GRANTS, N.M. – The school board meeting taking place on October 21 lasted an hour an a half in which the installation of Verkada in the Mesa View board was discussed, donations approved, and recognitions given.
Verkada Installation at Mesa View
Verkada, a security system that has interior and exterior cameras, as well as vape detection, has been implemented on campuses throughout the district. District security coordinator Jeremy Hocker stated “I feel that this is an area where we are actually a step ahead of some districts in our state.”
Mesa View Elementary is set to be completed in the summer of 2026, raising the thought of installing technology into the build. The Verkada rollout will be continued for the new campus, an extension of the original rollout.
It will be budgeted for and funded by capital bonds. Hocker explained “House Bill 450 was passed in legislation. $50,000,000 was set to be split amongst 89 school districts… Grants Cibola County Schools, I think stands to receive $918,000.”
The board approved this for $235,846.30.
Donations
Two donations were approved during this meeting. The first, a donation to Grants FFA. GHS FFA advisor Amador Gonzales explained that he put in an application with the national empathy day organization for a new program they’re doing called travel assistance grants. The program is partners with sponsors to find funding for students that can’t afford to go to National FFA events, with the money being distributed nationwide. The GHS FFA’s entire trip for an upcoming event will cost $3,700, the amount donated to them is $3,000.
The Grants High School Softball teams received a donation from a group of parents. This donation will include labor, supplies, and expertise for construction of softball batting cage traveling softball team and will not exceed $5,000.
Recognitions
The recipients of the Social Emotional Learning October 2025 awards were Lisa Prendergast and Kayla Brownfield. Prendergast is the new Milan Elementary School assistant principal, Brownfield, formerly a math teacher, is now the assistant principal at Mesa View Elementary School, both of whom Superintendent Lane Widner said is “doing a phenomenal job.”
The Edu-Champion belt recipient is Vanessa Marquez, who is “doing an excellent job.”
Upcoming
November 6, 2025: Regular Board Meeting November 24-28, 2025: District Closed Thanksgiving Break December 4-6, 2025: NMSBA Annual Conference in Albuquerque, NM.