San Jon plans July graduation

The San Jon Municipal Schools board of trustees set a graduation time of 6 p.m. July 11 at the high-school gym with a maximum of 25 people allowed for each of its three graduates to comply with an anticipated state public-gatherings limit of 100.

Superintendent Janet Gladu said during the board’s June 8 meeting the district would enforce social distancing of six feet of space between chairs and in the bleachers during the ceremony. Protective masks also would be required.

The school’s seniors had held out holding a graduation ceremony for weeks in hope the state would ease its coronavirus restrictions.

However, Gladu said she recommended the July 11 ceremony because “I’m afraid we’re going to run out of time” for such an event before the next school year begins in August.

Gladu said the event would forgo a guest speaker because having additional people there would increase the risk of the virus. Valedictorian Nathaniel Kneitz and salutatorian Jayden Johnson, however, will give speeches.

“It’s horrible,” Gladu said of the coronavirus pandemic’s disruption of school traditions. “We’re trying to do the best we can.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has indicted she might ease more restrictions by July 1, but it remains unknown whether public gatherings would be among those.

The state’s Human Services secretary and director of tourism, however, each have expressed doubts the public-gatherings ban would be lifted for months.

In other business:

• The board accepted a CARES Act grant of nearly $28,000. The money will be used to buy coronavirus-related cleaners, sanitizer, masks, touchless thermometers, laptop computer ionizers and converting several doors to touchless use.

• The board accepted a $7,648 contract with A-1 Lock Pros in Clovis to install new locks and keys in the district’s buildings. Gladu said the job involves 187 doors, and it would reduce the number of keys needed for entry. She said A-1 should complete its work in 1 1/2 days.

• The board tabled action on which lawn-service contractor to hire until they received clarification on how often they would mow. Gladu also said she might hire another custodian in a few weeks who would reduce some of the lawn work needed. The two contractors bid about $425 per session to mow and trim district grounds.

n The board discussed a proposal to design for new decals on the center of the two gym floors. Gladu said she may open a decal-design contest to local children, then have a professional graphic artist improve the winning entry. The board would make a final approval of the decals during its July meeting, Gladu said, with a one-week turnaround by a contractor to strip the floor and affix them.