Superintendent updates board on strategic plan, solar grant phase and community outreach

Superintendent Grover told the board the district is advancing several districtwide initiatives, including strategic-plan work, community contact outreach for a Nexus steering group, and solar-for-schools funding.

Grover said the district recently held strategic-plan work sessions and has produced framed copies for display in each building. He asked board members to send community contact names and emails to a consultant (Nexus) who will begin outreach and expects to return to the district on Nov. 3; Grover asked board members to provide up to three names by the end of the week.

On solar, Grover said the district received “the thumbs up for phase 1” of the solar-for-schools process and that money is set aside contingent on a successful second-round approval. He described the next step as issuing an RFP to choose a firm to write and manage the grant application and said any vendor recommendations would return to the board for approval before the district proceeds.

Grover also noted an Oct. 21 deadline for Northwest Service Cooperative openings for school-board member seats and encouraged board members to indicate interest if they want the district to support an application. He reported that the teacher contract is on the agenda and that negotiations with principals and the negotiation team will follow if the contract receives committee and board approval.

Nut graf: The superintendent framed the items as routine district planning and grant-development steps; board members were asked to supply community contacts on a short timeline and told that next steps for solar and contract approvals will return to the board for action.

Board members discussed timeline logistics for outreach and asked for an email reminder; Grover agreed to send one. No formal action was taken on the solar or strategic-plan items at the meeting.