDED BY MS. TENORIO, ALL --OH, SORRY, MR. NOLAN, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE DO -- I WISH WE COULD DO IT THAT WAY! [ LAUGHTER ] MS. TENORIO? >> I NEED A REREAD. JUST KIDDING. DO YOU? BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO READ A THIRD TIME. I WAS GOING TO HELP YOU OUT AND BE LIKE, "I MOVED TO AUTHORIZE," BUT, YES, I VOTE YES. THANK YOU. WAIT, WE ARE NOT REREADING? NO. [ LAUGHTER ] >> OKAY. SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. AND PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING ME READ IT A THIRD TIME, BECAUSE I AM A DORK AND

119IT IS ON THE NEXT PAGE. SO, MR. SILVER, THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK AGAIN, SO WE CAN HAVE OUR DISCUSSION ON THE NEW MEXICO SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION'S EXCELLENCE IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD NOMINEES. YES, MA'AM, I AM BACK. SO, GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, GOOD EVENING, MR. RUIZ AND STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH. IT IS TIME FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF NOMINATING AND SELECTING YOUR NEW MEXICO SCHOOL BOARD STUDENT ASSOCIATION SCHOOL BOARD NOMINEES. SO, PRESIDENT CORT, THIS IS LISTED AS A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR YOU AND THE SCHOOL BOARD TODAY, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE BOARD ON YOUR MARCH 3rd MEETING FOR A VOTE, IF THAT ALL ALIGNS WITH THE TIMELINE, THE MARCH 62 TIMELINE TO SUBMIT TO NSBA. I DID SUBMIT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO,

120THIS DOCUMENT, AS WELL AS THE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS FROM THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND I AM REALLY JUST HERE, AGAIN, TO FACILITATE, OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY GUIDANCE YOU NEED FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, IN TERMS OF SELECTING AWARDEES. THANK YOU. TRADITIONALLY, EACH BOARD MEMBER HAS CHOSEN A RECIPIENT AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN THAT WAY EVERY YEAR, BUT THAT IS SORT OF HOW WE HAVE DONE IT. WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH EVERYBODY JUST DECIDING WHO IT IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO AWARD, OR WE CAN ASK FOR MR. SILVER AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE US SOME POSSIBLE NOMINEES, SHOULD WE NEED HELP, FIGURING THAT OUT. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION, ABOUT HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED, IF EVERYBODY IS

121GOOD WITH --I HAVE MY PERSON IN, OR MY DEPARTMENT IN MIND, AND WE DON'T NEED ADMINISTRATIVE HELP, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME SUGGESTIONS. TAKE IT AWAY. YES, NOW THAT YOU ARE REMEMBERING THE PROCESS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST -- I MEAN, I HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANTED TO START THROWING IDEAS OUT THERE? WHO DO YOU WANT TO NOMINATE? I'M JUST KIDDING. SO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, RECIPIENTS RIGHT NOW? OR, IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO JUST CHOOSE AT YOUR OWN OR SOME OTHER POINT? SO, I HAVE THREE IN MIND. I AM NOT SURE IF WE HAVE ALREADY DONE THEM, SO MR. SILVER MAY --IF IT'S IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT

122THAT. PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I CAN GET THAT LIST FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT, OF THE LAST TWO YEARS' WINNERS. MAYBE IT IS A HYBRID APPROACH? WE CAN STILL GET THAT LIST OF SUGGESTIONS -- I THINK, SHOULD BE ON THAT LIST, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE -- AND I DID THAT -->> I JUST --I DID --YEAH, I DID THE TWO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, BUT THEN DID LAS CRUCES HIGH SCHOOL AND MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL, SO THERE CAN BE -- WE CAN GET REALLY GRANULAR, THERE. WE CAN GET VERY GRANULAR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, FOR SURE. AND WE HAVE A MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND THEN? WE HAVE AN EXTENDED WORK SESSION. AND WE CAN VOTE ON IT, THEN? SO, WE WILL VOTE ON IT AT THE MARCH 6th --NO, MARCH 3rd

123MEETING. CORRECT. YES, MA'AM. WHICH IS NOT AN EXTENDED WORK SESSION? IT'S A REGULAR WORK SESSION. SO, BECAUSE OF THE CALENDAR, THE WAY IT IS, WE HAVE THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW. YAY! I JUST WASN'T SURE WHEN HE WAS ASKING ABOUT VOTING ON IT, YOU MENTIONED THE EXTENDED WORK SESSION. OH, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ON THE AGENDA. NOT DISCUSS, NECESSARILY, BUT WHEN ARE WE -- HASH IT OUT. >> YEAH. I GUESS, HASH IT OUT. THAT'S THE SAME AS "DISCUSS." [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, YOU KNOW -- AND PRESIDENT CORT, IF I MAY MAKE A SUGGESTION? YES, PLEASE. I HAVE THE LIST FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS THAT I CAN SHARE FROM THE 2024 GROUP AND THE 2025 GROUP. WE HAVE NOT HAD AN AGENDA SET FOR YOUR WORK

124SESSION OR EXTENDED WORK SESSION, YET, SO THAT IS POSSIBLE. THAT IS TOMORROW, BY THE WAY. YES, MA'AM. >> I GOT THAT JUST ADDED TO MY CALENDAR. YOU ARE WELCOME. I DEFINITELY --WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE THIS AN ACTION ITEM AT YOUR MARCH 3rd REGULAR WORK SESSION. IN TERMS OF SORT OF HOW WE GET FROM HERE, TO THERE, IF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD YOU HAVE, LIKE, IDEAS IN MIND, A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU COULD DO THIS, YOU COULD SEND THOSE TO ME, I COULD GATHER THEM ALL TOGETHER AND SEND THEM BACK OUT, YOU COULD ALSO JUST BRING THEM AT THE MARCH 3rd MEETING AND YOU COULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND VOTE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDING ANY NAMES, I CAN ALSO COLLECT THOSE AHEAD OF TIME, SO THAT WILL BE MY EMAIL

125I HAVE YOUR MARCH 3rd MEETING AND THEN YOU ALL WILL HAVE THE CHOICE TO SELECT ANY OF THOSE OR NOT ANY OF THOSE AND AGAIN, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT YOUR MARCH 3rd MEETING AND GO FROM THERE. AND IF I MAY, PRESIDENT, JUST VERY QUICKLY, THE 2024 -- SO, ALL OF YOUR NOMINEES WERE AWARDED THE AWARD. SO, ALL OF THESE FOLKS WERE AWARDED, IN 2024, JUST GOING THROUGH THE PACKET, THE FIRST GROUP WAS THE TSS TECHNOLOGY TEAM. THE McKINNEY VENTO PROGRAM. YES. THE BILINGUAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM. MS. KATHY V HILL, AND IN 2025, IT INCLUDED -- IT INCLUDED A LARGE UMBRELLA THAT INCLUDED A MEMBER OF THE CITY, COUNTY, AND WITH LCPS FOR THIS SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. IT INCLUDED THE INTERNATIONAL WELCOME CENTER ADVISERS --AND I CAN SEND THIS TO ALL OF YOU AGAIN IN AN

126EMAIL --IT INCLUDED THE GENERAL SORT OF UMBRELLA OF PROJECT UNIFIED. IT INCLUDED CARLA ROSALES FROM HILLRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ FROM LCPS TV, JESSICA CHAVEZ FROM FEDERAL PROGRAMS, AND AMY CARRANZA FROM THE TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER. AND I WILL SEND THOSE TO YOU, ALL, AGAIN. OKAY. THOSE WEREN'T ON MY LIST. OR, MINE. [ LAUGHTER ] SO, I THINK THAT, MAYBE TO AVOID --TO AVOID --AND IT'S NO BIG DEAL, IF MORE THAN ONE OF US SAYS WE WOULD LIKE TO AWARD THIS GROUP, OR THIS PERSON -- TO SEND, IF YOU WOULD --IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN MIND, SEND THEM TO MR. SILVER -- MAY I PUT THAT UPON YOU, MR. SILVER? YES, MA'AM. >> AND IF YOU NEED SUGGESTIONS, TO REQUEST THOSE FROM MR. SILVER, AND HE CAN SEND THOSE TO YOU. AND THAT WAY, WE

127HAVE THAT HYBRID APPROACH OF, IF YOU ALREADY KNOW, WE ARE GOING IN, AND LETTING MR. SILVER NO, JUST SO WE --SO THAT IF THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT, WE CAN COORDINATE IN THAT WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, AND I WOULD LIKE A DEADLINE ON THAT, AND SO, IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH THAT DEADLINE, MR. SILVER, IF WE ARE DOING DENOMINATIONS ON MARCH 3rd -- YES, MA'AM, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I WOULD RECOMMEND --LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS --I WOULD -- IF YOU NEEDED RECOMMENDATIONS --SO, IF YOU NEEDED RECOMMENDATIONS BACK FROM ME, I COULD GET THOSE BACK TO YOU PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY. SO, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU --I WOULD ASK PRESIDENT CORT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT YOU COMMUNICATE WITH ME EITHER WITH YOUR NOMINEES OR WITH THE REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATIONS

128NOMINEES BY THURSDAY, THE 26th. THURSDAY, THE 26th. AND I CAN SEND A REMINDER OUT FOR THAT, AS WELL. PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES, MR. GALLEGOS? IF I COULD JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT? OF COURSE. I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT, BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR FOR EVERYONE, WE WOULDN'T --I THINK THAT, IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF CONFLICT, IN THE SENSE THAT TWO BOARD MEMBERS ARE SUBMITTING NAMES THAT ARE SIMILAR OR THE SAME, THOSE CAN BE DISCUSSED IN THE WORK SESSION, IT WOULDN'T BE THAT JOSH IS SORTING THAT OUT? OH, OF COURSE. >> YES, SO, REALLY, THE TASK IS, ORGANIZATIONALLY, IF YOU WANT SOME SUGGESTION FROM JOSH, OR INFORMATION --I KNOW LAST TIME, SOME OF IT WAS VETTING TITLES OR VETTING WHO WAS WITHIN A DEPARTMENT, OR DO THESE DEPARTMENTS OVERLAP? THAT KIND OF INFORMATIONAL

129QUESTION, YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FROM JOSH. YOU WOULD SUBMIT YOUR SUGGESTION TO JOSH, FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES. BUT, IF THERE IS ANY SORT OF SORTING OUT AMONGST THE BOARD, THAT WILL BE DONE IN WORK SESSION, IN OPEN SESSION, PERHAPS? THE EXTENDED WORK SESSION BEFORE THE FINAL ACTION IS TAKEN. YES. >> SO, IF ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE BASED ON THAT INPUT INTO DISCUSSION, THERE IS STILL ONE MORE FORWARD OPPORTUNITY. PERFECT. YES, I WILL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW. SORRY, PRESIDENT CORT? >> YES? THE EXTENDED WORK SESSION, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE FRIDAY MEETING? THE FRIDAY MEETING, YES, SIR. WE ARE NO LONGER CALLING IT --[ LAUGHTER ] I --THAT IS MY OWN PERSONAL THING. YOU CAN CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT IT IS NOT A RETREAT. I AM NOT GETTING A

130MASSAGE, AND -- [ LAUGHTER ] --AND HAVING, LIKE --THINGS BROUGHT TO ME, AND HAVING A LITTLE FEAST. IT'S --WE ARE WORKING. SO, AND WE ARE WORKING ALL DAY. THAT IS MY NAME. YOU CAN --YOU CAN CALL IT A RETREAT, IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER. I MEAN, WE CAN CALL IT ANYTHING, I GUESS. [ LAUGHTER ] PERFECT. PERFECT. >> ALL RIGHT, GREAT DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, MR. SILVER. ANYTHING THAT WE CAN VERIFY? NO, THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL, AS WELL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, YOU ALL. BEFORE OUR BOARD REPORTS, WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE FINAL ACTION ON THE SELECTION OF A CONTRACTOR FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICY ALIGNMENT AND GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONSULTING SERVICES. SO, WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH A SINGLE OFFER TO OUR FORMAL QUOTATION REQUEST FOR SCHOOL BOARD

131POLICY ALIGNMENT AND GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONSULTING SERVICES. AND SO, IT NOW SEEMS THAT WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS. NUMBER ONE, WE MOVED TO MAKE AN AWARD TO THE SINGLE OFFER SCHOOL BOARD PARTNERS, NUMBER TWO, WE MOVE TO MAKE A PARTIAL AWARD TO THE SINGLE OFFER SCHOOL BOARD PARTNERS, AND WE WOULD NEED TO, OF COURSE, SPECIFY WHICH PARTS. OR, NUMBER THREE, WE MOVED TO TABLE THIS ITEM FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION AND DISCUSSION OF'S A NEED FOR SUCH SERVICES WHEN THE FULL BOARD IS PRESENT. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME RIGHT NOW TO TALK ABOUT THESE OPTIONS, AND THEN I WILL INVITE A MOTION. MR. CHAVEZ, MR. LOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION? MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, STUDENT ADVISOR JOSIAH, REALLY, I WANT TO PROVIDE A BRIEF SUMMARY LIKE LISTED IN YOUR

132PACKET THERE, JUST REALLY QUICK, THE FORMER QUOTES WERE SOLICITED FROM QUALIFIED FIRMS TO PROVIDE POLICY ALIGNMENT AND GOVERNANCE REVIEW CONSULTING SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS OUTLINED IN THE F QR. THE F YOU ARE WAS ISSUED ON JANUARY 22nd, 2026, AND CLOSED ON FEBRUARY 3rd, 2026. RESPONSES WERE REVIEWED FOR COMPLIANCE AND FORWARDED TO AN EVALUATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE COMPLETED THE REVIEW AND IDENTIFY THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFER BASED ON CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE F QR. AT THIS TIME, THE SCHOOL BOARD PARTNERS. BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL DETERMINE WHETHER TO AUTHORIZE CONTRACT AWARD OR PURSUE OTHER OPTIONS AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD. SO, I WILL STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE THAT SUMMARY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS? WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN? MS. TENORIO? PERSONALLY, SINCE

133I FEEL THAT THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE WANTED TO DIRECT TOWARD THE VENDOR, MAYBE EXPECT SOME OTHER ANSWERS BEFORE A DECISION IS MADE? I WOULD PROPOSE TABLING OR POSTPONING THIS DECISION UNTIL THE WORKING SESSION. WHICH WORKING SESSION? >> THE NEXT WORK SESSION. THE NEXT WORK SESSION? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I WOULD --WELL, I WANT TO THANK MS. TENORIO FOR SORT OF DRIVING THIS EFFORT AND GETTING US TO THIS POINT, IN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL CONVERSATION FOR US TO HAVE, AS A SCHOOL BOARD. THAT BEING SAID, I DO NOT THINK WE ARE CLEAR ENOUGH ON OUR OPTIONS OR WHAT WE NECESSARILY WANT AND WE WOULD NEED TO PONDER, SLIGHTLY. WE NEED SOME TIME TO HASH IT OUT, IF YOU WILL. SO, I WOULD CONCUR WITH MEMBER -- MS. TENORIO.

134AND MR. WOFFORD, JUST SO I DON'T LEAVE YOU OUT? I AGREE WITH MS. TENORIO, AS WELL, THAT WE SHOULD GATHER MORE DATA. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, GIVEN THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE NEED FOR SUCH SERVICES, WHEN THE FULL BOARD IS PRESENT. NO, NOT WHEN THE FULL BOARD IS PRESENT, BUT THE NEXT WORKING SESSION. SO -- ALTHOUGH, I WOULD LIKE THE FULL BOARD TO BE PRESENT. I WOULD, TOO. >> GREAT, THAT IS IDEAL. IT IS IDEAL. WERE ABSCESS WHICH WORK SESSION WILL THAT BE? THE EXTENDED, OR THE --SORRY, KIND OF A MOVING TARGET, I GUESS. THE ONLY ONE WE DO --CAN WE DO AN ACTION ON A WORK SESSION, NOT AN EXTENDED WORK SESSION? BOARD RETREAT? [ LAUGHTER ] I WOULD LIKE

135TO ASK MS. GALLEGOS IF WE CAN DO A --IF WE CAN DO A --IF WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON AN ITEM DURING AN EXTENDED WORK SESSION/RETREAT? PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. THAT WOULD BE UP TO YOU, ALL, IN THE AGENDA SETTING PROCESS BY YOU, ALL, DESIGNATED TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS AND AS LONG AS YOU ARE COMPLYING AND MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THE BOARD EXPECTS TO TAKE ACTION, YOU CAN TAKE ACTION. ANY REGULAR OR SPECIAL MEETING, AND YOUR EXTENDED WORK SESSIONS AND WORK SESSIONS WOULD BE CONSIDERED SPECIAL MEETINGS. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO, GIVEN THAT, MS. TENORIO, SINCE YOU ARE THE ONE WHO STARTED IT, DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE ON THE FRIDAY MEETING, OR THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY MEETING? THE FEBRUARY 27th, OR MARCH 3rd? PRESIDENT CORT, IF I MAY?

136>> OF COURSE. JUST A CONSIDERATION FOR THE FEBRUARY 27th MEETING, WE JUST ADDED SOME MORE MY ITEMS, SO IT IS A PRETTY STACKED MEETING. JUST A CONSIDERATION FOR OKAY, OF COURSE. >> WERE WE ABLE TO ADD CLOSED SESSION TO FRIDAY? PRESIDENT CORT, THAT IS EXACTLY THE COMMENT I WAS GOING TO MAKE. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF WHAT THE MEAT IS, IS FURTHER NEGOTIATION, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO, GIVEN THE STACKED AGENDA, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT YOU DEFER IT TO THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING. SO, THE MARCH 3rd? OKAY. OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE. I'M CONFUSED. IT'S -- I THOUGHT YOU SAID TUESDAY WAS GOING TO BE STACKED, MARCH THE THIRD? NO, WEBER 27th, THE FRIDAY MEETING. EXTENDED WORK SESSION? >> THAT WOULD BE THE EXTENDED WORK SESSION. OH, OKAY. I WOULD RECOMMEND TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd. EXCELLENT.

137ALL RIGHT, WE WILL START THAT MOTION AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION, DISCUSSION, FOR THE NEED FOR THESE SERVICES AT THE MARCH 3rd WORK SESSION. SO MOVED. SECOND. >> MOVED BY MS. TENORIO, SECONDED BY MR. NOLAN. MR. NOLAN, IF YOU WOULD, FOR THE LAST TIME THIS EVENING? MS. TENORIO? YES. >> SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. AND PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES. ALL RIGHT. 4-0. PRESIDENT CORT, IF I MAY JUST ASK, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT --IS THERE ANY FURTHER CLARIFICATION THAT YOU NEED US TO GET, IN PREPARATION FOR THAT MEETING? FROM THE PERSPECTIVE -- RIGHT, RIGHT. I'M JUST NOT SURE IF THERE IS ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED US TO GET AHEAD OF TIME? [ INAUDIBLE - LOW VOLUME ] EXACTLY. YEAH,

138SO, WHEN WE LOOKED AT EACH OF THOSE SERVICES, WHAT THOSE WOULD ENTAIL, INDIVIDUALLY, AND NOT AS A GROUP, AND THEN, WHAT THAT DOES TO THE REPORTS SECTION AT THE END. PERFECT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >> YOU WANT ME TO EXPAND UPON THAT? I AM KIND OF, LIKE, NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF A TIGHT ROPE THIS IS WHEN IT COMES TO CLOSED SESSION AND OPEN. LIKE, WHAT I CAN SAY. SO, PRESIDENT CORT, MEMBER TENORIO, BASICALLY, THE RESPONSE IS CONFIDENTIAL. WHAT IS NOT CONFIDENTIAL, AT THIS STAGE. WHAT IS NOT CONFIDENTIAL, IS THIS OUTPUT, THIS SOLICITATION. AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN OPEN SESSION DISCUSSION ABOUT WANTING WHAT I BELIEVE YOU ALL REFERRED TO AS SORT OF A CAFETERIA PLAN. AND SO, THE RESPONSE INCLUDED THAT. AND SO, WOULD I AM UNDERSTANDING IS THAT PRESIDENT CORT

139IS SUGGESTING IS THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, THAT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, THAT THE FINANCE TEAM PURSUE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VENDOR ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, AS PART OF THE NEGOTIATION. BUT, WHAT WE CAN'T DO HERE, IS DISCLOSE THE SPECIFICS, BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS, WE CAN'T DISCLOSE THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSAL WE RECEIVED. SO, TO CLARIFY, I'M SAYING, THE FIRST OPTION, WE TAKE THAT OUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL THING ALL ON ITS OWN, AND THEN THE SECOND OPTION, AND THEN THE THIRD OPTION, SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE PRESS THEM OUT INDIVIDUALLY, IN OUR CAFETERIA STYLE WAY. AND THEN, THAT WOULD --THEN, THAT WOULD TAKE THE FOURTH AND FIFTH OPTIONS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THERE. YES. >> OKAY. SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, JUST FOR CLARITY, MY SUGGESTION

140IS THAT YOU ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION, ON TOP OF THE MOTION THAT IS ALREADY PAST, TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCE TEAM TO PURSUE INFORMATION GATHERING AS PART OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. I GUESS, THAT WOULD BE THE MARCH 3rd BOARD MEETING. YEAH. >> SO, NOT OUR NEXT MEETING, BUT MARCH 3rd. CAN I.D. AS VAGUE, AS TO PURSUE OPTIONS? SO, I'M AUTHORIZING THE FINANCE TEAM TO PURSUE -- REALLY, IT'S, PURSUE THE LINE OF QUESTIONING AROUND OPTIONS, AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE BOARD. AT THE MARCH 3rd BOARD MEETING. ALL RIGHT. >> DOES THAT GIVE YOU GUYS WHAT YOU NEED? YES, YES. YES, MA'AM. >> DOES THAT WORK? YES. >> OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCE

141TEAM TO PURSUE THE LINE OF QUESTIONS LINE OF OPTIONS, AS DISCUSSED IN THIS MEETING, AS PART OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS TO BE FURTHER DISCUSSED IN OUR BOARD MEETING ON MARCH 3rd. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. WOFFORD. >> OH, WE ARE DOING A NEW MOTION? YES. OKAY. SECOND. >> THANK YOU, MS. TENORIO. ALL RIGHT, I SAID IT WAS THE LAST ONE, AND THAT WAS -- NOT TRUE. MS. TENORIO? HONESTLY, THE HARDEST PART OF THIS IS GETTING IT RIGHT, SO MS. TENORIO DOESN'T GIVE ME THE STINK EYE OVER THERE. MS. TENORIO? I DON'T GIVE STINK EYES. WHAT'S UP? HE JUST -->> OH! >> [ LAUGHTER ] "I DON'T GIVE STINK EYES." I VOTE YES. SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> AND PRESIDENT CORT? >> I VOTE YES. AND I HOPE

142MY MOTION WAS CLEAR, IN THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAVEZ, MR. LIU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHTY, EVERYBODY, HERE WE ARE. SO, THE LAST THING WE HAVE, OUR BOARD REPORTS. WHO WOULD LIKE TO START US? LET ME HAVE MR. WOFFORD START US OFF WITH BOARD REPORTS. I THINK, REMOTELY, I AM GOING TO PASS ON THAT, AND MOVE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING. ALRIGHTY. THANK YOU, MR. WOFFORD. MS. TENORIO? IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, AND I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A REPORT TODAY. I JUST WANT TO -- THAT IS FINE. AND A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! THANK YOU. >> MR. NOLAN PUT >> FOR MY BOARD REPORT,

143I WILL BE SINGING, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY." JUST GETTING BIRD NO, NO! I WILL GIVE YOU STINK EYE. DO NOT! [ LAUGHTER ] THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I THINK MUCH LIKE SUPERINTENDENT RUIZ, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STUDENT WALKOUTS THAT HAPPENED EARLIER THIS MONTH. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, HOW PROUD I WAS OF THOSE STUDENTS FOR DOING THAT, WHEN WAS IT, EARLY FEBRUARY, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO? I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE AFRAID OF STUDENTS USING THEIR VOICES AND THEIR ACTIVISM, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING. WE, AS A DISTRICT, WE TALK ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING AND I HEAR ABOUT IT IN THE CLASSROOMS. WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME, IS THESE STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING. SO, WELL DONE, EVERYBODY.

144WELL DONE, STUDENTS. SO, REALLY PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO --I WANT TO PUSH BACK --THERE IS SOME INFORMATION THAT IS STAYING THESE STUDENTS --THEY ARE TAKING AWAY THESE STUDENTS' AGENCY AND SAYING THAT THEY WERE MANIPULATED OR PUSHED TO DO THIS, AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY DISRESPECTFUL, RIGHT? I THINK WHEN STUDENTS ARE SEEING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MINNEAPOLIS, CHICAGO, I MEAN, PLACES ALL OVER, THEY ARE SEEING THEIR COMMUNITY IN LAS CRUCES AND THEY ARE TAKING ACTION, SO I REALLY WANT TO PUSH BACK -- THERE WAS THIS RUMOR THAT IT WAS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS. SO, I LOOKED THIS GROUP UP, THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THEM, IS THAT THEY DO NOT EXIST. [ LAUGHTER ] THEY APPEAR TO BE A MIX OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS AND THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION,

145AND SOMEBODY HAS DECIDED TO PUT THEM TOGETHER. THE CLOSEST I COULD FIND WAS THE NATIONAL TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF SINGING TEACHERS. I DON'T THINK THE SINGING TEACHERS WERE BEHIND THESE EFFORTS, FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THAT. SO, I'M JUST --I'M PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS. I WANT TO ALSO --DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, ALL OF OUR PRINCIPLES, FOR THE WAY THEY HANDLED THAT SITUATION. SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO LAS CRUCES POLICE DEPARTMENT. I THINK THE WATER BOTTLES AT THE END OF MAYFIELD WAS A REALLY NICE TOUCH. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND I KNOW THEY FOLLOWED THOSE STUDENTS FROM CENTENNIAL TO THE GRAND TOUR OF LAS CRUCES, SO ALL OF THAT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED. SO, YES, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, ON THAT PIECE. ANOTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT -- WE JUST GOT OUR BUDGET SURVEY RESULTS AND WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR, SO THIS

146IS THE FOURTH YEAR WE HAVE DONE IT AND THERE IS THE THEME ABOUT SAFETY THAT KEEPS COMING UP EVERY YEAR, AND I AM --I AM SORT OF WONDERING --I FEEL LIKE WE ARE MISSING THE MARK ON STUDENT SAFETY SOME HOW AND I WANT US TO FIGURE THIS OUT AS A DISTRICT AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF SAFETY BECAUSE WE HAVE INVESTED IN SAFETY THROUGH THESE LAST FOUR YEARS. AND ALL GOOD INVESTMENTS, THINGS THAT HAVE MADE SENSE. THE ENTRY SYSTEMS, UPDATED CAMERAS, THE WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS --THESE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE, BUT WE ARE NOT SEEING IT MOVE THE NEEDLE AND SURVEY RESULTS. SO, I'M WONDERING, WHAT OTHER PIECES WE ARE MISSING? AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE US TO BE BETTER ABOUT, HOW ARE WE SORT OF DEFINING SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOLS

147AND GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT? BECAUSE I JUST DON'T THINK THIS SURVEY IS GETTING US TO THAT POINT, ANYMORE. IT'S --WE HAVE GOT TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT THIS, AND I TALKED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, WHAT I SUGGESTED IS THAT WE CHANNEL SOMETHING --I THINK THERE'S TWO PLACES WE CAN CHANNEL THESE EFFORTS. THERE IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE, OR AN EQUITY COUNSEL. I HESITATE WITH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SORT OF A BIG RIFT AND SORT OF A WHOLE THING THAT THEY ARE ALL ALREADY DOING ALREADY, AND I THINK THE EQUITY COUNSEL IS PUTTING RESOURCES INTO THIS PLACE. WE HAVE A FACILITATOR. I THINK THAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO CHANNEL THIS, AND REALLY JUST SORT OF BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, HOW ARE WE DEFINING SAFE SCHOOLS? SO, I JUST REALLY WANT TO JUST SORT OF

148SPUR A CONVERSATION AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO AROUND THIS. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THINGS TO THINK ON. I RECENTLY HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO INDIA, AND I JUST GOT BACK, AND I HAD --ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS WAS I GOT TO GO VISIT A SCHOOL ON INDIA'S REPUBLIC DAY, WHICH IS THE DAY THE INDIANS SIGNED THEIR CONSTITUTION SO THAT THEY WOULD BECOME A REPUBLIC AND THAT HAPPENED IN 1958, VERY RECENTLY. I REALLY WANTED TO GO INSIDE THE SCHOOL, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY DID NOT ARISE, BUT I GOT TO SPEAK TO TEACHERS, AND I GOT TO SPEAK TO THE STUDENTS, WHO ARE ALL JUST SO SWEET AND JUST A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER THAT KIDS --THAT WE ARE ALL THE SAME. I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD,

149AND ALL THE KIDS WANTED TO TAKE SELFIES AND ALL OF THE BOYS ARE DOING THIS IN THE BACK AND ALL THE GIRLS ARE JUST SMILING. THAT WHEN --THAT WHEN WE START JUDGING PEOPLE BY HOW THEY LOOK, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS JUST GET UP CLOSE, AND SPEAK WITH THEM, AND REALIZE THAT WE ARE ALL THE SAME. AND IT WAS JUST --IT WAS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL TO BE AT THIS INDIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOOL WATCHING THEM RAISE THE INDIAN FLAG AND PROUD INDEPENDENCE, THEMSELVES. ANYWAY, THAT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. I ALSO --SPEAKING OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO DO --WENT TO THE SPRING SPORTS MEDIA DAY. DR. MILLER TOMLINSON AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT A BREEZE HAD COME UP --NOTHING LIKE TODAY, THINK GOODNESS --BUT WE ARE LIKE, SPRING SPORTS, HERE IT IS, THANK GOODNESS, THE WIND

150HAS ARRIVED, AND IT ARRIVED. BUT, TO SEE ALL THE KIDS IN THEIR ELEMENT, TO SEE HOW OUR MEDIA TEAM HAS INCLUDED STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER, SO WE HAD RGPI THERE DOING THEIR SETUPS AND DOING ALL THE THINGS THEY DID AT THE LAST MEDIA DAY AND I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH THEM. SAMANTHA TOOK A REALLY SWEET PICTURE OF ME, AND OF COURSE LOGAN IS GIVING THE BUNNY EARS, BUT IT WAS THE BEST. SO, JUST SPEAKING WITH STUDENTS, BEING THE SAME WHEREVER THEY ARE, THEY ARE, THEY ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEINGS AND I'M REALLY PROUD TO SERVE THEM ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND SO, WITH THAT, I WILL CALL THIS MEETING DONE AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, ALL, NUMBER ONE, WAITING FOR US, I AM SORRY WE WERE RUNNING LATE, BUT HERE WE ARE, AT THE

151END. I WOULD --OH, ONE MORE TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MS. TENORIO? WAIT, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. >> SECOND. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. MOVED BY NOLAN, SECONDED BY TENORIO. ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. MS. TENORIO? YES. SECRETARY NOLAN VOTES YES. VICE PRESIDENT WOFFORD? YES. >> AND PRESIDENT CORT? I VOTE YES. THANK YOU,