Tuesday, February 10, 2026

The Reed Union School District board opened its February meeting by swearing in a newly appointed trustee, then spent much of the evening weighing the future of the district's Mosaic outdoor-education program and how to fund social-emotional learning within a tight budget. Portions of the meeting audio were unclear, so this summary reflects only what could be confirmed from the recording.

New Trustee Sworn In

The Honorable Judge Howard administered the oath of office to a newly appointed trustee, identified as Mike, who had been selected by the board for a provisional appointment on February 6 and was attending his first board meeting. The board welcomed him and paused briefly for photos before proceeding with the agenda. There was nothing to report from closed session, and the board approved the consent agenda.

Mosaic Outdoor Education and SEL Funding

The board's central discussion concerned the Mosaic outdoor-education program and how it fits within the district's social-emotional learning (SEL) and wellness work. Staff presented options that included discontinuing the program and reallocating roughly $96,000, or scaling it back to a smaller number of classes. Staff explained the practical constraints: Mosaic requires the classroom teacher to attend, the program runs in the fall based on family and staff logistics, and the limiting factor is how many teachers are willing to participate. Mosaic could accommodate roughly two to three classes but not three classes during the same week, and a scaled-down version was estimated at about $20,000 per class — meaning a two-class model would cost roughly $40,000 rather than the full program's cost of around $100,000.

Trustees were reluctant to simply repeat a discontinuation recommendation that had been raised the prior spring, noting how much further along the district's wellness-committee work had come since then. Several pressed for a transition approach that would preserve some connection to Mosaic — through a scaled-down offering or other means — rather than eliminating it outright, tying the discussion to the district's "vision of a graduate" and its broader investment in student wellness. Trustees also discussed that funding is not strictly one-for-one: the SEL budget could be increased for a year rather than cutting the program, though that money would have to be found elsewhere.

As part of the same conversation, staff indicated the plan to send the full fourth grade on the district's Gold Country trip, an offering open to all fourth-grade students, in the 2026–27 school year.

Board Direction

Rather than a clean up-or-down vote, the board moved toward giving staff direction to develop a scaled-down Mosaic option for further consideration, reflecting members' shared interest in keeping the experience available in some form while managing its cost. Because of the audio quality, the precise wording and outcome of the board's action on this item could not be fully verified from the recording; community members are encouraged to consult the official recording and approved minutes for the exact motion.