April 3, 2025 – The Clovis Unified Governing Board Meeting for Wednesday, April 2nd, was jam-packed with celebrations and important updates for the school district.
As individuals poured into the Professional Development Building at 6:15PM, many of those in attendance were the athletic coaches of Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) celebrating CIF championship wins for the winter season.
The room buzzed with anticipation as attendees, including coaches, administrators, and students speculated about the accomplishments that would be recognized this evening.
Shortly after the scheduled start time, at 6:38PM, Student Representative Sajan Gill from Clovis North High School led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and gave his last Student Board report as outgoing President of the senior class.
In his report, Gill highlighted the accomplishments, events, and initiatives across the district, beginning with Buchanan High School.
At Buchanan, Gill spoke about the St. Baldrick’s event, raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. He also shared further details, sharing about university acceptances – notably one to Princeton University – and unity week events across various campuses.
Superintendent Dr. Corrine Folmer also shared exciting updates during her Superintendent Report for the evening.
She highlighted the achievements of the Buchanan Robotics Team, the Bird Brains, who were accepted to the 2025 FIRST Robotics Championship, taking place in a few weeks in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Folmer also notified board members and audience members about upcoming appreciation days for CUSD staff, such as Adult Education Week, National School Librarian Day, and School Bus Driver Day.
Following these remarks, Support Areas Assistant Steve France took to the podium to introduce Athletic Directors and sport coaches across the district who are celebrating CIF section and state championships.
In a majorly successful season, Clovis Unified won six CIF section championships, two CIF state team championships, and five individual CIF championships.
“These athletes are putting countless hours of hard work and dedication and preparation for their season, continually pushing themselves to new heights, and we cannot be prouder of all their accomplishments,” shared Clovis North Cheer Coach Devin Balbach.
Balbach’s team competed at the D1 level for competitive cheerleading for the first time in Clovis North Competitive Cheer history. This, she stated, “requires a remarkable level of skill, which takes years of practice and dedication to develop.”
The team also received their fourth consecutive CIF Central Section Championship and third place at Nationals. At Nationals, they competed against seasoned D1-level teams, yet came home with a third place victory.
With other CUSD teams earning similar accomplishments, a clear pattern of thriving sports programs has become a hallmark of the district.
Tiffany Stoker-Madsen, the Governing Board member representing Area 3, commented after the recognitions. She praised their devotion to students, highlighting their role in developing not only athletic abilities but also character.
“As a parent of a student athlete, this student athlete spends more time with his coaches than he does with me,” she stated. “Thank you for what you invest in our students, not just in their sport, but also [for] developing them into the kind of human beings that we want them to be.”
Stoker-Madsen’s words brought a sweet end to the recognition of these athletic teams, but more sentimental recognitions were to follow.
Assistant Superintendent for the Clovis East Area Jennifer Thomas began the next special presentation, announcing the naming of a building at the McFarland-Coffman Agriculture Center at Clovis East High School.
Clovis East Ag Science teacher Jennifer Knight was flushed with pride as she addressed the board, speaking about the renaming of the facility for Ken Diaz, a former agriculture teacher from Clovis Unified.
Diaz, she explained, had not only greatly impacted Clovis Unified but also held a special place in her heart as one of her first agriculture teachers in high school.
She explained, “There’s so many people in the community that have been really impacted by his mentorship and his legacy … he has been with the program for so long and made such an impact that his name needs to be represented somewhere.”
That “somewhere” will be the livestock barn at the agriculture center on the Clovis East campus, being renamed the Ken Diaz Livestock Barn.
While Knight spoke, Diaz sat a few seats to the right of the podium where she addressed the board, tears filling his eyes, deeply moved by the announcement.
After the announcement, he sincerely expressed his appreciation to the Governing Board and the school district as a whole for maintaining the agriculture program throughout the years.
He recalled his years as a teacher, sharing his excitement about being interviewed by Doc Buchanan, first and long-time superintendent of CUSD. “I felt his passion for kids, felt his love,” Diaz stated. “He just had a love for kids, and I wanted to follow him in that.”
President Yolanda Moore then presented Diaz with an engraved plaque detailing some of his accomplishments and the details of the renaming of the livestock barn in his honor.
She highlighted some of his most major victories, namely eleven FFA national championships and nine reserve national championships, as well as mentorship to over sixty teachers and hundreds of students.
In his speech, Diaz highlighted that while it is honorable to be recognized for victories like these, the true value lies in promoting student success and preparing them for life after high school.
Diaz’s words are a valuable reminder about the reasons why we aim for victory in our endeavors – not because of the recognition we receive as a result of them, but rather for how they contribute to the lives of those around us.
Those interested in learning more about the Governing Board Meetings are encouraged to view the agenda and minutes for past meetings or learn about the Governing Board on the CUSD website or attend a meeting every other Tuesday at 6:30PM in the Professional Development Building.