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Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 26 April 2017 26 April 2017

By Margaret Hopper

The Silver School Board began its April 25, 2017 session at 6:06 p.m., allowing a brief break from the 5:00 p.m. work session on the bond issues, which must be addressed shortly. All board members were present; Justin Wecks, Patrick Cohn, Ashley Montenegro, Frances Vasquez and president Mike McMillan. The meeting was held in the Little Theater, as a number of weighty items were on the agenda. A large crowd waited nearly four hours for the vote on the 4-day school year.

Six information presenters were on the agenda, starting with Representative Rebecca Dow, district 38. She came on electronically, speaking about education bills in the recent legislative session in Santa Fe. During the questioning period, Vasquez voiced teacher evaluation concerns. Dow outlined some considerations and added that a veto override of the governor's decisions was possible until 2018. Montenegro's question was on the revenue enhancement veto; Dow spoke of the $20 million short and cuts; she questioned any change, GÇ£unless all revenue proposals are wrong.GÇ¥

Senator Howie Morales also spoke, decrying the lack of finances, saying taxes had to be raised. In the questioning period, Montenegro asked about the budget and how it could be restored. Vasquez mentioned the Permanent Funds. Cohn suggested our natural resources as help; Wecks, McMillan and Superintendent Audie Brown touched on the need for funds. Morales said one possibility was to call an extraordinary session, where others, not the governor, would set the date and the agenda.

Bianca Padilla, JPPO (Juvenile Probation and Parole Office) Program coordinator, chose to speak of how community agencies and volunteers might get creative and help on some problems, especially if the district went to a 4-day week. She offered to consider how parts of her budget might include student projects to address some needs, where appropriate. She said other agencies could also add a plan.

Wecks and Cohn asked about a time frame and how needs might be met. Padilla said she wrote grants, both federal and state, and would consider summer timing. Some parts would take six months or more. McMillan asked if Cobre could be considered. She answered that at present, she would be stretched to work with Silver. She had limits and knew them.

Andie Portillo of the Silver City Museum told of assets she could offer on Fridays that might contribute to activities that would help kids learn in fields of New Mexico history and literacy. She was new in the local position but thought some funding might be available to transport the K-grade 5 kids to the museum with a good plan. She would do what she could.

Next on the scheduled presentations was instructor Klayton Bearup who presented his FFA team members and recounted their awards, honors and some plans for future competitions. Some hoped for the funds to go to Pittsburg or other places for national competitions, as they had already won at state.

Silver City Education Association president Katrina Bustillos told the board of union progress. She said the agreements would work for either 4- or 5-day scheduling, and thanked Brown and others for all the help they had been to get this far. Wecks asked about hourly staff, such as cafeteria. She said it varied by building principal but felt none of the benefits would be lost in the end. It was working out.

Superintendent Brown reported to the board on two topics: the reconfiguration, and on the 4-day plan being worked out for next year. Many people had invested great amounts of time considering the best interests of the district, the students, staff and community. The challenges had been difficult, considering the small amount of time available. Coming at mid-year, he knew it would be difficult, but he had underestimated just how difficult.

With the present finances, they had considered options carefully to save as much money as possible, offer the best services, avoid layoffs, and still move forward, with declining enrollments. The Central Office had reduced three positions, saving about $230,000 there. If anyone had additional input, bring it, as they must keep things moving. The reconfiguration was not subject to a vote, but a change to the 4-day week was up to the board.

The principals had been deeply involved in the planning, he said, and he asked them to stand. They had figured how to make the transitions easier for sixth-grade and kindergarten teachers, how to move furniture, equipment, the works. He believed in Silver Schools and plans were in place. He was proud of his administrators. These changes could work.

Candy Milam, assistant superintendent, told how the transition would be made. She said she would inform the 6th grade teachers Wednesday and the kindergarten teachers Thursday. There were plans to move all 6th grade possessions back to the elementary schools and kindergartens to be moved to Sixth Street. High school students would help.

Once in place, teachers could team-teach, with the strengths of each used to best advantage. For instance, a strong math teacher could handle more math classes, trading off the science or other subjects to those who preferred them. Many things were possible. Instructional coaches were available and ready to help.

They were looking for the best fits. Teacher comforts were important. No assignment would be negative against anyone. They didnGÇÖt want to lose any teachers. Extracurricular subjects such as band, art and others would be available. For the transportation, she had (possibly Tina Montoya) tell about how the buses would work at Sixth Street.

A person from the bus department (possibly Montoya) said in this reconfiguration, 6th graders from Taco Bell to (Broadway) would go to Stout. Those from Daniel Street to Market would be sent to Schmitt. Kindergarteners would not see change in morning times. Those going to Harrison Schmitt would be released first, then those going to Sixth Street, next.

Milam then asked Principal Alvarez, who works with Sixth Street and La Plata, to explain the support plan for returning 6th grade teachers to elementary schools. He spoke of instructional coaches, already available, who were not administrators, who would help them fit quickly into the new space, giving new ideas and helping with the additional physical ed, art and other subjects, if they needed it. They were facing many changes and the help was ready.

Travis Yurcic, Jose Barrios principal, talked about starting with kindergarten and evening up the numbers in classes, working with ability levels, team teaching, truly getting kids ready to read. If they love kindergarten, they can love first grade, too, and be better developed in this Sixth Street setting. Reading is a big issue.

Special education classes will continue to be in all schools, despite any rumors. Each child will still have a personal Individual education plan, IEP, as per federal law, and what they have had will continue, according to Cindy Diggs.

Jason Ping, OHS principal, with the very able help of Ben Potts, technology, used the big screen again to show survey results and percentages of information just recently gathered. Using separated results from students, parents, community and school staff, the GÇ£piesGÇ¥ showed the percentages for, against and neutral on a number of issues.
Qualifying the results, he noted that for the real stakeholders-¼GÇöthe parents, students and employeesGÇöthey had used robo calls and some emails; of 920 attempts, nearly 470 had responded; some had hung up. For missed calls they had tried again. The reasoning for phone was that direct calls were less likely to be GÇ£defraudedGÇ¥ by those hoping to GÇ£stackGÇ¥ facts and sway the results. It appeared that some out-of-district results had come in.

Some student facts had arrived too late to be used. Potts admitted working about 70 hours on this in a short amount of time. (This reporter asked for a copy of the results, and it was promised, but things happen and it was difficult to reach anyone on Wednesday morning, for any reason.)

The results as seen on the screen showed about 60 to 70 percent general acceptance of the 4-day plan on the questions and occasionally higher, into the 80s. The negative responses were in the 20s mostly and the unconcerned or neutrals, in the 20s or teens, with an exception or two. Students appeared to favor the plan by 76 percent.

Dean Spurgeon, Cliff principal, added the numbers of CliffGÇÖs experience, some years ago. It started with 70 percent favoring the 4-day plan and allowed re-votes two times after that, with 95 percent approvals, once it was going. He said transition took a month or more, but then settled down. There were surprises, never what was expected, and some real benefits.

Milam said the student count was 2689 but the district had lost another 13 students on the 120th day reports. The district was applying for as many grants as possible, but it appeared that some promising ones were no longer accepting applications. They would have to wait to see if they could apply. The Title I and Title II applications were now available. Special Ed apps would come soon. So many were so late, and it was all so disorganized.

The financial review report was not out of the ordinary. Vasquez said when the forest preserve funds come in, they are sent to state PED, which divides those amounts, so whether it is $8000 as this year, or $200,000 last, the results vary. In 2014, the quarterly reports to State became monthly, but starting next month, they will revert back to quarterly, with permission.

McMillan said Cohn and Wecks were on the audit committee, as was MilamGÇÖs assistant, Michelle McCain. When that group is filled, it will select a firm to do the audit. It will also help at the beginning and conclusion of audits. During the comment period, each board member had time to appreciate and comment.

In public comments, Schmitt principal Leslie Ormand spoke to the present disadvantages teachers faced and hoped people would give them every advantage possible to keep them in the district. Annette Rodriguez addressed the 4-day plan, saying it could help morale locally and attract other teachers.

Rusty Nations, computer department, commented on skewed results. He assured it could be easily done. But if the no-comment group was removed, clearly, a large number wanted the 4-day week. Michael Ogas stressed the great advantages of a 3-day weekend. Roxana Ogas, teacher, followed, also for the 4-day week. She read a letter from another teacher.

Ben Potts, technology, told of problems with long term subs. If teachers leave, even more subs may be needed. It is difficult to recruit good teachers. Negative commenters may not realize how much the staff gives to the district. They give deeply. Linda Pafford responded that the survey was limited in scope. The 4-day week might not save money, and there would be expenses with it. The decision was being rushed. Teachers may work on Fridays, unpaid.

At 9:20, McMillan started on the Action Items. McCain said Freeport McMoRan had donated $1500 for the senior after-prom activities. Students representing the district had opportunities to go to national events if the travel expenses could be addressed. She named three groups. The check register for March was $2,549,416.32.

Two BARs were for Title I, a carryover of $94,415, and a budget adjustment of $40,000 for ancillary expenses. The conflict of interest disclosures were signed and on record to protect the district. Potts explained the five phone lines proposal for Cliff, a link for WNMU, and other equipment. He said the phone proposal should be dropped for lack of a second bid.

Century LinkGÇÖs proposal should continue. Another, for faster speeds, is hampered in Grant County. The State asks for 1 gig, but itGÇÖs not available here. And again, only a single provider made a bid. That had to be reissued. Then, the federal agncies said it was incorrectly stated, and would not qualify for eRate funds. With time running out, Potts asked that the board give Brown the authority to approve the paperwork when it arrived, because the deadline was before the next board meeting. Without approval by May 11, the district could lose all the eRate funds now budgeted.

While these changes do not bring the district up to speed, they are steps on the way. Jose Barrios has only 7 percent of the required bandwidth. The district has to keep working to bring the schools up to standards. McMillan asked that the consent agenda items be approved.

Following the work session at 5:00, the request of Mark Valenzuela from the bonding company in Albuquerque, George K. Baum and Company, the board passed a resolution on the bond intent issue. Next came the consideration of the 4-day week. The motion was made and seconded. When McMillan called for discussion and none was given, he opened that up, saying he wasnGÇÖt sure it was the best thing for the district.

That led to discussion by all the others, for another eight or ten minutes. Each said they were loyal to the schools, the teachers, all of it. In the vote, Wecks and Cohn voted for the 4 days, and Montenegro, Vasquez and McMillan voted against it.

The next item was New Mexico School Board nominations for a scholarship, but that was lost, as teachers and others in the audience silently left the room, leaving it nearly empty. That and the 5-day calendar were voted on. The student identified as GÇ£GGÇ¥ will be nominated. Calendar # 3 was accepted for next year.

The next regular meeting is set for May 16. The New Mexico school law conference will be June 1-3 in Albuquerque, for board members. There will be a special meeting in May.

The second public comment session saw two respondents. A man named Caulkins said this was Grant County politics at work. An important opportunity was just thrown away. He was followed by Dr. Michelle Diaz, she said they should come up with a good plan for teacher retention.

This portion ended at 10:00 p.m. and the board went into executive session.
[Following many attempts to clarify some of this information, this author decided to write the article. If additional information arrives, the article will be revised.]