Cobre considering options for teacher housing
By Lynn Janes
The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a regular meeting on August 18, 2025. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana and Angelina Hardin. Interim Superintendent Randal Piper also attended. Emmarie Heredia didn't attend.
The board approved the agenda.
Public input none currently.
The board went into executive session to be updated by the auditing firm regarding the status of the phase two of the special audit.
The board came back into open session and said no action had taken place.
Action items
The board approved amendment number three to the forensic procedures contract with Jaramillo Account Group LLC. This amendment will include compensation terms based on a flat fee with a bonus for early completion.
Piper had provided a packet on a proposal to use the federal funding in the amount of $119,000 they had received that originally would be to turn the two unused portable office buildings into housing for teachers. The project would not work as originally planned. This new one would purchase land in Santa Clara and put two mobile homes on it for teacher housing.
Piper would present this plan to Freeport McMoRan (FMI) in a few days. Last year Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments director, had helped them obtain the award with the City of Bayard serving as the fiscal agent.
Originally, they had planned to turn the two portables into four units for housing for teachers and to use it as a recruiting tool. They found that they would have to hire an architect that would require the use of most of the award with a cost of $76,000. The insurance would not cover the units unless an architect was used. The district had tried to give the portables away and then purchase mobile homes for the same area. Santa Clara had been interested but the buildings were concreted in and a mobile home mover said they could not move them. Problems have continued.
The award money needed to be spent by the end of the fiscal year, so they needed to look at other options. Three lots in Santa Clara have been identified where staff housing could be located. Santa Clara had tried to sell them previously for $10,000 and the purchaser backed out. Piper had looked into two 800-square-foot mobile homes. In the previous plan the units would have only been about 400-square-feet each. The mobile homes he had looked at had one bedroom, and he provided a floor plan and pictures to the board. Piper went over what they would have to do on the lots, and some utility work would need to be done. The work would include landscaping, so it looked nice. The district may have to start with just one mobile home, but Piper has been working with the company to see if they could have a discount for purchasing two at once. He felt positive about his meeting with FMI and would be asking for a $75,000 business grant.
Piper told the board the lots in Santa Clare are located on the corner of Fort Bayard Street and Oak Street. It had been a gas station at one time. The board approved moving forward with the plan for Santa Clara.
The board approved the minutes from the special meeting on September 3, 2025.
Meeting adjourned.
