Student group Emerald Keepers commits $25,000 seed for potential CUSD solar project after fundraiser and Rotary grant

Members of the Coronado High School student environmental club Emerald Keepers told the Governing Board that a recent art-auction fundraiser, combined with a small grant from Coronado Rotary, produced $25,000 in seed money the group plans to commit toward a potential solar project with Coronado Unified School District.

Kaylee Lindsey, president of Emerald Keepers, summarized the club's spring activities: an April 24 art auction with 21 attendees and 39 donated art pieces from eight local artists (one of whom is a student intern), and a Coronado Rotary grant that together enabled the $25,000 seed contribution. Lindsey said the group is ready to commit the seed money toward a possible district solar project.

The Emerald Keepers described broader community and volunteer impacts: 14 student interns completed more than 570 volunteer hours this year; the CHS garden donated over 100 pounds of produce to the Imperial Beach (IB) food pantry this year; and the Coronado Crops program collected almost 1,400 pounds of produce in 2025 and nearly 2,000 pounds since the program began. The club also reported plans to combine high-school and middle-school garden spaces and noted improvements from an Eagle Scout project that added five new garden boxes.

Club leaders said they look forward to discussing a potential solar project with district staff. The board recognized the students' volunteer work and the seed commitment; no district funding or formal district approval for a solar installation was recorded at the meeting.