Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
SAN JON — The board for San Jon Municipal Schools during its regular meeting Wednesday gave its superintendent a 3% pay raise for the coming fiscal year.
Alan Umholtz will be paid $128,832 annually. The raise comes with the stipulation that he provide quarterly updates on the district’s goals.
The 3% hike matches state-mandated raises given to teachers for the 2024-2025 school year.
The unanimous decision by the board followed an executive session of nearly an hour. Umholtz went behind closed doors with board members for a few minutes, exited, then was summoned back later.
Umholtz said he was satisfied with his pay.
“My bank is excited; my wife’s excited,” he said after the meeting, laughing.
The board in February gave Umholtz a contract extension that runs through June 2026.
Umholtz, 64, was hired as San Jon’s superintendent in 2022 following the departure of Janet Gladu after four years.
Umholtz has said he wants to remain as San Jon superintendent until a new school is built sometime in the next few years.
In other business:
— Athletic director Bobby Kandel gave an update on construction of a new track.
He said the old track’s curbs had been removed, and he said a run for the javelin throw would be added to the facility.
Kandel also said the run lane for the 100-meter dash would be expanded from six to eight lanes.
Asking board members what color they preferred for the new track, they came to a consensus of black with red exchange areas for relay races.
Kandel has said he hopes to have construction completed by October. Successfully installing the surface of the new track is dependent on ground temperatures being above 60 degrees.
— During his superintendent’s report, Umholtz said the New Mexico Public Education Department recently raised districts’ State Equalization Guarantee rates, giving San Jon an additional $28,000 for the coming school year.
Umholtz also said the PED has “backed off” trying to impose a 180-day instruction schedule for the 2024-2025 school year. He said the state likely would try again for the following school year.
A district judge blocked implementation of the 180-day schedule until its legality is ascertained. The schedule would have forced virtually all schools with a four-days-a-week schedule to go to five days.
— The board adjusted the 2024-2025 school calendar, moving a half-day of professional development to the date of high-school graduation so teachers could attend.
The revised calendar also reflects Missoula Children’s Theatre request to move its annual production from April 25 to May 9. The new date may conflict with the state track meet. Board members asked Umholtz to check for alternate dates for the theatre.
— The board approved the annual Open Meetings Act resolution, which states its monthly meetings now will be on Mondays instead of Wednesdays.
The board’s next meeting, however, will be on July 10, a Wednesday, due to several officials or board members being out of town on the regularly scheduled date of July 8.
The resolution also gives an option of hybrid meetings that allow board members to attend by videoconference or teleconference due to extenuating circumstances.
— The board tabled action on approving district goals for 2024-2025. Board President Frank Gibson said the goals need to be revisited to reflect the imminent construction of a new school.
— Many of the board’s actions during the meeting were routine matters to prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, including submitting applications for funding, approving a transportation contract and ratifying a new payment system to the state’s retirement board.
— Kandel, who also is the district’s food service director, said prices for lunch this fall would rise from $4.75 to $5 and breakfast from $2.50 to $3 upon the recommendation of an auditor.