San Jon board approves extended-learning calendar

SAN JON — The San Jon Municipal Schools board of trustees last week unanimously approved a 2021-2022 extended-learning calendar that adds eight more instructional days and six more in-service days for teachers.

Superintendent Janet Gladu said during the board’s April 12 meeting that teachers were polled on which calendar option they preferred. The vote ended in a tie.

Gladu said she had no preference on either option, though she said the state’s Public Education Department is encouraging the extended learning time because of lost instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gladu said funding exists for additional teacher pay during the extending learning. School board member Tommie Evans, who teaches at Tucumcari, said that district already has planned 15 additional instructional days in the next school year. He said the additional time would mean more money for teachers and more benefits for students.

Board member Pam Slater asked whether the additional time would have an educational benefit. Gladu said the effect would be “minimal” for one year, especially if COVID-19 restrictions remained in place this fall. However, if kept in place over years, Gladu said the additional time would have “a significant impact” on student learning.

Gladu added the PED is discouraging five-day school weeks because a four-day week is a strong incentive for drawing teacher candidates.

Under the approved calendar, San Jon would begin teacher in-service on Aug. 2 instead of Aug. 3. The first day of school would be Aug. 9, which did not change. Thanksgiving break would be shortened. The final day of school would be May 26 instead of May 19.

In other business:

• During her superintendent’s report, Gladu said San Jon students would hold prom at the school on May 14, and the gymnasium would host graduation at 6 p.m. May 22.

For graduation, Gladu said each senior would be issued 22 tickets for family members to attend the ceremony if Quay County maintains its turquoise status in COVID-19 risk assessments.

Family members would be required to bunch together in the gym to foster social distancing from other family groups. No guest speaker is booked. Turquoise-zone rules allow 33% occupancy of indoor venues, which would mean a maximum of 227 people in San Jon’s gymnasium.

Gladu said the May 14 prom would be student-organized with no parents or the public admitted. Parents would be allowed to attend the pre-dance grand march. Gladu said the students at the dance also would be subject to a dress code.

• The board voted to permanently cancel an annual senior trip for the district’s graduating seniors because of liability concerns.

Gladu said she’d received no comments from anyone after the board discussed possibly ending the trip during its March meeting. She said seniors instead could use that time at the school for an activity week or time with their families.

San Jon’s senior classes have not had a senior trip the last two school years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the classes’ inability to fundraise for them.

Board President Frank Gibson said with the New Mexico Legislature’s passage of House Bill 4 that makes governmental entities more exposed to liability suits, he didn’t think it was wise to continue the trip.

“With the new law, I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” he said.

Board member Tommie Evans agreed: “To be fiscally responsible, I don’t see how we can keep it.”

• The board approved a policy regarding students’ eligibility for extracurricular activities after it tabled the issue several months ago because of an apparent and still-unresolved conflict with New Mexico Activities Association bylaws.

The NMAA states athletes can compete in games if they maintain at least a 2.0 grade-point average with no failing grades in their courses. But attorney Don Williams of the New Mexico School Boards Association said the law states students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and does no mention failing grades.

San Jon administrative assistant Stacy Wooten-Kent agreed there is discrepancy.

“I have those documents, and they don’t match,” she said.

Kent said she could recollect only one student in recent years who conceivably could have kept a 2.0 GPA yet was failing one class.

Board members eventually agreed the law supersedes NMAA bylaws and approved the proposed policy.

• Gladu noted the PED is mandating COVID-19 tests for 10% of a district’s athletes starting April 26 through the BinaxNow nasal swabs. The tests, however, are volunteer for students, and they cannot be denied the chance of playing sports if they turn them down. She said she doubted San Jon would have 10% of its athletes tested.

Noting the district’s new exposure to liability, Gladu said she essentially would have to act as a medical assistant in administering the tests — a prospect with which she was uncomfortable. She said she instead would order theVault saliva tests if a parent wants it.

• Gladu said she anticipated the school district would receive about $290,000 from the third round of federal coronavirus relief. The district previously received about $112,000 from the second relief bill. She said previous relief funds were spent on a part-time custodian, new desks, new cafeteria table, cleaning equipment and a new outdoor learning area.

• The board approved a new sick-leave policy for support staff and professional personnel. Among the changes are that employees who leave the district won’t be compensated for unused sick days. Family illness also shall not exceed three consecutive days unless approved by the superintendent.

• Gladu said she was exploring a future purchase of an activities bus to replace its current 2008 model. She received a quote of $169,445 for a bus from Tillery Bus Sales of Moriarty but said she might consider other bids. Gladu said she would budget an additional $80,000 in next year’s budget for a bus purchase, plus the district has additional cash on hand and revenue from a wind farm.