By Margaret Hopper
The Silver Consolidated School Board met September 15 at the district office. President Frances Vasquez called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Arnold Torres, Chris Arvidson, Tony Egan and Mike McMillan were all in attendance.
Business Office Supervisor Barry Ward presented the board and administration with the 2015-2020 update of the district facilities master plan, which he said the State requires of all 89 districts in New Mexico. These five-year plans report on each building and have information on enrollment, energy management, technology, area demographics, present conditions and projections of future need.The State determines what is to be placed in the reports; the information is planned to keep the State informed, and under request conditions from districts, it may determine whether to help a district with projects. The current five-year plan approaches a hundred pages, loaded with maps, graphs and photos in full color. Ward said the first plan he helped with in 2005 was a professional production.
Since then, he says he has modeled further reports from that one, probably saving the district considerably. That same work, commercially done, would cost between $35,000 and $50,000 presently, he said. Board members remarked on the quality of work and the interesting reading coming from the attractive report.
Leslie Fritz, NEA union representative out of Las Cruces, spoke for the Silver City Education Association, decrying the atmosphere that led former union officers to leave the district. She said they were searching for remedies and would keep the board posted of decisions being made.
In superintendent Lon Streib's address to the board, he commented on two first readings on proposed policies for professional and support staff certification and credentialing requirements. Background checks, references, finger printing and other proofs are mentioned to help protect children in the care of employees and volunteers, any and all who would come in contact with students.
Regarding the lingering efforts to come up with a policy on medical injections, he said he wanted the policy to meet all the requirements the state had suggested. He thought they might also look at having parents of children who might need such help be a part of the solution, coming up with both the plans for adequate storage and the medications the child should have at school.
The assistant superintendents gave a short report; Trish Martinez spoke of grants, funding and training. Candy Milam reported on the student enrollment figures, down 66 from last year, but also noted that some numbers could increase soon, before the critical 40th day count coming in mid-October. Some entering students had delaying conditions. In a few instances, parents had been careless about getting the kids to testing situations for entry. Some of the numbers could be improved.
Vasquez commented on the good fall opening. She informed all that the Democratic Party and school unions of Cobre and Silver were hosting a legislative education study committee at WNMU on September 24 for public attendance; it would have legislators on site and community could meet and listen to them. She also announced that Arnold Torres had resigned from the financial review committee.
Egan, in his turn, pointed out that the budget was still tight but on track, moving along as promised. 4.5 percent of the funds were still unencumbered and the staff was doing a good job of managing. Torres said he had stepped down because he expected the support of all the board, and this lack made him feel that he was not trusted. McMillan and Arvidson had no comments at the time.
Taking on the consent agenda, Streib started with the total budget figure of $24,051,524, telling how to read the paper, see the summer hiring process, and see how the salary portion was gradually encumbered. The cash reserve remained at $339,375. In time they might need to dip into the cash reserve for substitute expenses, possibly something more, he said, but most of it would remain through the year. Presently, 95.95 percent of the budget is encumbered, he said, and this figure would remain generally in the coming months.
When a line item showed a negative balance, it might mean PED had not yet reimbursed what the school had paid out. It would return to normal when PED funds got back in a few months. Then he explained budget adjustment requests (BARs); when they were zero, it indicated a shuffling to a different code. If a firm figure, it indicated new money, possibly a grant or donation.
Streib then outlined five BARs for the month; $20,000 from Operations to code 2100 for the JPPO Grade Court program; $4,500 from Operations to code 2300 to cover school board expenses; $3,102, a new entry from PED for fresh fruits and vegetables; $13,060, a kitchen equipment grant to Stout; $7,229, a PED award to cover textbooks for students in dual credit work.
Vasquez immediately asked how $4,500 needed to be added to the school board budget out of the Operations fund.
Streib said the 2015-2016 budget had cut the board's usual funds in half. Expenses had created a greater need than budgeted. The BAR would restore the balance the board needed to continue its business for the rest of the year, without constant changes.
Arguments by Vasquez implied anything taken from Operations would affect students directly. Everything in Operations was on reserve for them only. Streib said the general fund, Operations, was set up for many events; it was a convenient holding place for many expenses. He would be glad to explain it to her after the meeting or the next day. He then asked that she approve the BARs when the consent agenda came to a vote, the donation for La Plata's Science Olympiad by SWNMSEC AIME in the amount of $1,500, and the check approval for the month of August, $1,219,148.34.
Benakis asked for approval of three bus drivers for feeder routes. They get paid for miles. Vasquez then called for the vote, getting the motion and a second, and calling for discussion. She announced she would oppose the combined approval over that BAR, some payroll information she didn't like, credit card and other expenditures she didn't like.
Egan said there was a difference between approving reports and simply not liking the budget. Once approved, that opinion shouldn't come back every month. It didn't seem appropriate. Vasquez responded that she disapproved of things and said that they might run out of money before the end of the year; she said she thought she had to disagree.
Many minutes and much comment later, McMillan asked Streib for clarification. Streib said that $4,500 was to last the board the rest of the year, so it could do its business. Rather than many, many BARs throughout the year, that amount would be a one-time thing and would avoid constant BAR activity. Anything left at the end of the year would be returned to Operations. After more time and discussions, Egan asked that the comment end and the vote be taken. It finally passed, 4-1.
The next votes were on the Facilities Master Plan Ward presented, and the Verizon lease of land just off the field, with its placement of a modular-type building to house equipment. Fencing would protect it. It would place a cell tower and lighting. Leases would be in 5-year increments, renewable. The district would get $12,000 annually. More information followed. In the end, both items were approved.
Gus Benakis, assistant superintendent explained the emergency operation plans for the district's schools. After that passed, the policy to have both the secretary and board president see that evaluations were placed in the superintendent's confidential permanent file was passed by vote.
Streib commented on the next policy, 115, on annual and sick leave. He asked the board not to adopt it as the current policy and collective bargain agreement were better than this being offered; also it would reopen collective bargaining and that would end progress already made. The motion was made not to approve that policy. It passed.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20. Region VIII will meet at Cobre on September 22. Egan said Joe Guillen had offered some board training; they could get with him on the 23rd and work on board and superintendent budgeting duties, at no cost. Vasquez said she would not be available; she would be at LULAC. McMillan mentioned another training online that he would be taking on the 21st. Both would be board-training opportunities.
In the second public comment period, William Hudson of Mimbres asked about the recent assessment the state wanted by September 11. Who had done the assessment? What were the conclusions and recommendations? A person in the audience said she had done it and would be reporting on it Friday at the LESC meeting at WNMU. Streib added that the district would be there for its part in that.
Leslie Fritz said she was sitting in on future finance sub-committee meetings; she was offended that the BAR of $4,500 was treated like nothing; such attitudes might explain why Silver was in such dire financial straits now. Further, asking for legal counsel on employment relations matters being filed with the state labor board was money wasted. The board shouldn't spend money that way.
Justin Wecks complemented Vasquez for asking the hard questions, debating the issues and voting differently. He assured her that was why she had been elected to her position.
This session ended at 7:39 as the board went into closed meeting. It reopened at 8: 54 to adjourn at 8:55.
At a later time, Ward answered questions about the budget and Operations fund specifically. He said all budgets resulted from the best guesses of those who build it. Major portions, such as Operations Funds, are subject to change and transfer; it is expected. Any single line item may change, but the important part is the overall balance; stay in the black. That is the business and nature of BARs. He thought every school in the country was doing BARs; it was part of the process.
Because the present budget was tight, it was being carefully managed; before the recent restrictions, principals and others spent by credit cards without much oversight. Now they must pre-authorize their plans; this had cut expenses by two-thirds at times. It worked well. Needs were funded, not wants. The overall health of that fund, staying in the black, was important, not any BAR within it. He said he was not concerned about the $4,500 BAR or the others in Operations. If they were needed, it was reasonable to take care of these needs. It kept the budget in shape and was fully expected.
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