Meetings watch: Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education

Portales school board members on Monday approved an audit report from Carol Snider with tax consultation firm RPC CPAs and Consultants.

Snider said the objective of the audit — which began Aug. 22, 2016, and ended Jan. 5, 2017 — was to express “opinions on whether your financial statements are fairly presented in all material respects.”

The audit covered financial statements, internal controls related to the statements, and compliance with laws, regulations and grant agreements.

Snider reported that no difficulties or disagreements of any kind were found during the audit regarding staff, and that no significant audit adjustments were found to be necessary.

Regarding deficiencies, Snider reported that one was found in last year’s audit, but was resolved this year and not repeated.

Other actions on Monday:

• Board members recognized Lindsey Steiner Elementary School fifth-grade student Garrick Tomlinson, winner of the Roosevelt County Spelling Bee on Jan. 27. Garrick won both the junior and senior division of the bee by spelling the words “sultan” and “hurricane,” respectively.

Lindsey Steiner fifth-grader Sanjan Chava, runner-up in the junior division, and Lindsey Steiner sixth-grader Adrian Leal, runner-up in the senior division, were also recognized.

• Portales High School Track Coach Glenn Johnson was recognized by the board for being awarded the 2016 New Mexico class 4A track coach of the year.

Johnson expressed his gratitude to school administrators for helping make the high school’s track program a success.

“The support from the administration has been tremendous. It just only enhances what we’re trying to get done out there, both in the classroom, on the track, that type of thing,” he said. “Last year, we had the number of athletes to where we had to develop a JV (junior varsity) track schedule. That’s the first time in 19 years we’ve had to do that. So far, this year, without any basketball players out, we have right at 60 boys and girls out working in the track program.”

• Oscar Robinson, member of the New Mexico Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, presented certificates of appreciation to all schools in the district, as well as school Superintendent Johnnie Cain, for their participation in the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. festivities.

“It was our most successful Martin Luther King celebration in the community, and most of that is because of the schools, and we really appreciate that. We feel like the school district made a big impact on the community, and for that, we wanted to give you a certificate of appreciation,” said Robinson.

• Board members approved the canvass of returns for the school board elections.

Cain said the Feb. 7 election saw the approval of a general obligation bond and 2 mill levy, as well as the re-election of board members Antonio Sanchez and Alan Garrett.

Board member Mary Rowley expressed gratitude on behalf of the board and school district toward “the people in Portales who always support our bonds.”

• Board members approved the adoption of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt history textbooks.

Assistant Superintendent David Van Wettering said reasons for adopting the textbooks for grades 5-12 included an immersive experience, online assessments, and materials provided in Spanish.

• Board members approved the donation by Scott Davis of a 6-inch by 10-inch American flag and a 6-inch by 10-inch New Mexico flag to be displayed in the Portales High School gym.

• Board members approved a resolution honoring Cannon Air Force Base School Liaison Officer Lori Dunn for her time spent working with the school district.

Cain presented Dunn with a certificate of appreciation for her work with the district.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time with Portales schools. I started substituting, and I spent a lot of time at Lindsey and a lot of time at the junior high. I just fell in love with Portales schools, so I was just really happy when this job opened up and I was able to move into it,” she said.

• Board members approved April 19 as the date for the Board of Education Senior National Honor Society Banquet.

• Board members rescheduled the March 13 board meeting to March 6 due to spring break.

• Board members approved the quality of education questions that are given to parents to determine their level of satisfaction with the district.

According to Van Wettering, parents did not understand question 13, “Data analysis is used to guide student instruction,” prompting him to request a replacement question.

Of three options given by Van Wettering, board members selected “My child has a positive connection with at least one staff member at his/her school.”

The other two options were “My child is being offered additional support when he/she does not understand what is being taught,” and “My child understands his/her teacher’s expectations.”

• Board members approved a request for proposal for dental services for the district.

Cain said the district’s dental services contract with Educare Dental Services expires at the end of the 2017 school year.

“Over the past four years, I’ve been approached by a dentist and by another outfit that would like to be able to get in the schools with this program, and I felt like the only fair way to do that would be to go back with an RFP (request for proposal), since this other contract is now expiring,” said Cain.

In approving the submission of the RFP, board members reduced the length of the contract to two years from five.

Cain said once the RFP had been submitted, it would return to the board to be approved as a contract with a dental services provider.

• In his personnel report, Cain noted that purchasing specialist Alisa Garrett had resigned on Jan. 31, leaving a vacancy.

PHS custodian Steve Villanueva and James Elementary Special Education Teacher Deborah Walker will retire March 1 and May 26, respectively, according to Cain.

• Board members awarded an RFP for audit services for the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 fiscal years to Woodard, Cowen and Co., CPA.

“We did do the RFP and scored each of the RFPs, and Woodard did come out with the highest score and the best price on this, so I would recommend that we select them as the auditors for the next three years,” said Cain.

• Board members approved the ratification of budget adjustment requests.

Business Manager Sarah Marquez said PMS received a grant from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the Center for Disease Control in the amount of $4,000.

Because the district had been earning interest on education technology and GO and education technology bonds, Marquez said it had received an increase of $1,156 in its bond building fund and increases of $350 and $13 in the Education Technology Equipment Act fund.

• Board members approved the payment of bills and expenditures.

— Compiled by Staff Writer Eamon Scarbrough