The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District voted unanimously to approve two items that would expedite the progress of Benicia High School’s stadium renovation project at a short Thursday meeting.

The stadium project is one of the largest projects to be funded by Measure S, an initiative approved by voters in 2014 to provide $49.6 million in bond funding to special projects to improve the well-being of students at all BUSD schools. Completed projects include repainting at Benicia High, new playgrounds at Mary Farmar Elementary School and Matthew Turner Elementary School, fixing the roof at Benicia Middle School and installing a new phone system at all seven schools.

The first item to be approved was the awarding of a contract for the project to the lowest bidder. Measure S Bond Director Roxanne Egan said that Bothman Construction out of Santa Clara was the lowest bidder with a total of $9.1 million. This price does not include the cost of team buildings and storage buildings, which will be handled by a separate contractor.

The board voted 3-0— trustees Diane Ferrucci and Andre Stewart were not present— to approve the award. Superintendent Charles Young asked when groundbreaking on the project would start so that he could set up a photo-op.

“We want to make sure with all these projects that we chronicle them well and take lots of nice photos, so the public can share our excitement about this project,” he said.

Egan said there was an insurance process contracting staff would have to go through, but a groundbreaking opportunity could be scheduled for the board independently.

Trustee Peter Morgan suggested reaching out to supporters of Measure S and inviting them to the groundbreaking.

The second item was for change orders for the project to not exceed 3 percent of the contract price. This would allow minor construction changes due to unforeseen conditions to proceed without delays to construction or the need for more board meetings.

Morgan suggested that it would be easier to pick a number and approve changes due to a possibly fluctuating cost.

“Otherwise, you’re constantly trying to figure out what 3 percent is,” he said.

Egan noted that it would be 3 percent of the awarded bid, which is $9.1 million. She also noted that it was an aggregate number. Once again, the board voted 3-0 to approve the change orders.

In other business, the board voted to approve the Local Control Accountability Plan, the 2016-17 budget and the extension of Young’s contract through 2019. Young also formally announced Leslie Beatson as the new assistant superintendent of educational services, succeeding Marie Morgan. Beatson is a 26-year teaching and administrative veteran who most recently had spent the last four years as the principal of Matthew Turner Elementary, where she was named Administrator of the Year in 2015. Beatson’s husband, Stacy Starkweather, is the dean of students as well as a history teacher at Benicia High, her daughter Ella is an incoming seventh-grader at Benicia Middle School and her son Jack is an incoming fourth-grader at Matthew Turner Elementary. All were in attendance at the meeting as Beatson addressed the board.

“I have been in education for 26 years, and I have to say hands-down, the past four years at Benicia Unified have been my favorite,” she said. “I think Benicia is on the cutting edge, and we are doing some exciting things and learning and growing together.”

“I’m so honored and excited and happy to be here and help alongside all the students and staff as we continue to move forward in that direction,” she said.

Beatson will start her new role on July 1. The next board meeting will not be until Aug. 18.

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