School board approves budget adjustments

The Tucumcari school board approved several budget adjustments during a special meeting March 4, including one that allowed the district to hire a team of counselors for its students.

Assistant superintendent David Johnson said the district had been approved for a Title IV grant the previous week. As a result, the board during its special meeting approved an adjustment that will allow the district to spend $27,146.72 of that money to hire Mesa Counseling of Tucumcari.

Johnson said Mesa’s counselors will come to Tucumcari schools one or two days a week until the end of the school year for anti-bullying, suicide prevention and other programs for students. He said Mesa will begin its work this week or next.

Officials didn’t want to wait until the board’s next scheduled meeting of March 18. By acting now, Johnson said, the district would avail itself of Mesa’s services for several more weeks until the end of the school year.

The board had the bare minimum of members to take action during the meeting. Leif Gray and Corinne Hayes were present in the boardroom. Board President Carlos Romero was in Albuquerque and voted by teleconference. Board members Fernando Ureste and Heather Gonzales were absent.