Meetings watch: Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education

The following were actions taken at the Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education meeting Monday in the L.C. Cozzens Administrative Offices Building:

• Board members approved the minutes of their Oct. 17 meeting and Oct. 26 special meeting.

• Portales High School student Ashrey Shah was recognized by the board for being selected to play in the National Association for Music Education All-National Honor Band Nov. 11-13 in Grapevine, Texas.

• Board members approved a resolution and proclamation of the regular school district election, school bond election, and public school capital improvements tax election Feb. 7, 2017.

According to Miller, the positions of board members Alan Garrett (voting district three) and Antonio Sanchez (voting district four) will be open in the election.

Miller added that two questions will be included on the ballot: a general obligation school bond question that asks if general obligation bonds in the amount of $7.5 million should be issued for the improvement for infrastructure improvements and the purchase of equipment; and a public school capital improvements tax question that asks if PMS may be authorized to impose a property tax of $2 on each $1,000 of net taxable value of property allocated to the school district under the property tax code from 2017-2022.

• Board members approved a resolution authorizing and directing school election procedures.

According to Miller, the resolution “shows you exactly the question that will be on the ballot for the GO bond and for the capital improvement bond.”

She also said that the resolution establishes that the proclamation of the election shall be published before Dec. 19, and that absentee votes may be made between Jan. 13-Feb. 3 at the Roosevelt County Clerk’s Office.

• Board members agreed to sign a letter for support of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.

According to Miller, Oscar Robinson presented to the school board that the New Mexico state legislature is proposing the combination of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and the African American Commission.

“The Martin Luther King Commission does not want that to take place, because the African American Commission only represents African Americans and the Martin Luther King Commission represents all human beings,” Miller said, adding that the letter of support would ask the legislature not to combine the two commissions.

According to a presentation provided by Robinson, the commission’s purpose is “to develop, promote, coordinate and review statewide plans and activities for the annual commemoration and celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.”

• Board members approved a resolution declaring fixed assets obsolete.

“We have some computers that we’re destroying,” Miller said.

• Board members approved a list of assets to be disposed not requiring state auditor approval.

• Board members approved out-of-state travel for the Portales High School boys and girls basketball teams Dec. 29-31 in Littlefield, Texas, and for the girls basketball team in Lubbock Jan. 28.

• Board members approved a waiver of physical education requirement for a Portales High School student.

• Board members approved donations to PMS, including a bench from Robert’s TV and Appliance to Valencia and Lindsey-Steiner Elementary schools.

• According to Miller, PMS Superintendent Johnnie Cain’s personnel report included a retirement and a transfer.

James Elementary School dual language teacher Gloria Tapia resigned Nov. 4, and Brown Early Childhood Center kindergarten teacher Lyndsey Smith transferred to the pre-school at Brown.

• Board members approved 14 budget adjustment requests, including 12 maintenance items.