Tucumcari school board honors three

The Tucumcari school board during its regular meeting Dec. 17 honored three schoolteachers who earned “exemplary” evaluations.

Board members and administrators applauded and presented plaques to Teri Dunlap, a middle-school math teacher; Sharon LaTouf, a high-school math teacher; and Danica Arguello, a middle-school language-arts teacher.

Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney said the exemplary grade came from tests, student evaluations, principal evaluations, teacher attendance and more.

Math and science teachers who receive the exemplary rating receive a $10,000 bonus from the state; all other teachers with such a rating earn a $5,000 bonus.

In other business by the board:

• The board approved an audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. During a phone conference in the boardroom with the auditor, certified public accountant Byron R. Manning, he said the school district was in good financial standing compared to others he'd evaluated and concluded by saying: “Overall, it's a really clean report.”

• As part of the consent agenda, it accepted a $1,000 donation from Elks Lodge 1172 in Tucumcari for the Tucumcari wrestling program to cover meals, lodging, entry fees and other expenses during the season.

• The board gave a first reading on policy revisions regarding homeless students. Assistant superintendent David Johnson noted the revisions reflect schools' expanded definitions of homeless children, which can include those who live in motel rooms, foster children and those estranged from their parents.