By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated Schools held a board meeting on March 27, 2023. President Serena Murillo called the meeting to order. Other board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, Elizabeth Dean, and David Terrazas. Dr. 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.

The Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico flag took place.

The board recognized the athletes that had won at the state championships.

Kiwanis had two students to recognize. Spaletta listed the names, but the students had not been present to accept the certificates. Mathew Chavez from Cobre High School and Alex Burong from Snell Middle School.

Public input on agenda items none currently.

Action items

The board approved the agenda with a few changes. They moved up athletic parking fees next and after that curriculum choices. They also removed the MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the City of Bayard for field use.

Coach Nelson Diaz addressed the board concerning the parking fees they had charged as a fundraiser for the athletic department. He said they didn't have any fees for parking except in the baseball field area for $5 now. Guadiana said he and others had not been aware of the fundraiser. Begay asked if they had signs. Diaz said they did have signs up. A problem had arisen with $100 parking fees in February, the board received one complaint. Murillo asked if they had filled out the forms for a fundraiser. Diaz didn't know. Guadiana said he had not seen anything on it. He said the residents would have a problem with it since they had already paid in taxes. The board didn't know anything about this. Murillo said they had some questions that needed to be answered. Begay said they could look at it the next season.

Murillo wanted to note before the next presentation that she had been contacted and asked why the school board would be getting into the curriculum. She pointed out that the curriculum is part of board policy and the administration code. They must approve.

Suzanne Chavira, director of curriculum and instruction, had a power point presentation for the board to show them the information concerning the new curriculum they would like to adopt, and she had put together a team to review the curriculum that they had available. She turned the presentation over to her team to present and explain their choices.

Breana Martin went over each one and why she chose them. She pointed out the benefits of each one. Ashley Sandberg a teacher a Snell Middle School said they had reviewed many presentations and the ones listed met all their needs. Anisse Salcedo, a teacher from Hurley Elementary, said they had not had a social studies curriculum for the past 20 years. This curriculum will line up with what they will be presented in middle school. She pointed out they could have an online version and save some money. Kathy Marquez, a teacher from Snell Middle School, said she spends a lot of time creating her own curriculum for social studies and has been excited about this new curriculum. She had brought letters from her students and read them. They had asked for more materials, and she said the letters had been eye opening to her. She said the only problem with the curriculum had been it didn't include New Mexico history. "Having the curriculum also makes it easy for substitutes because it is all scripted."

Murillo said she had heard very high ratings on one of them on the list.

Chavira said they had gotten a grant from CLSD (comprehensive literacy state development) and that had been the reason they could afford this.

Teacher Bethany Zamora said she's excited. They have not had any science curriculum for the past 11 years she has worked for the district. She went over the curriculum and how impressed she had been. "It is teacher friendly and student friendly." They did a lot of research and she pointed out that it threw a lot of math in and that has been a struggle with the district to bring up those scores. They looked at stats on this curriculum from all over the world not just the states and they all came in high. She added they had tried it out on the students, and they loved it.

Micaela Roacho, the student representative, asked if it uses any current historical figures. Marquez said the curriculum is enquiry-based instruction. It brings in modern history and what it has done. It looks at how everything effects everything.

Chavira went over some of the highlights on the curriculums recently. She commented on needing a math intervention program.

Begay asked if the curriculum included mystery science and Chavira said yes.

Murillo asked if the community and families had been involved in the choosing process. Chavira said she had invited them, but no one showed up. Begay asked if the equity council had been involved and Chavira said yes.

Murillo said, "I am excited we are getting this but saddened that the students and teachers went so long without."

Begay wanted to know if they would have it for the beginning of the next year and Chavira said she hoped they would. Guadiana thanked them for all the hard work they had done to put it together.

Action items

The board nominated and approved Micaela Roacho for the NMSBA (New Mexico School Board Association) scholarship.

The board approved the minutes from the board meeting February 13, 2023.

The board approved the budget transfers for teacher and principal training and recruiting.

The board approved the budget transfers for ESSE (elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds) III.

Unfinished Business

The board tabled the item on the agenda for the equity council.

Spaletta gave the board an update on the prohibited expenditures that had happened with Cuddy and McCarthy LLP Attorneys at Law. Previously $32,314 had been paid to them for private counsel to recall board members. This would be prohibited by law. Numerous letters, phone calls and emails had been sent by Spaletta in the past six to eight months with no replies. He said he finally got two emails that didn't agree with the assessment of owing the district. They decided to talk to legal and see if it could, if not already, be part of the forensic audit being done.

Begay gave a report on the finance committee. They had spent a lot of time on the stipends and salary schedule. They talked about contracting out to help with recruitment.

Superintendents report

The union president didn't have anything to report.

Spaletta said his post entry plan had eight key areas covered. The main being reorganization. Some others mentioned had been development of a family center, student mentoring, and a salary schedule.

Frank Ryan, finance director, and Spaletta met with representatives from Freeport McMoRan concerning projections for operations taxes. They gave them an idea of what the projected taxes they would be paying the state. They said they will be boosting production to be more profitable, which would result in more taxes paid.

Spaletta said they had the needs assessment meeting and approximately 105 community members, teachers and students participated. They had gotten a lot of data that the board will have soon.

The district had a tech audit and Spaletta said they didn't have any issues but had suggestions. They will work with the IT department to implement those suggestions.

Spaletta said he had included the requested facilities use in their packet.

They had a bus inspection and 6 of the 7 passed. The only reason the one didn't had to do with it needing a part for repair and they have been waiting on that part.

Spaletta told the board the website would be updated and redesigned by the end of the school year. Next year they will be working on each individual school website.

Spaletta's 120-day report had been submitted and certified by the state recently.

On April 5, 2023, they will have a job fair locally they will attend to try and recruit teachers. In the month of May, the state will have five different ones in different areas that they will attend.

Spaletta briefly went over the legislative bills that concerned the district during this past session.

HB2 will give 6 percent raises across the board for teachers and staff.
HB126 will change the requirements for graduation but will begin by affecting the ones that currently are in grade 7.
HB127 will increase the assistant teachers' salaries to $25,000.
HB130 will mandate 1140 hours of learning time.
HB198 will make funds for career training available
HB533 will increase the medical insurance premiums the district will pay for employees.

Superintendents will be going to Albuquerque in April for a budget conference.

Spaletta and William Hawkins, Silver Schools superintendent met with PNM about setting up an energy audit to help save them money.

The auditors doing the special audit will be here for two weeks to go over everything for the past two or three years.

The district had a community bond meeting to let everyone know how the past bond money had been used and what they had left. They asked them for ideas and suggestions on how to spend the approximate $1 million left. Spaletta said he would be getting quotes from contractors and then would have another community meeting to determine what they could do.

The district had requested $480,000 for safety equipment from the legislature. They had only been awarded one quarter of that amount. He said he would be meeting with Representative Luis Terrazas and Senator Siah Correa Hemphill to see if anything could be done. If not, they could only do one of the schools.

Spaletta said they had turned in a Department of Transportation application and included the additional funds needed for the Central water project.

Micaela Roacho, student representative, gave the board a list of all the sports events coming up. "We are still getting ready for graduation." The Key Club would be stuffing eggs for Easter for the kids at the elementary schools.

New business

The board did the first reading of the staff dress code policy. A lot of discussion went on around the wording. Guadiana asked if the staff had seen it. They decided it needed to be posted on the website and sent to the union president. This will be considered the first reading.

Public input none currently.

The board went into executive session for about fifty minutes.

The board came back to open session and said no action had been taken.

The board authorized the board president:

To work with legal counsel to prepare findings of completed external investigations for parties;

To issue a written post investigation of finding to parties of internal complaints against the superintendent;

To issue a written decision to the grievance parties regarding grievance by an employee against the superintendent; and

To issue a public statement regarding the status of investigations of complaints against the superintendent.

Murillo issued this statement. In December of 2022 and January of 2023, the board of education of Cobre Consolidated School district received reports of employee allegations against Superintendent Jeff Spaletta and a list of allegations from a concerned community member and staff member sent to the state. It has since been closed. The investigation did not substantiate claims that Spaletta was in any violation of law or district policy. The board continues to thank the community for their ongoing support.

Adjourned