By Lynn Janes
The Silver City Consolidated Schools held a special board meeting July 29, 2022. President Ashley Montenegro called the meeting to order. Other board members in attendance included Michelle Diaz, Patrick Cohn, Mike McMillan. Superintendent William Hawkins also attended. The pledge of allegiance and salute to New Mexico flag took place. Eddie Flores did not attend until later by phone.
The board approved the special meeting agenda.
Claudia Smith, Silver High principal, had presented the board with a document showing the unintended consequences of the 5.0 GPA being used at the July 25, 2022, meeting. She said they had done some further working of the issue and had come up with two options that would not affect the students in a negative way.
Smith went through both options and explained them. The board asked a lot of questions, and the discussion went back and forth. She added that they wanted to make whatever choice the board made retroactive. She said they could make either option work. The board said that parents did not want the rules changed in the middle.
Each board member asked for more clarification on several items. Only Silver High classes count for the 5.0 GPA, dual credit does not.
Option 1: Start with incoming Freshman
Option 2: Implement with all classes 9-12 (chose by the board)
Since the conversation went back and forth understanding the real outcome had not been possible to ascertain. The Grant County Beat requested a clarification from Principal Claudia Smith at Silver High School. The email received back concerning option two, quote “All classes will be on a 4-point grading system. This would include the college courses also. Students graduating in 2025 will have a modified scale that includes a 5-point GPA for all Honors and AP courses offered at Silver High. (History Day is considered an elective and will not be weighted.) Band Zero Hour - (the class offered before school), and College Courses will show on the students transcript but these classes will not be counted on the students class rank. If a student needs a class to make them eligible, they can file an appeal with the Administration and that course can count toward class rank, but it counts on a 4-point GPA.
Janean Garney, Cliff principal, said they have had the same problem with the 5.0 GPA. It had affected some of their students and one in particular. She said they all needed to be on the same page for the sophomores graduating in 2025.
Diaz said she appreciated meeting with all of them.
Garney said the communities have a lot of potential and the kids have really been stepping up. She said they needed to help them with whatever path they wanted to take.
Silver High School will be voted on this meeting and next board meeting the choice will be ratified for Cliff High School.
Cohn said: “We must remember all the students not just the top 10 or 20.”
Smith said they had been trying to figure out a better way to do registration to make it less chaotic. Each student needs to spend time with a guidance counselor.
McMillan said he liked both options, but it would be a choice of two evils.
The board approved using option one of the registration process, as presented.
No one attended for public comment.
Meeting adjourned.