School five-year plan still has TMS on chopping block

Tucumcari Middle School remains on the chopping block as part of a proposed five-year strategic plan.

However, skeptical Tucumcari Public Schools officials still are considering an option to renovate at least part of the middle school and were scheduled to present that idea to state officials as an alternative.

Members of the school board last Monday heard by teleconference a final proposal for the five-year plan from Kerrianne Wolf, senior director of strategic consulting for Woolpert.

The firm presided over a community meeting in April on how to improve the school district's utilization rate amid stagnant enrollment. Four options presented at the time included closing Tucumcari Middle School and moving its students to the elementary or high school.

The utilization rate for TPS buildings is about 35%, and enrollment in the next 10 years is projected to remain about the same or slightly higher. An ideal utilization rate for school buildings is 80%.

The final Woolpert plan would have the school district repurpose the elementary school to serve students from prekindergarten through eighth grade over a phased-in, three-year period that would potentially start during the 2025-2026 school year.

In the recommendation, the middle school would be closed within the next three to five years, though its gymnasium and cafeteria would be kept. The plan includes maintenance or renovations to the high school, auditorium, Rattler Gymnasium, Rhodes Field House and the agriculture shop.

According to Woolpert documents, the high-priority projects in the plan would cost about $8.5 million over 10 years. Optional projects would cost at little over $1 million.

Interim superintendent Dave Johnson said under the state's funding formula, the district would pay about 35% of the cost. A future voter-approved bond issue would cover much of the district's costs.

Incoming superintendent Carl Marano asked whether part of the structure of Tucumcari Middle School could be removed, increasing its utilization rate.

Board member Jerry Lopez asked if the district resurrects elective courses, such as a wood shop, whether that would increase its utilization.

Johnson also asked whether state money could be used to renovate classrooms to boost utilization.

Wolf wasn't able to answer those questions definitively. Johnson and Marano said they would consult with John Valdez or Gabriel Saavedra of the New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority about their questions or alternative ideas.

One of those alternative ideas was brought up during the community meeting in April. One of the strategic plan steering committee members, teacher Dana Benavidez, advocated moving sixth-graders to the elementary school and remodeling the middle school as a more cost-effective option.

After the meeting, Johnson confirmed Benavidez's proposal still is being considered.

Woolpert, using a formula, determined the middle school is the most expendable due to its poor condition. TMS opened in 1949 with additions or renovations in 1970, 1972, 1980 and 1996.

But Lopez and other officials were skeptical of that, saying the elementary school has suffered from persistent structural issues since being built on apparently unstable soil in 1998. Lopez said he was more comfortable relocating the elementary school to the middle school.

Johnson said he was sympathetic with the board's reluctance to close the middle school. But he said proceeding without a strategic plan would have consequences.

"If we don't approve this, we're jeopardizing funding from the state," he said.

The school board is scheduled to decide on what path to take for its five-year plan in its July meeting.

In other business:

- The board approved a revised stipend schedule for athletic programs.

The increases in stipends total $18,160. Marano has said the increases would make TPS more competitive with other districts in the region.

The schedule adds stipends for high school girls wrestling, high school girls powerlifting, high school girls track and an assistant coach for cheerleading.

Marano said bigger changes were made with sports that had more participation and longer seasons.

- Marano said Deanne McKinney has been hired as the elementary school's principal, in addition to her current role as special education director. He said he would hire an assistant principal at TES to help with her duties.

McKinney replaces Tonya Hodges, who recently retired after more than 30 years with the district. Marano said the district has a total of seven vacancies to fill due to retirements or departures.

- Marano reported that 31 high-school students were going to summer school, and 22 had already completed credit-recovery courses. He said 95% of the students in 10th to 12th grade in the coming school year were on track to graduate.

- Marano said new sod would be installed on the baseball field within the next two weeks. It also would make repairs to the facility's sidewalks and ruts in the parking area.

Re-roofing continues on the middle school, and renovations on the track at Rattler Stadium were scheduled to begin later in the week.

- Marano said the federal government has revised its Title IX regulations, which prohibits sex-based discrimination. He said TPS will have to make only "minor tweaks" to its policy.

"We're pretty close to compliance already," he said.

- Marano said a meet-the-teacher session for students would be moved from Aug. 14 to Aug. 15 to provide an additional day of faculty development. An in-service date of May 23 also will be moved to Jan. 10.

- The board approved a final reading of a state policy advisory that primarily involves changes to training for school board members.

- The board approved these donations from April and May: $251.56 from Playon Sports to high-school student assistance; $250 from Fought Mechanical to the THS softball; $2,198.88 from Eastern New Mexico University to THS FCCLA; $56 and $84 from Wells Fargo/The Blackbaud Giving Fund to THS volleyball; $250 from Phillip Box to THS FFA; $40 from Richard to THS golf; $500 from M&M Golf to THS golf; $150 from Aime Broom to THS FCCLA; $200 from Pacheco Family Dentistry to THS baseball; and $200 from McDonald's to THS cheer.