Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
It appears softball and cross country will be added as extracurricular options during the 2021-2022 school year at San Jon Municipal Schools.
The district’s board of trustees voted to add those sports during its regular meeting May 10.
Superintendent Janet Gladu said a recent survey of students indicated eight of them expressed interest in softball, eight were interested in baseball and five were interested in cross country.
For softball, Gladu said the Coyotes’ likely immediate opponents would be Tucumcari and Logan. She said if not enough players go out for softball to field a team, those girls would be allowed to participate in baseball.
Gladu said the only expense for softball or baseball would be buying equipment and fixing up the current fields. The district already has staff members interested in coaching those teams.
She said the addition of softball and cross county would increase the number of extracurricular activities for students. Gladu said San Jon’s No. 3 ranking of New Mexico school districts in 2020 was knocked down only by its relative lack of sports.
Stacy Wooten-Kent, longtime administrative assistant at the district, said in an email it would be the first time San Jon ever has offered softball and cross country. If baseball is revived, it would be the first time the Coyotes have fielded such a team since 2013.
In other business:
• After a 30-minute closed executive session, the board gave Gladu a raise of $1,169.50, to $112,969.50 a year.
That represents a 1.5% increase, the same as all staff in the district are receiving. Gladu has been with the district since mid-2018.
• The board approved a social-emotional learning curriculum presented by faculty member Jaree Elliott.
Elliott said the mostly online curriculum is meant to “teach the whole child” and tailored to be age-appropriate for each grade level. Topics include nutrition and physical activity; safety; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; personal health and wellness; and social and emotional health.
Gladu said such instruction would take up one to two days a week for middle school and high school students and wouldn’t detract from the district’s core courses.
A $10,000 grant covers all of curriculum’s cost but about $1,200, Gladu said.
• The board approved a low bid from Starr Janitorial of Roswell to resurface the old gymnasium’s floor for $14,417.31. The other two bids were at least $6,000 higher. The board also approved a center logo design for the floor.
— The board authorized Gladu to issue a request for proposals for a new activities bus and a professional services contract to help administer its Public School Capital Outlay Council grant.
• The board approved a Fine Arts Education Education Act application for $16,435, which would pay for the annual production at San Jon by the Missoula Children’s Theatre.
• The board approved the increment salary schedule for coaches and coordinators and salary matrix for 2021-2022. The latter includes a mandated 1.5% pay increase for educators.
• The board approved a regular calendar for the 2021-2022 school year in case the New Mexico Public Education Department rejects its proposed extended-learning calendar this summer.
• The board voted to reschedule its next meeting from June 14 to June 3 because the district needs to submit its annual budget to the state by June 10.
• During superintendent reports, Gladu noted three school board seats are up for election this year. Those would be seats occupied by Frank Gibson, Cynthia Lee and Pam Slater.
Gladu offered thank-yous to three retiring staff members — Rhealeen Thrasher, Peggy Gates and Stacy Wooten-Kent. All are San Jon graduates who spent more than 20 years with the district.
Gladu said she purchased 12 new desks for teachers for $7,600, including delivery. She said they were deeply discounted from a Clovis firm after another client backed out from the deal.