By Margaret Hopper
The Silver District school board meeting opened a little after 6:00 p.m. on June 21 with four of the five members present, Frances Vasquez, Mike McMillan, Tony Egan and Arnold Torres, board president. Chris Arvidson was absent due to a death in the family.
Leslie Fritz of Las Cruces, union representative, spoke for Silver City Education Association, in lieu of Katrina Bustillos, the new SCEA president. Fritz asked for more information about the budget that was to be passed that evening, especially all stipend information of any employee that was over and above their regular salary contract, most specifically stipends paid to employees not in the bargaining unit.
Also, the union was interested in any positions filled in the 2015-16 year, that would not be filled in the 2016-17 year. Enrollment and class size would be relevant.
In question was one employee the district considered probationary, that the union considered permanent. She said reductions could be considered RIF, or reduction in force, a union concern; it would take board action for such conditions, and they were looking for that.
Further, she said she affirmed Vasquez and McMillan for standing for social worker positions, regardless of what budget their retention would impact. Those positions had to be funded at the same level as last year. None could be given up.
As temporary superintendent, John Carter chose to table the Medicines policy, #114, saying he wanted input from the nursing division to finish the work. Candy Milam reported that Carter was still working on the budget and the stipend issues. Vasquez told of a WNMU forum to be held this Thursday at 6:00 on concussions, at the Miller Library.
During public comments, Linda Pafford questioned the district format of using a consent agenda rather than voting on each item separately, saying it prevented taking an unwanted item out of some topics. She hoped this would be reviewed.
Billy Billings said he was concerned about the soon coming superintendent search; he questioned that some of the board members were qualified to make such decisions. He cited failure to listen to citizens and of allowing Streib to bully others. Morale was low, students' academic performance dropped. The budget surplus is depleted and a deficit projected. With personnel changes, the school is now looking at a small surplus, he said. The recall process would continue.
Milam listed a number of bids ready for approval. The cafeteria food and supplies had four suppliers in the area covering hundreds of items; lowest bids were chosen. These were Sysco NM of Albuquerque; Wallace Packing, Tucson; Labatt Food Service, El Paso; and Shamrock Foods, Phoenix.
The second and third bids were local: W & N Enterprise would supply diesel at $2.0348 with 47 cents over rack; Griffin's Propane, also a single bidder, was accepted at $1.29 and a 64 cent cap over rack price. Price's Creameries of El Paso, single bidder, was accepted with milk prices of $20.95 to 21.50 cents per half pint on four types.
Paper was bid by School Specialty, Quill, and Contract Paper Group, Uniontown, OH. Contract's price of $24.99 per case beat Quill's nearly $33 and Specialty's $28 plus.
Two donations of $500 for La Plata, by Silver City Lodge and Elks' Lodge, for Battle of the Books, were accepted. May checks on the operational budget were $2,441,773.70. These items were accepted on the consent agenda vote. There were no BARs this past month.
Gus Benakis, assistant superintendent, asked the board to approve a bus driver. Much discussion followed on a policy advisory, #125 JJIB, time-outs after a concussion in sports activity. Another, #126, addressed use of school facilities. Egan moved to table that one until Carter could assess liabilities on conditions.
Benakis asked for a bus contract revision. The minor amount was adjusted.
The 2016-2017 budget was also give discussion. It was still being worked on, but needed approval to be sent to the state. Milam said they had worked closely with the state in the process; Friday had seen the last changes. It passed.
The final item was the process for the superintendent search. Vasquez offered a number of ideas for interview periods; Egan countered that this motion created a start of the process; the details could come later. McMillan told of groups wanting the district to use their services in the search. Eventually they passed the motion.
The July meeting is scheduled for July 19, at 6:00 p.m. School board Leader's Retreat is for July 22-23 in Taos, NM.
Public comments followed. Justin Wecks cited a long list of board actions that he considered a rejection of Gǣcommunity requests.Gǥ He carried a Gǣno confidenceGǥ petition with over 350 signatures. He followed this by asking Torres, Egan and the absent Arvidson to simply resign, saving others the trouble of the recall.
Torres responded, saying he had warned Wecks, in private conversation, that if they tried to Gǣbuy him out,Gǥ there would be chaos. He said Wecks had said it didn't matter; now he had pushed and given the community what it wanted.
Wecks then said this was two years later, and the reason for the buyout was that the contract had been extended. It was too little, too late. Torres repeated, GǣI gave
you what you wanted.Gǥ Both said there was nothing personal in this.
Bill Hudson, Mimbres, said he addressed the three board members who refused to do their duty and deal with the complaints against the former superintendent; first they should apologize, then resign.
Torres then called for the motion to go into executive session, at 7:15. They were to discuss limited personnel issues and the superintendent search, and litigation concerning the superintendent. That lasted until 9:09, according to the new executive secretary, Linda Hernandez. The report was that no actions had been taken in that period. After coming out, the board adjourned.
Sandra Estrada, former secretary, assisted during the meeting. It is reported that she will be in charge of the transportation department, and that Gus Benakis will give another two months' service helping Estrada work with that office.