By Lynn Janes
 
 The Cobre Consolidated Schools held a board meeting at on June 12, 2023. President Serena Murillo called the meeting to order. Other board members in attendance included Gabrielle Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, Elizabeth Dean and David Terrazas (online). Superintendent 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.
 
Public input on agenda items none currently.
 
The board approved the agenda with changes. Arsenic summary at San Lorenzo school moved to after the agenda approval. Spaletta asked that several items be tabled, meeting minutes from May 1, 2023, and May 22, 2023. They also tabled stipend schedule, and salary schedules for food service and security guards.
 
Murillo had concerns over not having meeting minutes done in the required time according to open meetings act requirements and asked that be addressed.

Spaletta had the plumber from San Lorenzo school give the board an update. He said ultimately an engineer would have to make the decision on how to handle the problem with arsenic in the water at the school. One idea that has been used at other schools would be to make a single point of entry for all the water for the school and then having a system purifier that would mitigate the arsenic. A report had been sent to New Mexico Education Department and they will be waiting for a response.

The board tabled the approval of the April 24, 2023, minutes and May 8, 2023, minutes. The information had not been received by the board and some had just received them.

Frank Ryan, finance director, went over the budget with the board. He provided them with last year’s to be able to make comparisons. The district has had a decrease in students from this year to last year. Last year they had 997 and now have 951. He went over all the funding and how the state calculates the amount. Student numbers primarily drive the funding, but teacher levels help increase the funding. Several other factors will increase the funding, special education students, bilingual, school size, small schools, rural population, and at-risk area. Cobre Schools qualify for small schools, rural population, and at-risk area. This year they lost the extended learning funding, but it had been replaced by K-12 plus and they added out of school activities. This year the district will receive a little over $17 million.

Murillo and Guadiana had some questions.

Ryan went over all the expenditures line by line, and the biggest change had been staff expenses. He explained that some of the lines had been different due to his putting expenditures where they needed to be. The board approved the budget.

The board approved the bills.

The board approved the 2023-2024 transportation contracts, and increases to the budget for operational, food service, and athletics. Dean abstained from the vote due to not receiving the information to make the decision.

Unfinished business none currently.

Finance committee report

Begay said they had met and talked about the work base learning position being funded by the innovation grant. The had also talked about all the budget increases the board had just approved. They went over the budget for keeping up the golf course and hoped the city of Bayard would help with three hours a week. Several other items had been discussed.

Audit committee report

Gaudiana said they had not met and didn’t have anything to report.

Superintendent’s report

Aron Lewis the union representative had not attended to give a report.

Spaletta said the plans for the Summer Fest currently have been ahead of what they had done last year. They will have vendors from out of town participating. Currently they have 28 food vendors, school supplies and backpacks purchased, $15,000 in donations, music for every hour, 25 games, car show and carnival events.

The district has a few new positions open. They have 14 positions open. Spaletta said they had 250 applications and a job fair to take place June 27, 2023, and hope to have all positions filled soon.

The district received the innovations grant and they had asked for $200,000. They will hire a person to coordinate career and college pathways along with work base learning programs.

Spaletta gave the board a list of leadership retreats that would be coming up for the staff and administration.

The convocation will be coming for July 26, 2023, 8:30-11:30. Spaletta wanted someone from the board to speak on behalf of the board. The theme this year “The best is yet to come.”

Spaletta went over the bond projects that they currently have been working on. The track at Central Elementary has been finished. They have almost finished painting San Lorenzo school. Most of the parts for the security systems have come but some should be here soon. The high school bathrooms should be finished soon. They have been working on Hurley to fix the sidewalks. The wrestling pads should be finished soon. Batting cages will be done in July. The portable buildings will be finished with repairs soon.

Spaletta had just received the information on structured literacy support and will have more information by the next meeting.

POMS Insurance has given the district a new assessment and Michael Koury, director of special projects, will be working with the principals to address the issues. Koury has also applied for a $500,000 grant for security that will help.

Micaela Roacho, student representative, did not attend to give a report.

New business

Murillo and Begay attended the NMSBA (New Mexico School Board Association) Law Conference in Albuquerque. Murillo said the scholarship they had requested for Micaela Roacho had been accepted and she would be receiving conformation soon. They had a presentation by Raul Torres, attorney general, and he said he would be working to improve civil rights for children. She said they had recommended they televise the finance committee meetings. Begay said she had learned about how agendas should and should not be done. They had also addressed planning budgets. The attorney general and Secretary Romero spoke about in the future the school board system would be more data driven and make things easier.

Murillo said she had sent a copy of the template they would be using for their self evaluation. She would be creating a Google form to make it easier and they would be discussing it later.

The board went into closed session for approximately three hours. The executive session was being held to discuss the superintendent’s contract for July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. They would also be addressing the special audit, litigation from former employees, information concerning a complaint made to the New Mexico Public Education Department special education division and the movement of employees and contemplated movement of employees.

The board came back into open session

Action items

The board approved the superintendent’s contract. It will remain the same as the existing contract and run until June 30, 2024.

Adjourned