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 and IDEA funding in a dedicated pool. Board members and staff flagged potential legal and funding uncertainty, particularly around Title I and special education funding and an awaited Supreme Court decision on E-rate funding for school and library internet access.

On state advocacy, board members and staff said they expect hearings this spring related to wildfire-related Average Daily Membership (ADM) security for the four affected districts. Staff identified a tentative House Education Committee hearing on March 12 for continued wildfire ADM relief and encouraged attendance by staff, students and families.

Curriculum staff presented a recommended health curriculum adoption for board action at a future meeting. Tiffany (staff member) said the Oregon Department of Education selected single options at each level: for K–8 the district’s long-used Great Body Shop (Children’s Health Market), and for high school a program called LiveWell (Human Kinetics). “The only 1 that was marked acceptable by meeting state standards is called LiveWell,” Tiffany said. The high-school program would supply the yearlong material the district needs; staff said high-school teachers will map which semester content covers ninth- and eleventh-grade requirements.

Staff described plans to address missed instructional time after recent weather-related closures. Brent noted the high school is not currently meeting required instructional hours; with a two-hour delay planned for the next school day the district will need to add time. Options under consideration include converting a previously noncontract day (the Friday before Memorial Day) to a regular school day or converting a minimum day into a full day.

Board members also discussed facility and community items in brief committee reports, including progress on partitioning land for a Boys & Girls Club and related infrastructure planning for two soccer fields, and a voluntary DEQ cleanup process tied to that site.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda — Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented; outcome: approved by voice vote with no objections recorded (mover/second not specified in transcript).

- Adopt OSBA criteria for evaluating the superintendent — Motion to adopt the OSBA criteria as presented; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Holly — yes; Polly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — yes; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes.

- TES solar contract (TES photovoltaic + battery backup contract with vendor Amaresco referenced in packet) — Motion to approve TES solar contract as presented; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Holly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — yes; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes; (final speaker confirmed approval).

- Board member development funds request (Nancy Castillo McInnis) — Motion to approve funds request for Nancy Castillo McInnis; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Polly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — abstain; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes; others — yes.

- Family and medical leave policy (GCBDA/GDBDA) — Motion to approve policy changes as presented; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Polly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — yes; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes.

- Domestic violence/harassment/assault/bias/stalking leave policy (GCBDC/GDBDC) — Motion to approve changes as presented; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Polly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — yes; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes.

- Sick time policy (GCBDD/GDBDD) — Motion to approve changes as presented; outcome: approved. Vote recorded in meeting: Dawn — yes; Polly — yes; Sarah — yes; Nancy Castillo McInnis — yes; Rick — yes; Rebecca — yes.

What the votes mean and next steps

- TES solar: Staff noted the vendor holds the grant and that the district’s exposure to federal grant changes is limited by contract language; staff asked the vendor to proceed with ordering equipment so the system could be placed into service by fall.

- Curriculum adoption: Health curriculum recommendations were informational; the board will take formal action on health-adoption items at a future meeting after the public-review period.

- Legislative and funding items: Staff and board members urged coordinated advocacy at the federal level to protect Title I and IDEA funding and noted OSBA is organizing district testimony on special-education funding and potential adjustments to the special-education cost-reimbursement cap.

Meeting context and community relevance

The meeting included routine governance business and several substantive operational items. Engagement level: multiple staff reports, a lengthy legislative update and several action votes; most items passed unanimously or with a single abstention recorded. Implementation risk: the TES solar project carries vendor/grant dependencies but was described by staff as low risk because the contractor is grant-holding; wildfire ADM relief depends on upcoming state hearings and reconciliation actions. Community impacts discussed include potential effects on instructional hours for high-school students, health curriculum content and supports for pregnant and parenting students (staff described an individualized plan and additional funding weight for those students).

Ending

Board members closed by confirming logistics for an upcoming superintendent-evaluation session and by thanking staff for snow-day operations and communications that kept students safe during recent weather-related disruptions.