Staff report

Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education members approved the two-year contract Tuesday for new Superintendent Jody Balch.

Balch said the contract will take effect July 1 and includes an annual salary of $145,000.

Balch is a 16-year veteran of Clovis schools, having worked as Yucca Middle School principal for seven years, Clovis High School principal for five years and as deputy superintendent for two years, among other positions in the district.link

Board members also:

• Approved several reports on the consent agenda.

• Heard concerns from Clovis resident Diana Duran concerning a strip club rumored to be possibly opening in Clovis.

Duran appealed to board members to support her or give her guidance with a petition against the business coming to Clovis, saying the strip club would be “exploiting our children.”

• Heard a report by Cannon Air Force Base representative Lt. Col. Joyce Storm in which Storm said the base will be providing training to Clovis and Portales teachers on how to manage and counsel the children of deployed military personnel.

She said the potential target dates for the training are Aug. 12-13.

• Heard a report from Curry County Health Council member Jaime Andrews, who said two highly important current issues to the council are teen pregnancy rates in Curry County and child obesity rates.

She said that 49.1 out of 1,000 females from ages 15 to 17 in Curry County become pregnant compared to 29.5 out of 1,000 in New Mexico and 17.3 out of 1,000 in the U.S.

She said 15.9 percent of school age children in Curry County suffer from obesity compared to 12.8 percent in the state and 13 percent in the U.S.

• Approved travel for the Clovis High School Band.

• Approved having a representative for the Public School Facilities Authority.

• Approved the Universal Lunch & School Breakfast Program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to children whose families are on food stamps, according to Paul Klein, director of student nutrition.

• Approved several instructional items, including three applications for the migrant student program and new curriculum for career and technical education and theater and show choir programs.

• Approved revising several board member policies.

• Approved a seven-week leave of absence for a faculty member for educational purposes.

• Approved three financial items, which included petty cash for school concession stands to make change during football season, signing off on the school district’s annual auditing report and revisions to the 2014-2015 budget.

A special meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss three budget adjustments.