Cobre board recognizes volleyball state champion students

By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a regular meeting on March 16, 2026. Board members in attendance included Hector Carrillo, Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, Agelina Hardin, and David Wilguess. Interim Superintendent Randal Piper also attended.

The school board and Senator Gabriel Ramos recognized the state volleyball champions. The girls' volleyball team had made school history. Carrillo said through hard work, determination, and incredible teamwork, these young athletes had achieved something no team before them had accomplished. Their dedication on and off the court truly represents the spirit and excellence of Cobre. On behalf of the school board, each player and coach will be presented with a certificate of recognition and a t-shirt to honor this historic accomplishment and celebrate their outstanding achievement.

Ramos said, "I think it's awesome that they won the state title, but more than anything, they gained an experience that most of us will never have." No one in this area has ever won a state championship from Southwest New Mexico, because of it being a tough sport, but because of the students',coaches' and parents' dedication. He also had certificates for each one.

They called up each student and coach to present them with certificates and t-shirts.

Bob Carson with Kiwanis attended to present the student of the month awards. Carson went over the many programs Kiwanis does in the area and said each chapter chooses their own way to serve the children of the world. Dottie Pfeiffer usually does Cobre and Carson was filling in for her this time.

Kiana Madrid, Snell Middle School, stands out because of being outgoing and makes everyone around her feel welcome with a natural gift for conversation. She goes out of her way each day to show people around her, her gratitude, whether it be the lunchroom staff, janitorial or anybody she has contact with.

Begay brought forth a proclamation for the board to make March Music in Our School month. She read the full proclamation. March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education as music in our schools' month. It encourages communities across the nation to focus on music education and raise awareness of the lasting positive impact music education has on the academic, personal and professional growth of the students.

The board approved the agenda as written after a discussion Guadiana initiated. He felt that the action items listed at the end of the agenda should be done in open session but didn't see a reason for the executive session because they would be discussing things that should be done in an open meeting. He pointed out they would not be discussing any names of applicants. This discussion went on for some time. Begay said the agenda had been approved by legal counsel. When voting for the agenda with the change Guadiana and Wilguess voted for the change and Carrillo, Begay and Hardin voted no. They did add in the motion to move a few items around on the agenda in which all agreed.

Student representative report:

Taylor McWhorter, 2025-2026 student representative, said she wanted everyone to know that the items she brings forward in her report do not reflect her personal opinions but come directly from the students. She wanted the board to know that the cheerleading team has been competing and will be leaving for the state championship and mentioned a few other teams that would be attending the state championships. Several band members had made all state.

The Stand for the Silent organization had presented a very raw and heartbreaking seminar on bullying , which was very important for the students to see. After it, hey held a pink shirt day in honor of the program and saw it as a way to honor the life of Juliet. She also wanted to remind everyone that the anniversary of the loss of Emmett Shepard would be next month.

The National Honor Society had gone to the elementary schools in the district to spend time with the students during Dr. Seuss week. She added that many of the students have not been happy about the capstone project being advised by a committee and not providing a year for the students to do the project. They have only had two months and a lot of limitations on the projects they can choose from. "There seems to be a lot of communication issues on capstone itself."

The price of the prom tickets has been changed so students may choose the $35 ticket or a $20 ticket, and she thanked Piper for helping with that situation.

Gaudiana wanted to address the process with the student representative presentations. He asked that she let Charlene Fletcher, executive secretary/board secretary, know when she had something that should be on the agenda so the board could discuss it. Carrillo said that would not be necessary because they had added a discussion portion to her report on the agenda. Guadiana insisted the topic had to be on there for them to be able to discuss it because of the Open Meetings Act. Begay said they had done it before, and Guadiana said two wrongs don't make a right. This discussion went on for a while, and Carrillo ended it with telling Guadiana he had been here eight years and now he chose to say something about this.

Carrillo said he had received an email from a student that asked him to share it with the board.

It said "The current prom plans had been created after extensive planning, coordination, and fundraising by the students and advisors who were directly involved in organizing the event. They had worked hard to make tickets affordable while still giving students good value. Four ticket options will be available. A couple ticket costs $35 and includes two free items of the ticket holder's choice and the $25 ticket includes one free item of the ticket holder's choice. The most expensive catering item will be $10; these tickets fully cover any item offered. A lower cost option includes $20 couple ticket with no items and a $15 single ticket with no items. These options had been designed to give students flexibility while keeping costs reasonable."

"The costs of hosting prom have also been carefully planned. The venue costs $1,500, decoration costs $3,000 and the school will be required to pay for security, although the cost has not been determined. These expenses had all been considered when they set the ticket prices and changing the venue at this point could significantly affect the budget and planning that has already been completed.

"In addition, junior class representatives went class-to-class and spoke with both juniors and seniors to gather student input. A poll was taken and the majority of students agreed on the ticket prices and the selected venue to be reasonable and fair." The letter came from a student that wanted to share the process of prom.

Begay had a question about the capstone project. McWhorter said it has been a requirement of graduates from the New Mexico Public Education Department. Begay said it had been her understanding that they start on it their freshman year and build on it each year. Carrillo said he had the honor to be a sponsor of the capstone project last year and it has started in August. McWhorter said they all thought they would not have to do it.

Public input

Carrillo read a script on the rules to be observed when providing public comment. "The board provides the opportunity to speak on either agenda items or items of concern or both in order to ensure that each individual has an opportunity to address the board. The board provides a speaker up to a total of five minutes to speak during one of the designated public input times. The board president will recognize speakers to maintain proper order and ensure adherence to the limit of 30 minutes for all public input speakers and a maximum of five minutes per speaker."

"The president may also set a time limit of less than five minutes for individual speakers based upon the number of requests received. Questions of fact asked by the public shall when appropriate be answered by the president or referred to the superintendent for reply. No action or discussion shall transpire among the board members regarding such questions or comments.

"Questions requiring investigation shall be referred to the superintendent for later report to the board. Questions or comments on matters that are currently under legal review will not receive a response. Personal attacks on board members, staff personnel, or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the board are discouraged.

"Confidential personnel matters regarding district employees should be discussed with the superintendent or the employee supervisor. We also request that you not discuss students who are not your own child. Presenters are cautioned that statements or representations concerning others that convey unjustly, unfavorable impression may subject the presenter to civil action or defamation. For the safety of yourself and others, signs and placards are not permitted in the boardroom. However, you are invited to express your concerns during public input or submit your concerns to the board in writing."

Ramos said he appreciated the hard work the board does. He had been a board member, and it had been one of his hardest jobs. "It is a tough position." He reported that the district had been funded the $171,000 that had been requested for the purchase of heavy equipment. He will have some growth funds and will be meeting with them to see the best way he can help. He must distribute that funding throughout Grant County, Deming, Lordsburg and Animas. Although the funds would not be a lot, they had been glad to have them. He has $4.2 million but it must be spread out between three counties with five municipalities and five school districts. They had received $15.2 million for Grant County and part of that will be to purchase a radiation linear accelerator machine for the cancer center. He worked with Senator Crystal Brantley, Representative Luis Terrazas and Representative Jenifer Jones for the area to bring in as much funding as possible. He wanted to meet with them to see what projects they would need.

Luis Alvarado and Delilah Chavez had come to speak to the board about starting a soccer team at Cobre for both boys and girls. They have 36 boys, and 33 girls interested. They had also spoken to the principal and assistant principal at Snell Middle School. This will provide an opportunity for students to possibly be eligible for scholarships and thrive in a different sport. A New Mexico recruiter they spoke to had been thrilled at the idea of bringing soccer to the district. Chavez said she had played the sport for twenty plus years. Alvarado said he also had a lot of experience playing and had coached for a few years. Some of the students interested have not been involved in any other sports and some have gone to other places to play soccer.

They continued with their presentation and how they felt this would help the students and school. The two had put together how to fund the program and obtained quotes and possible grants that they would qualify for. It could be played on the current fields the district has, and the goals could be moved in and out. Carrillo asked them to contact Fletcher and be put on the agenda for the next meeting.

Louis Quinonez congratulated the board on all the wonderful things happening at Cobre. He had attended the state tournaments and had been able to see a lot of old Cobre classmates that traveled from all over to attend. "The sportsmanship was outstanding by all teams." He also wanted to speak to the board about adding the name Abe Armendarez to the Cobre baseball field and see the process for the committee that will be formed.

Action items

The board approved the minutes from February 16, 2026.

The board approved the request for proposal (RFP) from Solitaire Homes in Deming to provide and set up the mobile homes in Santa Clara. This had been the only bid. An RFP had been put out before with two responses, one incomplete and the other over budget. The district has until the end of the fiscal year to spend the funding.

The next item on the agenda had been to discuss the renaming of the Howie Morales Stadium and the need to advertise for three committee members. Hardin said she had been under the impression they would be adding a name and not renaming. Carrillo said he remembered that had been the discussion. They will be using a process and model it after Las Cruces's policy. The process will be in steps by creating a committee, considering recommendations, options and proposals. Piper had sent the board a suggestion list from Quinonez for the committee. They will be following board policy to set up the committee. The board will be responsible for three members and the others will be chosen by other groups such as the faculty. The board will need to advertise for those three members. An administrator will chair the committee, and the committee will reflect a cross section of the community. The board went over the policy and how they had to move forward with forming the committee. The board will be posting an ad for three committee members, and it will be open for a month, for the next board meeting.

The board voted to use calendar B for the 2026-2027 school year after a lot of discussion. Carrillo pointed out they had a lot of discrepancy between schools, staff and community and wanted to know what the difference had been. He had added that he saw one school started seven days later and one seven days sooner. Bayard had voted on calendar B, Central Elementary calendar A, Hurley calendar B, San Lorenzo calendar A, Snell calendar B and the high school calendar A. Both food service and the administration office had wanted calendar A, but the staff wanted calendar B. Finally, the community wanted calendar B.

Piper explained the discrepancies Carrillo had addressed and said they have requirements by the public education department and said it boiled down to if they wanted start school and when they wanted to be out. He went over the differences in each calendar. They had formed a calendar committee with 20-25 people, some being community members and staff from every school. Carrillo asked Piper why he thought each group had chosen the calendar they did. He had not heard any of them give any reasons for their choice.

Begay brought up that Summerfest would not be paid time for teachers and has been volunteer. She suggested that they allow some flex time to the teachers.

Carrillo continued with the differences between the calendars that he saw. They all offered reasons they thought different ones chose the calendar they had. Piper credited Suzanne Chavira, associate superintendent, for putting all the data together and making sure she surveyed the staff and community.

The board approved the bills. They had all been presented at the finance committee meeting.

The board approved two budget increases and one initial budget item after Frank Ryan, finance director, went over them. One had been title 1 and the state match for SB9. The initial budget item had been the special capital outlay.

The board voted to nominate McWhorter for the 2026 NMSBA (New Mexico School Board Association) scholarship program. Piper has sent the information to the board earlier and Begay said traditionally they had awarded it to the student representative.

Old business

The board came back to the discussion on allowing public to comment after every item on the agenda and Carrillo asked them to explain exactly what they wanted to do. Wilguess pointed out most items people would not be commenting on most things, such as the budget, but would be things concerning the baseball field or golf course. The discussion continued for some time. One question posed had to do with the public having to sign up ahead of time to make comment or could just be done as they went. Guadiana pointed out they may not know at the beginning they would have a comment. Begay wanted this to be presented to legal counsel. Wilguess pointed out the only time they would have the public would be if they did something stupid and made them mad. Most of the time the public does not come to the meetings. Begay said if they went this route the public would have to have a time limit to speak. Carrillo would be consulting legal counsel on this matter. This discussion continued for some time.

Next discussion for the board had to do with a board members' duty to vote. Carrillo had brough this forward due to a previous board meeting and information needing to be clarified. He read from the polices set for the school board. The policy handbook says it will be the duty of every board member to vote unless excused by the remaining members. No member shall be excused from voting except on matters involving their own financial interest. This conversation carried on with their interpretation of what they thought the policy meant.

In past meetings the golf course had been discussed, and they continued the discussion. Carrillo had asked to have it put on the agenda to clarify some information. He had not been aware of any decision to sell it or any other action. When Carrillo attended the Bayard council meeting, they said they had received a call about taking over the golf course. At that time, he didn't speak to the council and wanted to bring this up to the board. Carrillo found out Wilguess had called city hall and spoke to the deputy clerk about their interest in acquiring the golf course.

Guadiana offered some clarity on the issue. In the past they had talked with Bayard about a partnership in which they would provide 50 percent of the maintenance. When they had a change in mayors that all ended. He said Wilguess had just been looking at options and trying to see if they had any interest. It all would have to come to the board in an open forum and a vote taken

Carrilo said, "I'm glad you're answering for him, Mr. Guadiana. I'm glad you guys got together and talked about it but that wasn't what was approached at the city council meeting. That wasn't what was talked about. What was talked about is that a phone call was made and the offer was basically on the table. Now, that's why I brought this up to now."

Hardin thought as a board they had to make that decision to contact Bayard. Wilguess said they had been discussing it for some time. Someone from the town had asked him if they would sell the golf course.

Discussions and disagreements about dates of meetings and agendas and timelines came up and the action of Wilguess in the matter. Gaudiana spoke to the differences in Carrillo, he and Wilguess. Carrillo replied, "I'm more professional, and I know how to at least engage with you all here because we're a board and we're supposed to work together. I don't just make the calls and do things myself. It speaks for itself."

At the last board meeting they had asked Piper to find some information they needed to move forward in the discussion. Piper said the information he received from coach to coach varied but he had attended three or four golf practices, and they have been using the golf course three or four times a week. "It is being utilized." They do travel to the Silver City course once a week to hit long balls. He had spoken to Ryan on the budget. They don't have a specific budget for the golf course, but they also don't have one for the football field, but maintenance does pay for expenses. Currently the person that has been doing maintenance has been paid as a substitute and another person helps but volunteers his time. Carrillo wanted to know if the volunteer had passed a background check. He had not but does not have contact with students. Carrillo said he still needed to have a background check.

Wilguess had come over to where Carrillo, Guadiana and Piper sat. Carrillo told him to go back to his seat. Carrillo was told Wilguess had a hard time hearing.

Piper said the building that housed the equipment did not belong to the Cobre school district nor did the equipment. It had all been donated for the students use and the volunteer had been the one to collect the donations. Carrillo said he knows he means well but they have rules and policies in place for a reason.

No one knew, because it had happened so long ago, if the district had been approached to provide the building and equipment or if the community had just done it. Right or wrong people had done this on good faith and should be acknowledged and thanked. Carrillo said he does acknowledge them and puts the shame on the board and administration but added he didn't even know who to blame at this point. The district should have provided the funding needed for the golf course. Ryan said no one had ever come forward and asked.

The conversation about how this all should have been handled continued for some time. Carrillo asked Piper to have the volunteer fill out the required paperwork and who owns the equipment. "Is the golf course salvageable and do we want to keep it in the district? Does the board want to go a different route?" He added that at this moment he had more worry about who oversees it. "I am trying to treat this like a regular sport." Carrillo just wanted to see the issue fixed. They would wait until the next month to obtain more answers and address it again.

New business

Begay wanted to bring forward the district paying for school supplies. She had brought it up at the last finance committee meeting. The previous year she had been told they could not use title 1 funding for specific school supplies. They do provide school supplies for Summerfest and Ryan said title 1 funds had paid for that. Begay wanted them to contact Silver Consolidated Schools and see how they handle the process to provide school supplies to all the teachers. Guadiana said Cobre still asks parents to purchase an extensive amount of school supplies and hoped that would not be the case anymore.

Piper said they had already ordered backpacks, clear, for Snell Middle School because the principal will be requiring those. they have also been talking to the principals about what the students need. Some of the principals said they already had all the supplies they needed, and some said they didn't have anything.

Carrillo asked if they would be double spending because they already had supplies coming for Summerfest. He suggested canceling it ,and Piper said it had already been ordered and some had already come. Begay said she found it frustrating because she had asked for supplies last year for the teachers. The teachers need to be asked what supplies they need and take the burden off the students and their families.

The subject of Summerfest came up again and those school supplies and backpacks have been provided to all students even the ones that come from other districts. Last year close to 150 students had not come from Cobre.

Some confusion had come into the conversation that Freeport McMoRan (FMI) paid for the supplies, but it was clarified that they pay for the food and drinks for Summerfest.

A committee would be put together soon for the planning of Summerfest. Carrillo encouraged the board to attend or have one of them appointed. At any rate they needed to have input and make sure Cobre students and staff will be the recipient of the supplies first and whatever else they can do for the rest of the area after. He thanked everyone and FMI for making it a great event. Guadiana added they cannot micromanage the superintendent.

Finance committee report

Carrillo said it would be repetitive but asked Begay to expand. She said they had reviewed the bills and credit card statements. Ryan had presented them with the fund balance report as well as the budget status report. He had also shared the fiscal 2025 and 2026 final unit value the came from the public education department along with everything he had presented earlier. Piper said they had some capital outlay funding left for furnishings. He had visited with all the schools except the high school and asked them to come up with a wish list.

Guadiana asked if they had any discussion about the impact if selected to build a new school and how it would affect the SB9 funding and general obligation bond. Piper said that had not been on their agenda and asked Ryan to put it on the next one.

Guadianaasked Piper to clarify some things on the bond money and when it would be available. Carrillo asked that he contact Piper later on the matter.

Piper said they would have to sell bonds but had not due to not having a project started yet. He continued with what they had available and said they would have to have a waiver for their portion of the project because $6 million would not come close to what would be needed. It will need to be the first step, but they do have their facility master plan up to date. They have windows to which they can apply and will when that opens.

Audit committee

Hardin said the meeting had to be canceled and Piper said it had been during spring break. They have not had anything from the auditors and will be doing a special meeting at the end of the month since the other had to be canceled. Gaudiana added that by law they will be required to have a meeting every month with the auditor during the time of an audit being done.

Board member reports

Wilguess said he had a call from a mother that said the girl's locker room was disgusting ,and they must eat in there. He had been referring to the high school. She asked the maintenance department to see what they could do.

Hardin wanted to thank all the coaches for their hard work helping the athletes compete at state.

Begay wished the students and teachers well. State testing will be coming up, and it will be a stressful time. She also wanted to take the time to appreciate all the administrators that share their agendas with them and enjoy seeing the pictures.

Carrillo wanted to acknowledge everybody in the community by going to Facebook to see what the accomplishments are as a district. He went over a long list of what he had seen and congratulated many of the students.

Guadiana echoed what had been said. He thanked the superintendent for moving the concession stand so it had easy access, and he saw many more people use it.

Begay wanted to add one more thing, acknowledging the music proclamation. As a teacher she knows the students love music. In the Silver district, where she teaches, they had to cut the program. Music has been instrumental in the students' lives and makes a big difference.

Superintendent report

Piper said the cheerleading showcase would be the next day and continued with a long list of sports events. They had applied for the road grant and been accepted. Now they will be looking at the best way to benefit the community with it. He has been working with George Esqueda, Stantec, to see the best way they can address the drainage issues that feed into the golf course. The highway department has done things to cause problems they have been trying to work with them on.

Piper had provided a list of current fundraisers for the board. He thanked the community for all their support.

The board went into executive session to discuss and review superintendent application information of all qualified candidates, interviews, questions for the candidates and candidate specific issues.

The board came back into open session and affirmed no action had taken place and they only discussed what had been on the agenda for the executive session.

Action items

Carrillo read a statement concerning all three action items involving the superintendent search.

"The board of education is pleased to announce the six candidates selected to move forward in the superintendent interview process. The candidates are:

Dr. Thomas Graves
Dr. Robert Sims Jr.
Dr. Carla Spaniel
Jeff Gephardt
Dr. Verenice Gutierrez
Dr. Adam Amador

During the first round of interviews, our elementary school principals, middle school principal, and high school principal will work together to present each candidate with a leadership scenario that includes specific parameters. This process will allow candidates to demonstrate their problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership skills in a school-based context. All six candidates will participate in interviews during the first week of April.

"Following the interviews, the board will select three finalists, who will advance to the next phase of the process. The final three candidates will participate in a public forum interviews during the week of April 6th through April 10th, giving members of our community the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates. Mrs. Norma Ramirez, our HR director, will assist the Board of Education by compiling interview questions based on input provided by board members. Mrs. Ramirez will coordinate interview specifics with candidates. The Board of Education will make its final decision at the Monday, April 20th board meeting. We encourage members of the public to attend the public forum interviews for the final three candidates and participate in this important process for our district."

Meeting adjourned.