The Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education held a regular meeting Tuesday at the school’s administration building:

• Superintendent Rhonda Seidenwurm moved to amend the agenda because two board members were absent due to illness. Discussion of the items removed from the agenda will take place at a separate meeting. The board did not decide on when that meeting would take place.

• The board approved the adoption of a resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of General Obligation Refunding Bonds in the principal amount of $6,485,000 from 2000.

The bond was refinanced by SAMCO Capital Markets out of Dallas, Texas at a 1.9 percent interest rate. Refinancing from the previous 5.2 percent rate saved the district $545,000, according to a report presented by Kevin Powers of RBC Financial.

• The board approved the first step in obtaining a new middle school under a lease purchase agreement.

Art Melendrez, the district’s attorney, presented the board with the intentions to begin exploring the option to build a new middle school via lease purchase agreement. Melendrez said the first step is to obtain in writing the assurance of the Public School Facility Authorities’ match of 80 percent of the cost, which would amount to about $24 million.

Joel Shirley, deputy superintendent of operations, spoke to the board about soliciting a firm or firms for the design, construction and financing of the new school. Shirley stressed that this initial stage would cost the district nothing. Board member Max Best stressed that the action “is merely an exploratory measure.”

• The board approved a request for permission to travel by the Yucca Middle School Student Council. Sixteen students and two sponsors will travel to Albuquerque for an annual rewards trip. The students earned points for the trip based on community service.

• The board accepted the gift of a Centennial Cow for Barry Elementary School. The gift was given by Kevin and Lexi Myers. The value of the gift was $1,200.

• The board approved a waiver request for the New Mexico High School Competency Exam.

— Compiled by CNJ staff writer Liliana Castillo