Portales board fills open position

In an unanimous decision the Portales Municipal School Board has voted for Doug Pfaffenberger to fill an open board member seat as of Monday.

Superintendent Johnnie Cain said Pfaffenberger had put in a letter of interest after hearing the resignation of former Board Member Cade Skinner. Pfaffenberger had run for this position back in November, where he received 38.5% of the vote in the election.

“The Board felt that his desire to be a board member was evident since he had ran for the position and since he did receive a good amount of the vote from electors in his district, he would be a good choice to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Skinner,” Cain said.

Cain said what also fueled the board’s decision was that Pfaffenberger had children attending within the school district and that he is “a respected businessman in the community.”

Cain said Pfaffenberger ran uncontested as there were no other contestants who were nominated or applied to the position. Pfaffenberger will be sworn in at the March 4 regular school board meeting at 6 p.m.

Also at Monday’s meeting the board unanimously approved a $1.07 million School Kitchen Infrastructure Improvement grant to enlarge and remodel the James Elementary kitchen.