Cobre superintendent resigns

By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a meeting on September 25, 2023, at Snell Middle School. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, David Terrazas and Elizabeth Dean (by phone). Serena Murillo did not attend. Acting superintendent Michael Koury also attended.

Snell Middle School principal Margaret Begay introduced a couple of teachers to give presentations. They have just started a Mariachi band and Damaris Landers told the board the kids would not be ready to preform for them yet. They hoped by Christmas they would. The band will be made up of 16 students. The students will be starting from zero and learning everything about Mariachi bands. They have new instruments and uniforms coming soon.

Cheryl Fowler, school counselor, reported on a grant she had worked on that will be coming soon for $125,000 this year and could become a yearly grant. She felt they had a lack of mental health and behavioral health services available to the students. They had already this year experienced a crisis. "When basic needs are not met students can't learn." She told the board she could not have gotten the grant without a lot of help from others. With this grant they can provide after school services such as tutoring, social emotional and academic support, career readiness and improve the school culture with a student support center. She also wanted to provide a resource library for the teachers along with mental health support for them.

Action items

The board approved the agenda and minutes for September 11, 2023.

The board approved the solar funding opportunity with Yellow Bird Solar after a presentation by their representative Rocky Backus, president. He explained that they have been hired by Sunwealth, a public benefits company in Massachusetts, that will pay to build and own the solar installation. They had come in January and given a presentation about the system. The district will be able to purchase the electricity from Sunwealth at a 10 percent discount. Backus went over how the electric system works, generation, transmission and then distribution. This service would cut that costly process out and making them able to sell the electricity at a lower cost. The system has been designed to match what is needed to cover the electric usage of the district. He went over the situation facing New Mexico concerning electricity. The legislature has set the state to be 40 percent renewable by 2025, 50 percent by 2023 and 100 percent by 2045. "This will cause increases to the electric costs." The solar installation will not cost the district any funds but will decrease the cost of electricity 10 percent and will eventually grow to 50 percent. Sunwealth pays all the maintenance. The installation will provide shaded parking for 200 vehicles and some of the playgrounds. The first year savings according to Backus will be approximately $37,104 based on last years use.

The board had a few questions. He explained last year the district paid $316,000 in electric usage and with this program they would only pay $219,000. The reason for the saving not being the full $97,000 had to do with still needing to pay PNM for the line service. Guadiana wanted to know if they would have car charging stations. Backus said they would be wiring for it, but it would cost extra to do that, but it would be ready to hook up in the future when they had funding. They would be set up for charging to take 4-5 hours. Koury wanted to know what the life span of the system would be. Backus told him that the loan would be for 30 years, but he thought they had a 50-year span. The district will have the option to buy out the system every year. Begay asked when they would break ground. Backus told them that it could start in as little as six weeks and take three months to fifteen months depending on the schools. Guadiana asked some questions about them being able to work with them in the event they can build a new high school. Backus said yes.

The board approved the budget allocation from carryovers of funds. They also approved the bills that the finance committee had approved.

The board authorized the district to engage financial consultants, K12 Accounting, to help the district provide the needed documents to finish the special audit for 2022. It can be done by January 2024 and then they can start the 2023 audit and have it done in May 2024.

Begay said the finance committee had met the previous week and they went over the bills and budget adjustment. They also addressed the Central Elementary drainage project.

Guadiana reported on the audit committee. As referenced before, the special audit would be done in January 2024. They had met with the auditors and set the criteria for the meetings. They will be closed meetings. After the state auditor approves the audit, they will be open to the public.

Board members reports.

Terrazas said he had attended a parent teacher conference at Hurley Elementary and a teacher had commented that Parent Square (internet platform for teachers and parents) had not been utilized and he wanted to know why. Koury said some teachers use different platforms and the goal has been to get them all on one. Part of it will require training for the teachers to know how to use it.

Guadiana had attended the NMSBA conference. He found it useful, and it lets them know what changes will be coming and how it will affect them as the school board. "It is valuable to know what resources are needed to do what needs to be done." He had been able to talk with the State Finance Authority about the possible building of the new high school and made some connections to help in the process.

Begay said she had attended a Ron Clark Academy and hoped to see it brought to Cobre. She reminded everyone of the region 8 meeting in Deming the next day.

Dean did not have any report currently.

Superintendent's report

Aron Lewis, the union representative, addressed the board with his comments and concerns. They will be ready to go into collective bargaining again, but he added the board had rejected it the last year and he wanted to know why. Guadiana said they had never gotten it last year until it was finished. The board had concerns over structure, and no one had been forthcoming about it. Lewis said he understood, and they would work better this year to work with the board.

Lewis said labor relations have gone well in the district. The only problems are the teachers have not been happy about the vector training. He said he did it himself to just see how long it took. He timed it and without any interruption it took 20 hours.

Silver City had given out some retention bonuses, and they would like to see that at this district. Lewis said, "I know you are having budget problems and have had some mismanagement of funds but hope you can do this soon." He commented that the new principals have been doing an amazing job and Snell Middle School has had a great improvement. He ended by saying thank you and he knew it is a tough job.

Koury said the next meeting on October 23, 2023, he would be out of town and wanted to know how the board would like to handle it. Begay told him to appoint someone to represent him. Koury said he would be in Kansas to look into a program that would the best place for help building the new high school.

Koury addressed the board about the innovation grant. He and Suzanne Chavira, director of academics, will provide a document to the board outlining what they plan to do with that grant. One of the main things will be community-based work. They have already received calls from employers wanting students. They will look at what the students are interested in and matching them. The students will do resumes and job interviews for these positions.

They have almost finished all the security measures at Snell Middle School and Bayard Elementary and will be receiving additional funds because of HB505 and will use that for the high school security and could have that done in just a few months.

They had good feedback from the staff at the recent professional development day.

The district has a brand new title IX team. They will have all the needed training done shortly.

Koury pointed out that the new website could be viewed and had almost been finished. They also provided a tab for title IX information.

New business

Guadiana had asked that the policies be put on the agenda. They had done a blanket approval and much of the staff has no idea. He wanted a direction and remedy to the possible problem. Koury said the principals had requested a copy and had received a hard copy of them. "We are currently in the process of staff handbooks that can have that included."

Koury said that the strategic plan had been put aside due to all the other things recently that had to be addressed. As soon as it calms down some, he would meet with CES (provider) and get it back on track with the strategic plan. He cautioned it could be a little while.

The board went into executive session to get an update and advice from legal counsel regarding possible severance of the superintendent's contract.

The council came back into open session after a little over an hour.

Action items

The board approved the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Jeff Spaletta.

The board approved the severance agreement with the changes discussed in executive session.

Begay read a statement for the media.

Today the Cobre Consolidated School Board accepted the resignation of Dr. Spaletta effective October 23, 2023. We wish Dr. Spaletta well as he takes on his next professional endeavors. Until a permanent superintendent is selected by the board, Koury will remain as acting superintendent. As always, we appreciate the support of the community

Adjourned