They won the top prize at an Imagine Tomorrow competition at Washington State University. Troy Hall, Andrew Burns, Sean Aragon and Shawn Madamba came up with an idea to use blackberry bushes as an alternative source of fuel to make power. Blackberries grow easily and steal nutrients from other plants, they said.

School board member Pete Lundberg said instead of just remembering information all students should be learning to solve problems.

“That’s what we need to do in all of our classes,” he said.

Board member Bruce Larsen said those four students found their passion.

“That gets kids interested in becoming lifelong learners,” he said.

Board member Chris Nation agreed, saying, “We have to meet them on their playing field.”

He gave the example that the video game Mindcraft actually helps engineering skills because players have to build a community.

“We have to find it (their passion) and draw it out,” he said.

In other news:

• The school board approved a lease agreement so 6,200 students in grades 6-12 will use Chromebooks in the classroom by October. The cost is $2.4 million. Technology director Scott Beebe said teachers will have Apple computers but they will crosstrain on Chrome. Beebe said each class has Wifi and 755 teachers have received training on their new laptops. The next step is to connect the students, which is what the Intel processors will do. He said the cost is about $10 per month per student. The lease is for three years. The district is unsure if it will insure the Chromebooks or have parents do it. Some with the district are concerned about cost, since almost half the students are on free or reduced lunch. Others said by charging the small fee the devices would be taken better care of.

•The school board approved a contract with Connections Learning, the district’s online education. Principal Dawn Bechtholdt gave an update on the Alternative Learning Education during the board’s work session. Students in alternative education often have mental or medical health issues, so they are looking for other options. Some have anxiety, have been bullied, or have social or emotional issues. Some have to work to help support their families. Many of the students enter the programs way behind on credits. Therefore, its on-time graduation rate is low. But it is keeping kids in school who might otherwise drop out.

• Kyle Kinoshita, executive director of student learning, talked about a $500,000 grant the district received from the state schools office. The money will be used to teach engineering skills to about 40 middle school science and math teachers, with a few in high school and grade school mixed in. Students will design solutions and learn to own their own learning.

• Finance director Jim Baker said the district has saved taxpayers almost $6 million the past two years in interest payments by refinancing debt. He also said spending was cut back to make budget this year because of the decline in enrollment.

• Superintendent Becky Berg talked about attending five graduations last week. “It’s the best kind of time I can imagine investing,” she said. Board Member Mariana Maksimos added: “It felt like my kids up there. They made it.”