New STEM outreach club proposed; Liberty University affiliation and book adoption (Educated) flagged for further review

District administrators presented a proposal for a new high‑school STEM outreach club on Sept. 16, saying students partnered with Mr. Eagles (a Project Lead the Way teacher) to increase interest in engineering. Unidentified Speaker 2 said the club is an "exciting" student opportunity and that the district has "an affiliation agreement with Liberty University" to allow student teachers and junior block teachers to be placed in the district; HR and the solicitor review such agreements.

Unidentified Speaker 1 thanked donor Jeffrey Batt and then raised a separate concern about the Liberty affiliation: citing Liberty’s "very, very religious orientation," the speaker asked whether student teachers from that institution might face conflicts teaching in a secular public district and whether separation of religious beliefs and teaching would be respected. Unidentified Speaker 3 responded that the district has hosted student teachers from many religious institutions and that administration was not concerned about the placement, and offered to follow up after the meeting to address the question further.

Separately, administrators introduced a proposed ninth‑grade book adoption of Educated but asked the board to defer action until October so board members can review a copy in the superintendent’s office for the next month. The administration recommended the adoption be considered at the October meeting after review.