Phoenix-Talent School Board approves TES solar contract, adopts evaluation criteria and several personnel policies

The Phoenix-Talent School District 4 Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a contract to install solar panels and battery backup at TES, adopted evaluation criteria for the superintendent and approved several personnel-policy updates, while hearing extended updates on federal and state education legislation and curriculum recommendations.

The board voted to approve a contract with a solar developer for a photovoltaic and battery system at TES. Board members said the contract is structured so the vendor holds the grant funding and the district’s exposure to grant changes is limited. “We're, like, twice removed from that process, and that company also has some protections built in,” a board member said during discussion.

The board also voted unanimously to adopt the Oregon School Boards Association criteria for evaluating the superintendent, part of an ongoing evaluation process the district will complete this month.

In discussion items before the votes, Superintendent Brent (superintendent) told the board the district is tracking rising Public Employees Retirement System obligations. “We still are keeping an eye on the purse rates. We talked about that, increasing percentage next year or the next biennium, at nearly 9% for us,” he said, and noted advisers were cautioning against additional pension bonds. Brent said the district will return to the board with planning options for the 2027–29 biennium.

District staff and board members also discussed federal and state legislative developments that could affect district funding. Don (staff member), who reported from recent OSBA/NSBA meetings in Washington, D.C., summarized federal proposals and new bills, including a measure he described as “a HR 99, and that's to get rid of the Department of Education,” and mentioned a proposed Keep Our PACT Act intended to secure Title I…