By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated Schools held a board meeting November 28, 2022. President Gilbert Guadiana called the meeting to order. Other board members in attendance included David Terrazas, Elizabeth Dean and Gabriella Begay. Serina Murillo did not attend. The Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico flag took place. Superintendent Jeff Spaletta also attended.

Reading of the board norms took place with each board member reading a norm. The norms consist of five rules the board strives to adhere to during the meeting. They are listed as actively listen to all perspectives, respond to concerns and questions as a unified board, professionalism expected, assume positive intent, and be positive and responsive.

Public input on agenda items none currently.

The board approved the agenda with the following changes. They moved new business of school resources officers to the next item and remove review of board policies due to legal counsel information needed not being received.

District Attorney Michael Renteria addressed the council concerning school resource officers. Currently he serves as district attorney for the three counties of Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna. He explained they could look for federal grant money to hire an SRO (school resource officer). He said the local police departments have been favorable to the idea. He gave the board stats on school shootings nationally, internationally and within the state. Some people have expressed fear of having armed guards. The cut off for funding will happen shortly so he asked to be put on the agenda as an action item in March or April of 2023 so he could get in on the next funding available. He had provided the board with a packet that explained the SRO program. Guadiana asked if it would be possible to get two SROs. One for the mining district and on for San Lorenzo. Renteria said he would like to have one at each school. Guadiana asked if the state would be involved in any funding and Renteria said not currently. He did add they should talk to their local legislators concerning the issue. Guadiana asked if the SRO would collaborate with the local police and Renteria said yes. He would want their collaboration and that it would be crucial to the success. Guadiana said he had talked to Raul Villanueva, sheriff-elect, and he said he would be interested. Jenny Becerra, who had come with Renteria addressed the board and said she would be going for grants to do this as soon as she knew the scope and direction, g so she would know which grants to apply for. She added "Substantial funding is available." Jacob Villegas, an investigator with the Sixth Judicial District, had come with Renteria and addressed the board. He said having an SRO would be not only about stopping an active shooter but mentorship. The schools have other problems such as bullying and drugs. An SRO could be helpful with these problems as well.

Renteria said that the SRO in Animas has also served as a substitute teacher and lunch server. The SRO job would be to blend into the school and their needs.

The board approved the minutes from the November 14, 2022, meeting.

The board approved the American Rescue Plan Act, IDEA B 24346 and 24349. Melissa Maynes, director of special education, explained the funding for the 24346. The total of $63,925 had been received. Approximately $10,700 would go to IEP (individualized education program), $10,760 to special education training and $40,000 to enrichment programs, activities, and life skills for the students.

Guadiana asked why students had left the special education program, and Maynes said she had not been aware of anyone leaving. Begay asked if the funding uses had been approved or recommended. Terrazas thanked Maynes for the breakdown.

Funding for 24349 had been for SPED (special education department) training in the amount of $5,487 and would be for preK-12. Begay and Terrazas had a few questions.

Micaela Roacho, the student representative, did not give a report. She had been out of town.

Unfinished business

Spaletta said the policy revisions had not come back from the attorney at this time. He added that they had all of them to review.

The board retreat could not be held in the location they wanted on December 10, 2022. Spaletta said they had other dates open, and the board decided to find a different place and keep it on December 10. They discussed several alternatives and Spaletta said he would set it up.

Begay said the finance committee had met and didn't find any problems.

Guadiana said the audit committee met and looked at the first and second adverse findings on the audit and started looking at what corrective action could be taken to fix it in the future. One thing they talked about doing would be going over the monthly reconciliation and making a part of the agenda. He said they also reviewed some of the other questionable things.

Operations directors report.

Dane Kennon, interim operations director, went over the list of what they had been working on to fix and correct. They have still been working on the heaters. The holdup has been getting the needed parts. He went over each location and where they stood. He added that 95 percent of the heaters work.

The fire code requirements that needed to be done had almost been finished. He said he brought POMS insurance in to help make sure everything had been done properly. They have gotten 60-70 percent of the items listed corrected. Kennon went through each school and listed what had been done and still needed to be done.

Begay said she knew the cafeteria didn't have heat and had they provided another place for them to eat that was heated. Kennon didn't know but said the parts should be in this week.

The board discussed the heating systems and Begay asked about the mini splits that they had agreed to use at another board meeting. Kennon said they have been using mini splits in a number of locations. Guadiana asked if the teachers and students had been given a timeline of when the repairs would be made. He also said they needed to find some relief for everyone. Kennon said this had been a mess and a lot needed to be done and it takes time.

Superintendents report.

Spaletta had given the board a list of fundraisers currently going on and asked if they had any questions. No one had any.

The last board meeting they had requested radios for the staff and Spaletta said he has been getting quotes. They will also be having a quarterly statewide safety meeting soon.

The district will be having more Title IX training coming up in a few days. Begay asked if Spaletta had found an independent contractor for investigations to avoid conflict of interest problems. Spaletta said yes, and he would be talking to them in the executive session about that. Dean said she wanted training for parents also. Spaletta said an email would be going out to the parents.

Spaletta gave a report on the recruitment committee. The district has lost 20-30 students, and they will be reaching out to those families to find out why. He said he had met with the mines, and they expect employment to maintain and for operations to be up to full capacity by January 2024.

Begay suggested they reach out to the marketing students at WNMU (Western New Mexico University) for assistance in ideas to improve recruitment.

In a past meeting, Spaletta had brought in a firm to implement the strategic plan for the district. They had given a presentation to the board. The board didn't like them and asked Spaletta to look at others. Spaletta said he had done as they asked and came back to the original one because of cost. The original one had been recommended by Silver Consolidated Schools and Hobbs Consolidated Schools. Spaletta said he also found out that this firm had been approved by the board back in March before he came. Guadiana said he didn't approve them.

Guadiana asked if the online dashboard changes had been done that he asked them to do.

Spaletta said the food drive had been very successful. They delivered 223 turkeys and food boxes. They had 60 volunteers from all walks of life and ages to help put together and deliver.

Substitute teachers have left, and Spaletta said he has been working on getting more funding to pay them more. He said he would be doing some recruiting. He had been able to recruit 900 while in Las Cruces. Guadiana said they started with enough and wanted to know what happened. Spaletta said they had lost 50 percent for various reasons. Guadiana said 50 percent points to other reasons. Begay suggested an exit survey to why and then suggested maybe paying weekly like Silver has done. Spaletta thought that would be a good idea.

Spaletta introduced the new interim principal for Snell Middle School, Dr. Richard Best. Best spoke to the board for a while and told them a little about himself. He said he came from Chicago, and he has started out trying to see what they can do to get the students interested in learning. He already had several disciplinary sheets to go through on his desk and he needs to see what they can do to make it a positive. He said, "I am one of eight kids, and my mother was a teacher." Terrazas wanted to know how they would be doing the transition from Deana Davis, interim principal to Best. Davis will stay for a week and then be on call for as long as needed. Best said he had a lot of challenges and many students that don't take learning seriously. "We need to see what we can do to make them want to learn. It has to start with us. We have to bring out the best in them and support and encourage them."

Victor Arambula, director of technology, told the board that they would be doing a presentation to the Prospectors for capital outlay funds to do security cameras for all the schools. Guadiana said he had concerns that the board had not been involved and they should be collaborating. Both Spaletta and Arambula said they had just gotten the application and didn't have time to present it as the presentation happens in just a few days. Spaletta said they would all be more than welcome to go with them. Begay said "The superintendant at Silver is a Prospector and maybe Spaletta should be one to help get more funding." Spaletta said, "I am an honorary Prospector." Begay said, "He was really involved, and it would help with the district."

Public input none currently.

Executive session took place for about thirty minutes.

The board came back into open session and said no decisions had taken place in the closed session.

Adjourned