Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
District employee Cody Ryen poses with school board President Heather Gonzales and board member Matthew Pacheco with his plaque that recognizes his New Mexico Plant Manager of the Year award during the annual Ben Lujan Maintenance Achievement Awards.
The Tucumcari Public Schools board formally authorized the district's superintendent to pursue donating the entire 13-acre Mountain View School property to Eastern Plains Early Head Start, which operates a daycare there.
The board stated in its action during its Nov. 28 meeting it may later pursue a covenant with the transfer to the property, with the board's president suggesting the property can be used only for children's benefit.
Superintendent Aaron McKinney said the board could decide to transfer only part of the property to Eastern Plains, but he recommended donating the entire 13-acre tract.
McKinney, citing the unexpectedly complex and costlier survey of the ballparks development project, said a full transfer of the Mountain View property would avoid the cost of a survey. He said it would require an appraisal, however.
He said the site might be valued at $1,500 an acre, but much of the land is overgrown with elm trees and brush. He also said asbestos has not been fully abated from the building.
McKinney said he wants to give the property to the agency due to the district's ongoing expenses of insuring and maintaining the building.
"It's just costing the district," he said.
McKinney said such a transfer would include water rights, but he indicated that contains minimal value, as well.
Board President Heather Gonzales said if the state accepts the donation, she would want a covenant that the propety be restricted only to kids' use in the future.
Mountain View Elementary School opened during the early 1950s and closed about 40 years later.
The board of Gonzales, Robert Lucero and Matthew Pacheco approved the authorization. Board members Bo Wallace and Jerry Lopez were absent.
In other board action:
• The board approved a second and final reading of a policy regarding attendance by younger students at extracurricular events.
The policy states: "All elementary and middle-school aged children must by accompanied by an adult or guardian at any district sponsored event such as athletics and fine arts events. The adult and guardian must remain at the event with the children. Elementary and middle-school aged children may not be dropped off at events without an adult. Elementary and middle school children that are participating in the activity are exempt."
Assistant superintendent Dave Johnson said at the board's October meeting he borrowed the policy language from another imposed by a Texas school district after a fight at a game caused injuries.
The TPS policy was prompted by fights or bullying by middle-school students at football or basketball games.
• The board with little discussion approved a second and final reading of the district's bullying policy.
Gonzales said she received little feedback after the first reading of the policy. She said she surmised the new policy had clarified matters in many parents' minds.
The board during its October meeting added a few words to the policy's definitions that include more than one victim of such bullying. Those were added to address possible problems with serial bullies or harassers, or an individual who targets multiple people.
The policy went into effect immediately upon the board's approval.
• McKinney said installation of a new climate-control unit for the elementary school again has been pushed back, this time to December, due to ongoing supply-chain issues.
He said all the other equipment for the project has been placed in storage so they are available when the unit finally arrives.
• McKinney said the district recently completed an exit meeting with Accounting & Financial Solutions of Farmington regarding the annual audit.
He said the audit report contained only two findings, both minor.
"It was a great audit," he said.
• District employee Cody Ryen was honored by the board with a plaque for his New Mexico Plant Manager of the Year award during the annual Ben Lujan Maintenance Achievement Awards in October that lauds maintenance and operations staff at school districts.
Tucumcari also was among nine school districts, including House in southern Quay County, to receive an individual or team award.
• Felicia Martinez was introduced as the new food director for the district's food-service contractor.
