A new gymnasium request for Ann Parish Elementary was also added to the list.

The districts legislative priorities include continued funding for school improvement and the High School Reform Initiative as well as funding for the district's Early Childhood Literacy Initiative, Reading Recovery program, Early Literacy Teacher Training Institute and expanded pre-school and/or pre-school parent training program.

Capital projects included additional money to complete the planned Eastside Transportation Center and a host of projects at Valencia High School, including purchasing library books as well as turf and an all-weather track for the new football field, baseball and softball fields and new band uniforms.

Playing fields at the new Westside elementary school and Desert View Elementary as well as Manzano Vista Middle School and VHS also made the list as well as parking lot improvements at Peralta Elementary and funding for a new activity bus.

Improvements to the Solomon Luna Building were removed from the legislative priority list.

Superintendent Walt Gibson said he was happy that the board approved the lists — particularly since the capital bond priorities had been tabled at a previous meeting.

"Now we can get forward and move on it," he said. "Those two (lists) are really interrelated. But now we've set our building priorities for next four years."

The addition of the gym at Ann Parish Elementary and adding lights to the fields at Valencia High dominated the discussion prior to the votes, as did discussions on what the board wanted to accomplish with any renovations of the Solomon Luna building.

"The board really determines the priorities, and clearly if that's what they decide to do, then my job is to do," he said. "Basically making that decision (to remove Solomon Luna from the capital bond priorities list) means a new gym at Ann Parish is a higher priority"

The board also heard reports from Manzano Vista Middle School Principal David Yates and district Wellness and Student Support Coordinator Kirby Tillotson on the district's efforts to educate students with its new mental health program.

The board approved the district's E-rate application to continue funding its technology-based curriculums and computer-related technology and honored Katherine Gallegos Elementary principal Mildred Chavez, the 2007 National Distinguished Elementary School Principal of New Mexico.

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