By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated Schools held a board meeting at on September 11, 2023. Board members in attendance included Serena Murillo, Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, David Terrazas and Elizabeth Dean (by phone). Acting superintendent Michael Koury also attended.

Mireya Zapata, student representative, gave the board a report. The report consisted of all the games that have taken place recently and the ones coming up.

Action items

The board approved the agenda and meeting minutes from August 28, 2023.

The board approved the first reading of policy changes that they had tabled last time. The policy changes had been made available on the website. Guadiana added he wanted to see a place on the website for the public to make comments regarding those changes.

The board approved the budget transfer for funds from IDEA special education. It had been money that was left over from the previous school year. Begay said the finance committee had approved it.

Finance committee did not meet but would hold the next meeting September 19, 2023.

The audit committee will meet September 20, 2023, and the Jaramillo Group, doing the special audit, would attend. Guadiana said they found out they have been out of compliance not having monthly meetings. They now have the information they need and will be in compliance. Murillo said she had worries about being behind in the audits because of the special audit being done. Guadiana also expressed concern. Frank Ryan, finance director, will be asking for an update on the duration of this special audit.

Board members reports.

Murillo said she plans to attend the NMSBA (New Mexico School Board Association) conference being held in Deming. She asked the board to attend if possible and RSVP with the district administrative assistant.

Begay and Dean didn't have a report currently.

Terrazas said he had attended the ABC Bootcamp at Hurley elementary. It had involved all the students and he said, "It was awesome."

Guadiana said he had attended the recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon. PNM had a new economic specialist that spoke. She was involved in bringing Amazon into Los Lunas. He had talked to her about the new high school they wanted to build, and the innovations program and she said she would be glad to help in any way she could. He added that Chino Mine said they plan an expansion of the mine and an additional workforce. He also talked to Raul Turrieta, Grant County Assessor, about the predicted numbers for copper and what the community could expect. He added he would be attending the NMSBA meeting in Deming.

Superintendent's report

Artie Sanchez, athletic director, gave the board a report on several items. He wants to see about having the NMAA (New Mexico Athletic Association) change their bylaws and allow sixth graders to participate in sports since they now have been put at Snell Middle School. Murillo thought it would be good to have them involved. They talked about eligibility and if any other schools had done it. Sanchez said Cliff did. Terrazas asked him to reach out to other athletic directors.

Guadiana had questions about competition and gender identity. Sanchez said they had to go by the birth certificate, but the birth certificate can be changed. NMAA will have to change their bylaws.

Currently Sanchez said they have been waiting on quotes for the bleachers. Some of the current bleachers will have to be torn down or removed and used elsewhere to put in the new ones. Guadiana said, "ADA access is hard." Sanchez said the new ones would have access on both sides with walkways done in concrete that will be ADA compliant. Guadiana wanted to know what they would be doing in the meantime. Sanchez said they had a designated area, but it didn't have signs for handicap. They will put up signage. One area has a lot of gravel, but it will be all they have right now.

Begay wanted to know what the capacity of the new bleachers would be. Sanchez said approximately 200 and the main part 170. Begay asked if they would have shade and he said they have requested that as a separate item in the quotes that will be coming. The signage on the baseball field has gotten in bad shape from the sun. When renovation starts, they will take them down and replace them. To replace the signage will cost $2,100.

Suzanne Chavira, director of academics, said the batting cages installation would start in a few days.

The district had received calls concerning the stadium name that had come down and they wanted to know when it would go up again. Sanchez said when the renovation has completed a sign on the press box will say Tom Powers Stadium.

Koury said he had included a packet for the board concerning New Mexico Vista scores for each school. This has been new for the state this year. All schools receive a designation, and it can be seen online for all schools in New Mexico, NMvistas.org. All Cobre schools received a traditional or higher. He explained that meant that they didn't have a need for support or improvement. The data used to make this assessment came from 2020 and the state said it had been the last year they had complete information due to the pandemic. The board talked about the scoring and how it was used.

Chavira gave the board a detailed report on the beginning of the year testing and how it compared to beginning of last year and end of last year. She had data on each grade and each school. It tested math and English language arts (ELA). None of the schools had been consistent in increases and decreases. Some they scored higher than the state average and some lower. In the past they had used MAP testing system and now the state has them using ESSA testing.

Theresa Villa, coordinator of family engagement, gave the board an update on the Summerfest participation for each school, student, and family members. They have set up a food pantry center at Bayard Elementary, next to special education. It will serve as the main one. Thanksgiving they will be doing a food drive like last year. She also added they will have a clothing closet at the main pantry for free clothing for kids.

Katelyn Church, coordinator of technology, said she had been given a little money and would be needing it all. They had received $750,000. She had three specific projects it would need to go to. They would get interactive flat panel screens for the elementary schools and the cost would be $190,000 and that would provide 100 panels. The next item would be the Chromebooks. Church said they have a short shelf life and will need replacing by 2026. It will be expensive to replace them, $285,000 over the next four years in all the schools. Each book costs $285. The last one that needs to be addressed would be the laptops for the staff. Currently they have been leased and that lease is up June 2024. Church said to replace those will cost $130,000 to $170,000. The current ones have a lot of problems. She said she had not decided the best action to take. Most leases allow for a very low buy out at the end of the lease. However, the contract with these do not allow that. They must be returned in sellable condition, manuals, cords, no marks, or stickers. In effect show room quality. She didn't know if they should pay for them or send them back and hope for the best. Murillo asked the cost to get new ones and Church said $180,000 to $250,000 and the life span would be about four and a half years. They discussed that Macs last far longer and in the long run would be cheaper. Begay noted that in that lease they had never received the monitors they were supposed to get. Church said, "It was a very bad lease and should have never been signed."

Erica Luckhurst, coordinator of special education, gave the board a report on the equity council. She had emailed all the past people on the council and asked if they would be interested in serving again. They have created an application that has been put on the website for the council. She wanted more community involvement. Luckhurst currently has been waiting on some training and requirements of the state for the council.

Koury gave an update on the safety and security. Two of the schools have been completely done, Bayard Elementary and Snell Middle School. "They are very impressive systems." They need more training on the systems, but they have been easy to use. They have $180,000 for security and $120,000 for maintenance due to HB505.

Koury said he has applied for a grant of $500,000 to do a system for the high school and will know in October if it will be granted. The grant would also give all the employees walkie talkies. They could also put in a digital locking system solving a lot of problems. They have keys that have been out forever. The digital system would be easy to add and remove people. Begay asked if they could hire more security officers with it. Koury said not with this grant.

Guadiana said he has seen remarkable improvement with control at Snell Middle School and the grades had also improved.

Public input

Guadiana addressed the board as a parent and said he had a child that has been taking dual enrollment classes at the university and learning coding but had no venue at Cobre to do it.

The board went into executive session so that legal counsel could update and advise the board regarding the status of the investigation and complaints against the superintendent and possible terms of severance of the superintendent's contract. They would also be obtaining advice and an update from legal counsel in regards to Teresa Holguin v. Cobre Consolidated School District Board of Education.

The board came back after approximately an hour and a half and said no action had taken place.

Action items

The board authorized the board president to consult with legal counsel to negotiate the terms of severance of contract with the superintendent.

The board tabled authorization of legal counsel to proceed with the legal strategy discussed in executive session regarding Teresa Holguin v. Cobre Consolidated School District Board of Education.

Adjourned