Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari school board last week approved revised student regulations on dress codes for the 2022-2023 school year but delayed action on hair styles and tattoos until members could discuss it further at its August meeting.
Board members, who agreed dress-code revisions were overdue during its June meeting, unanimously approved the new regulations for tops and bottoms during its July 18 meeting so parents could go shopping for clothes before the school year begins in mid-August.
However, board members expressed misgivings about revised regulations regarding hair and tattoos. The proposed regulation states: “Tattoos or skin stamps may not display anything considered prohibited.”
Superintendent Aaron McKinney and assistant superintendent Dave Johnson said prohibited tattoos would include profanity, images with nudity or gang symbols.
“How are we going to determine what’s gang-related and not gang-related?” board member Jerry Lopez asked.
Johnson said the district generally consults with other districts and the Tucumcari Police Department on discerning disallowed gang symbols.
Lopez, noting the proposed policy requiring hairstyles, mustaches and beards be “well groomed,” also criticized a section that stated students who volunteer for extra-curricular activities may be subject to stricter standards by sponsors or coaches. He said he wanted consistency “across the board” with beards.
Johnson noted the New Mexico Activities Association for some sports, including wrestling, bars beards due to safety reasons.
After more discussion, board members agreed to discuss tattoo and hair issues during a work session at 5:30 p.m. before their regular meeting in August.
Dress-code changes approved by the board:
• “Rings or jewelry in pierced locations on a student’s body may be worn in the ears and other areas of the face only.”
• “Leggings may be under proper length outer garments.”
• “For shredded jeans above mid-thigh, leggings or a similar garment must be worn underneath to cover the showing of skin.”
• “All outer garments (shorts, skirts, dresses, and tops to over leggings), must be no shorter than mid-thigh. (This does not apply to shorts or skirts worn as an approved uniform.)”
In other business:
• The board by a 4-1 vote approved a two-year contract retroactive to July 1 for McKinney at a salary of $145,000 a year through mid-2024. That is a raise of about $20,000.
The deal followed a 70-minute closed executive session where board members summoned McKinney twice to a back board room. Lopez cast the only dissenting vote.
McKinney said after the meeting he would retire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. He has been superintendent for 16 years.
The board had been scheduled to discuss or approve McKinney’s contract during its June meeting, but he fell ill with COVID-19 and could not attend.
• The board tabled action on a consent agenda item on whether to authorize business manager Janet Sanchez to make budget adjustments throughout the school year.
McKinney and Sanchez said the authorization sometimes is needed to make time-sensitive orders, such as COVID-19 tests, but not major purchases before the board’s next meeting. He said such budget adjustments still will be on the board’s meeting agenda due to transparency reasons.
Sanchez said such purchases typically are less than $50,000 but occasionally top $100,000. Board members asked her to bring examples of what might be purchased under such an authorization and a suggested maximum threshold.
• The board voted to table action on whether to revise a board member compensation and expense policy.
Virtually all board members said they wished to not accept payment for their attendance at meetings, which McKinney said can be accomplished by signing an affidavit.
However, McKinney advised them to not reject the policy to pay board members per-diem rates for travel to conferences.
• The board approved a resolution to participate in the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Local Government Road Fund program to improve drainage near the middle school and main cafeteria.
“Low spots as well as improper drainage is causing water to pool and create a sheet of ice during the winter months, making it hazardous to staff and students,” the resolution states. The project will cost $34,865, with the district’s share $8,716.
• During board comments, Lopez and Gonzales questioned a policy requiring clear backpacks for students in the middle school while they’re not required for the high school. The transparent backpacks are so school officials can see possible weapons.
Gonzales indicated she was amenable to installing metal detectors at the entrances instead of requiring clear backpacks, which wear out quickly. She said one student when through four clear backpacks during a single school year.
• Lopez asked again whether board meetings could be streamed live on the internet, then video of them be archived online. McKinney asked his staff to put the request on the board’s August meeting as an action item.
• During his superintendent’s report, McKinney said the delivery of new air conditioning units to the elementary school was set to occur in August. He said installation would take three to four months because it must be done in phases.