The Cobre school board met at Snell Middle School on Monday, March 14. The executive session began at 6:07 p.m. and the public session, scheduled for 7:00, began at 7:25 with four members present, Frank Gomez, Frances Kelly, Frank Cordova and the board president, Toy Sepulveda, who said they had discussed student identifiable information, limited personnel and possible or pending litigation. Their attorney was in session with them, he said. No decisions had been made.
Superintendent Robert Mendoza asked for an agenda change which would allow the eight students, Anthony Esqueda, Toya Ortiz, Jannia Cohn, Presely Tovar, Juan Morales, Alex Guljas, Jesse Jasso and Sierra Dean, as well as their instructor, Cindy Lee, to make their presentation immediately rather than wait to be in the Superintendent's Report later. The students and Lee represented some 25 to 30 total students who were Snell's MESA (math, engineering, and science achievement) group.
One student, Guljas, reported on MESA's prosthetic work in third world countries. He explained that Cobre's MESA had raised money each year to donate these arms or legs, and the kids had planned and budgeted the parts, taking an active role in the work that they were donating. This year the kids had raised $1200 and they had donated four legs, at $300 each, for people who couldn't have had the limbs otherwise. Other MESA groups from other schools were doing the same.
The girls explained that due to budget cuts, MESA had broken the state into regions this year. Their southwest district had 23 teams donating arms and legs; Cobre had come in 6th with its prosthetic design, and went on to state. In New Mexico alone, there were 132 middle school teams competing.
On an arm design, one Cobre design came in 6th out of 132, they reported. The materials they used included wiring, batteries, duct tape, velcro and other materials, as the students demonstrated.
Additional students discussed the budgeting and designing they used to produce the prosthetics. The maximum financial allowance was $80. The students demonstrated some designs, which had battery powered movement of the grips that could pick up, even throw an object some distance. Their designs had been less than the $80 limit, some in the sixty-plus dollar range. Even donated materials had to be cost-evaluated and reported.
While they didn't know who would get their arms or legs, they said sometimes the receiving persons would send a letter or story back telling of their need and how much the arm or leg had helped them. This feedback was important to the students who had worked so hard to make these gifts possible. An additional benefit was that many of the students were able to visit the Legislature to explain their work and they also saw the Roundhouse and other state buildings.
Under the Administrative topic, two groups requested the use of school facilities. The Evening Light Tabernacle asked to use the high school's Fine Arts Theater on July 22-23-24. The First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) instructor asked to use Bayard's conference room to train local residents in medical skills. More details would follow as the information came in. The board voted to allow both those uses.
The approval of the 2016-2017 school calendar took more discussion. Major points included the Christmas break, parent conferences in September, spring break, and a possible switch to a four-day week for K-3Plus. The spring break issue depended on actions to be taken by PED, as well as testing, and that could not be immediately predicted, said Jose Carrillo, assistant superintendent. To get the calendar approved, (later, Sepulveda said it had to be, to go with the proposed budget by the end of March) Mendoza said they would have to be open to adjustments at a later date.
There was further discussion on a four-day week for the K-3Plus program during the month of July this year. If the district went to that, the school hours would have to be extended slightly, he reported. The good news was that both teacher and student attendance should improve somewhat, and there were some financial benefits to be expected. Certain costs, such as utilities, should go down. Traditional three-day weekends should also benefit the plan.
Mendoza countered that there were many considerations to be looked at, and there couldn't be any determination on the question immediately. There was much work to be done on the idea. He finished his report, saying Spring Break is scheduled from March 25 to April 1.
The budget adjustments were an easier item to determine. IDEA B, entitlement, had some carryover and a district award, amounting to a $58,530.04 BAR. IDEA B, preschool, also with carryover from 2014-2015, resulted in a $15,686.59 BAR. The board approved both of the applications.
The board was informed of a number of student fundraisers, mostly related to sports issues. Mendoza mentioned a variety of them. The one that caused comment was a tournament event, asking for $120. Sepulveda commented that amount would likely support only one team.
Further discussion considered that it might have meant just that: a guess of $120 per team, with number of games not yet determined. Mendoza said it was time to talk with the coaches for more information. He understood the students were trying to raise funds for the graduation prom.
In public input time, Mendoza asked Carrillo to inform the board about Cobre's being randomly selected to Gǣfield-testGǥ some imbedded questions for the PARCC. Carrillo admitted the state would use Cobre and one-third of the rest of the state's districts for this procedure. He outlined the three or four sessions in some subjects. Since this was somewhat mandatory, if they did it this year, they wouldn't have to do it again in the next two years, he said.
Cordova mentioned Region VIII work and the soon-coming meeting at Lordsburg on March 22. In the instruction hour at that meeting, he said Jackie Archuleta, special ed expert of Cuddy law firm, would be speaking on some SPED issues, for which the state PED was trying to make policy changes.
He also went into detail on the scholarship arrangements that each region could offer to some students in their districts. He suggested that the nominations and applications be considered shortly, and sent to that committee, of which he, Sepulveda and board people of other schools were members.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 4, at the Administration Office. This meeting adjourned at 8:35.