Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari Public Schools board spurned three search firms’ offers and instead turned to an in-house team to find a new superintendent.
The board during its regular meeting Dec. 18 chose assistant superintendent Dave Johnson and administrative assistant Veronica Hernandez to search for a successor to Aaron McKinney, who retires on Jan. 1 after 18 years in the post. McKinney was not present during the meeting.
Johnson will be paid a $5,000 stipend to find a new superintendent. Hernandez will be paid a $3,000 stipend.
Johnson said after the meeting he likely would call for a work session before the board’s next regular session on Jan. 15 to talk to board members with how to proceed with the search.
Johnson said he anticipates the district will begin advertising for the superintendent’s position shortly after the mid-January meeting.
He said he anticipates interviews with candidates would be conducted in February, with a new superintendent hired by early April.
Bids for the superintendent search came from McPherson & Jacobson of Omaha, Nebraska, for $10,750, David Willden Consulting of Sandia Park for $27,031.25 and Paul and Associates of Albuquerque for $12,500.
The bids did not include travel expenses, gross receipts taxes and other costs. Principals with Willden and Paul made personal pitches to the board at previous meetings.
The board also unanimously voted to name Johnson as interim superintendent after McKinney’s departure.
The move had been expected; board members had openly discussed hiring Johnson during previous meetings.
Johnson, who has been assistant superintendent at TPS for 13 1/2 years, will be paid a stipend of $28,200 as interim superintendent. His current salary is $137,800.
Both actions by the board came after 10-minute closed executive session, though Vice President Matthew Pacheco — presiding over the meeting in place of absent President Heather Gonzales — said it was likely he and fellow board members had their minds made up about those matters.
During board member comments later in the meeting, Jerry Lopez thanked Johnson for “stepping up” to the interim superintendent’s role and thanked McKinney for his 18 years of service in running the school district.
“He did a tremendous job,” Lopez said, “and I hope he enjoys his retirement.”
In other business:
— Several school board members and officials during the meeting joined a chorus of opposing the Public Education Department’s plan to expand area schools’ instruction from four to five days a week.
High school principal Nicole Bright-Lesly said the four-day schedule was “important” for many students so they can complete dual-enrollment courses at Mesalands and other colleges.
Bright-Lesly noted many high-school students work 30 to 40 hours a week, from Thursday evening through Sunday, to provide for their families. She told of one student who asked to not be at school during a rare Friday session because he was having to work to help pay for his family’s electric bill.
Bright-Lesly said TPS already has jettisoned some student activities — such as almost all pep rallies — so the district can use that time for more instruction.
Johnson said the four-day week saves rural districts money. He said the loss of a four-day week probably would prompt several teachers to retire early, and the district would lose a recruiting tool for drawing new teachers.
Johnson said his biggest concern would be the loss of local control by school boards in setting their district schedules and other matters.
“I would be in favor to let people in Tucumcari run Tucumcari schools,” Johnson said, sparking a smattering of applause from the gallery.
Pacheco said in rural communities such as Tucumcari, many parents use the open Friday from a four-day week “to get a lot of things done.” Pacheco, a dentist, noted many TPS students are booked at his clinic that day.
During public comments, however, Lisa Montoya said a math teacher told her the current four-day week was fast-paced and that students couldn’t get complete instruction on that schedule.
— The board approved the 2023 fiscal year audit report from Accounting & Financial Solutions of Farmington.
The report contained just two findings. The audit was an unmodified opinion, which is the best attainable.
The findings were regarding controls over fundraising and internal controls of cash receipts.
With fundraising, the report states a sale of baseball caps couldn’t be reconciled with the $1,815 raised and the inventory. The district will draft a letter to all sponsors that all money turned in must be receipted properly so it can be deposited into district accounts within one banking day.
With cash receipts, the report stated five of 40 receipts reviewed could not be found. Another eight receipts totaling $6,817 weren’t deposited within one banking day. One was deposited 46 days after receipt.
Athletic director Wayne Ferguson said most of the deposit problems have occurred with contract coaches and not full-time district staff. He said a “stern” talk with coaches occurred after the cash deposit problems.
— In his construction update, Johnson said completion of the new baseball and softball fields was “getting close.” He said netting and screens had been installed, along with grass turf.
“It kind of looks like a ballfields now,” he said.
Johnson said the district soon would install pitching mounds and was taking bids on press boxes, bleachers, changing rooms, a concession stand and dugout furniture. Those items initially were removed as a cost-cutting move.
Johnson also read a thank-you letter from the Quay County Little League for the district’s support during the past season.
— Middle school principal Lendall Borden said New Mexico State Police have increased their presence on the campus to build good relationships and investigate any criminal activity.
Board member JD Knapp asked whether there has been an uptick in fights or other bad activity at the middle school. Borden said he checked the last 21 years of data, and the current school year was “not out of the norm.”
Lopez, saying he supports Borden, advocated that state legislators toughen laws regarding juvenile offenses. Lopez said he also wanted to eliminate out-of-school suspensions and keep offenders at school to do homework.
“There’s no discipline at home anymore,” Lopez said.
— During public comments, Montoya said one middle-school teacher said she was “too involved” in her son’s life.
She repeated concerns about a health survey given students students she alleged “drives a wedge” between parents and their children.
Hayden Hermel, speaking on behalf of Ann Largent, said bullying was “a crisis” at the district and nationwide. He said it was “only a matter of time before a student loses his or her life” because of bullying.
— Ferguson said with the recent voter-approved bond issue, the district was looking at resurfacing the track at Rattler Stadium.
— During board comments, Pacheco said he was happy to see Rattler Gymnasium “packed” during the Rattler Invitational wrestling tournament and the elementary school’s carnival.
“There’s a lot of good things going on,” he said.
— The board heard a presentation from Early Head Start official Pagie Evans about efforts to find an alternative site after its current facility at Mountain View School was condemned. (See other story in this edition.)
— The board declined to take action on final readings of policy advisories regarding gender identity and reproductive or gender-affirming health care. (See other story in this edition.)