State official to honor Logan schools

New Mexico’s Education Secretary is scheduled to honor Logan Municipal Schools this week for all three of its schools attaining the Spotlight School designation for high academic attainment.

Logan superintendent Dennis Roch told the school board about the achievements during its Aug. 7 meeting.

Logan’s elementary, middle and high schools each earned the Public Education Department’s Spotlight Schools designation for landing in the top 25th percentile for achievement in English, mathematics and science.

State Secretary of Education Arsenio Romero is scheduled to honor the district during an in-person visit on Thursday.

Roch said the average New Mexico school earned a 53 grade in assessments. Logan Elementary scored a 55. Comparing other area schools, Roch reported that Tatum scored a 55, Dora 51 and Mosquero 35.

Logan Middle School scored a 59. With other area schools, Grady scored a 59, Melrose 48 and Fort Sumner 34.

Logan High School scored a 76, which tied with Los Alamos, a district with a high number of Ph.Ds in households. Des Moines scored a 63 and Texico 54.

In other action:

— During a special meeting before the regular meeting, the board approved a resolution determining the necessity of up to $500,000 in a lease-purchase arrangement using general obligation bonds for technology equipment through the Education Technology Equipment Act.

The purchase will be paid in mid-September with at 5% interest, or $52, for one day.

— Principal Crystal Burns reported the district’s enrollment rose to 234, compared to 221 last year. Those numbers include prekindergarten students.

Burns said the elementary school contains 98 students, the middle school 42 and the high school 94.

She said the district denied two freshman transfers because the district already has 28 of those students. “We pushing our limits,” she said.

— The board approved a transportation contract addendum. Roch said the change reflects several new riders on a bus route on the southern portion of the school district.

— Roch said a new public-address system was installed at the district that can be accessed by two phones on campus and by administrators’ cellphones.

— Athletic director Billy Burns said the district is considering $5 admission fees across the board to cover extra costs for referees.

Game officials have seen additional pay as their numbers dwindle. Even with bigger paychecks, Burns said Logan probably will have to reschedule at least two football games because of the lack of officials.