Meetings watch: Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education

The following were actions taken during the Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday:

• Board members and CMS Superintendent Jody Balch congratulated School Lieson Officer Lori Dunn, who has taken on a humanitarian re-assignment in California and attended her last meeting.

• Balch recommended two travel requests for the Clovis High School Junior ROTC: one to Texas Tech and one to Colorado Springs.

• Sandia Elementary School Principal Matthew Vetterly presented an update on the elementary school.

Updates include 22 percent of the student body participating in before and after school labs. 88 percent of fifth-graders meeting or exceeding Fall Accelerated Reader goals and 7,782 AR points earned so far.

Vetterly said students participating in these labs outgrew other students by two and a half months in math and three months in reading.

• Board members approved a $4,200 signing bonus for new hires, paid out in $1,400 annual stipends.

• Board members approved Board of Education Quality Survey Questions for parents and guardians.

The questions approved are: The Board of Education mission matches what is actually happening in the programs and the school says what it says it does; my input is welcome and sought after; central office and site administration are responsive to calls; CMS policy for attendance at out of zone schools is fair and implemented impartially; and the board of education and administration make budget decisions that are equitable and focused on students.

• Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Joe Strickland introduced to board members textbook adoptions for grades Kindergarten through 12 social studies.

• Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kerry Parker presented updates to the relations to booster organizations exhibit and dress code regulations.

Parker said language in the booster organizations exhibit was clarified to reflect all booster clubs and not just athletics.

The language in the dress code regulations was clarified to reflect males and females while making it user-friendly for the administration and clear for the students.

Strickland added yearly meetings would be necessary with those dealing with the dress code to keep up with clothing trends that may be considered inappropriate.

• Board members tabled a request to consider Lincoln Jackson to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Carrie Bunce said the Department of Cultural Affairs notified CMS of the nomination by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.

Bunce said adding the school to the registry brought about financial concerns in meeting NMHPD maintenance guidelines regarding building preservation, which would be detrimental to the school district.

Bunce said while no one in the district would ignore the historical importance of the building, the focus should be on educating students efficiently.

• Board members approved supporting the City of Clovis Water Reuse Project.

The project, which will supply re-use water to different sites in town, could save CMS $309,930.42 in water costs over a 10-year period.

Bunce said CMS will receive water at a 50 percent reduction.

• Board members approved results of the 2015-16 audit by Jaramillo Accounting Group.

Scott Eliason, a partner with Jaramillo Accounting Group, reported an unmodified opinion on CMS’s financial statements.

Eliason said no material weaknesses, significance deficiencies or non-compliance material were found with the financial statements.

— Compiled by Staff Writer Kurt Munz-Raper