Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board Meeting - January 15, 2026

The Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board (CAB) met on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM in Mesquite City Hall. The board approved consent items, heard reports from school principals and district staff, discussed upcoming fiscal year grant funding, and received updates from board members and community partners. The meeting adjourned at 5:44 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Thursday, November 20, 2025 Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board Meeting Minutes and the Thursday, January 15, 2026 meeting agenda. Motion passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during either of the designated public comment periods.

Discussion Items

Principals Comments and Reports

• Matt Bennett, Principal of Virgin Valley Elementary School, reported on ongoing and upcoming events: a math and science night on January 15 (theme: escape room to get away from the abominable snowman), kindergarten roundup, and a summer bridge program for pre-K students using CAB grant funds. He noted that the district has Martin Luther King Jr. Day off (January 19) and a staff development day the following Monday. Other events include a walk-a-thon (February 3 – March 5), literacy night (March 5), and the school musical Shrek (March 10-12). He also mentioned a planned kindergarten/preschool initiative aligned with the new superintendent's "core four" focus.
• Jadale Wilson, Principal of Hughes Middle School, reported enrollment of 553 students (up 5 from the start of the year) and chronic absenteeism at 19% (below 20% for the first time in a while). He highlighted a robotics tournament on December 6, 2025, where one team won overall team matches and programming, qualifying for state in late February. Other updates included principal's roundtable lunches with students (resulting in immediate fixes like a drinking fountain filter), boy's basketball (4-3 record), girl's basketball, after-school clubs, and use of CAB grant funds for a game room, robotics supplies, Hope Squad activities, and a unified games event with Lion Middle School on February 13. He also mentioned a combined reading/hope week in March featuring guest speaker Tia Stokes from St. George.
• Chris Jenkins, Principal of Joseph Buller Elementary School, reported on after-school programs (tutoring and play rehearsals for Dare to Dream, a Disney musical), a winter concert, a science fair on January 21, and reading week in early March. He noted that CAB grant funds help pay for a late bus and tutoring for 76 students.
• Mari Perkins, Associate Superintendent, provided updates on the district's strategic plan under Superintendent Ebert, including a survey with nearly 50,000 responses. She announced a virtual public input session on February 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM at Virgin Valley High School, and noted that facility master plan sessions would likely return to the rural community later in the spring.

Administrative Items – Upcoming Fiscal Year Grant Funding

• The board discussed the process for allocating CAB grant funds for the upcoming fiscal year (July 2026 – June 2027). Board members expressed frustration with the previous year's unclear and shifting guidelines from the city council. They emphasized the need for clear, hard rules and a fixed dollar amount so principals can prepare proposals without confusion. A motion was made and seconded to request that the city provide strict guidelines for principals to submit funding requests, as soon as possible.

Board Members Comments and Reports

• Nikki Matter, Mesquite Works Steam Center, reported that the Steam Center had over 6,000 visitors in 2025, over 1,200 members, and provided 15,372 educational hours. Upcoming events include a drone tournament on February 21 and drone team competitions in Las Vegas on February 7. She also mentioned discussions about expanding into the adjacent Juniper Outpost space.
• Jeff Fritz (new board member) introduced himself: a former police chief and municipal mayor from Illinois, now living in Mesquite. He expressed interest in visiting each school to meet principals and learn about their needs.
• Another board member gave a brief update on spring sports: first track meet February 28 in Las Vegas, with returning state placers.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Approved (Nov 20, 2025 minutes and Jan 15, 2026 agenda).
• Motion passed to request the city provide clear guidelines—including a dollar amount—for the upcoming fiscal year grant funding process. The board will work with city staff to obtain these guidelines as soon as possible.
• Board members and staff will continue to coordinate on grant fund allocation and school needs.