GRANTS, New Mexico – Following the first three items on the agenda, the board proceeded to address item IV, Citizens to Address the Board. First Lieutenant Governor of Acoma Pueblo, Wendell Chino, spoke regarding Tribal concerns on three topics.
Acoma Accuses GCCS of Failing to Meet
The first concern of the Acoma Tribal Council was that the Council feels the Grants Cibola County Schools Superintendent failed to consult with Pueblo of Acoma in a timely manner. Also, the suggestion that consultation be delayed until January 2025 is unacceptable because several necessary tribal and council members will not be available at that time. Acoma’s Tribal Council did not accept additional reasons given for the delay.
The second concern of the Council was the unacceptable delay in organizing the Indian Parent Advisory Committee (IPAC) “in a timely manner”. Also, the Lt. Governor stated that there have been disagreements causing the bylaws that are in place to be ignored, and they should be adhered to. This has caused additional interference.
There is no evidence that the Indian Procedures Policy (IPP) has been initiated and the Tribal Council requests a consultation to discuss the issues presented by Lt. Gov. Chino.
Sports Update
Agenda item V., Recognitions, addressed Grants High School fall sports, a presentation by GHS athletic director, Reyes Jaramillo.
Jaramillo reported that the GHS Volleyball program is making continual progress, and they have competed with tough 4A teams. An effort is being made to fill the head coach position due to his resignation.
Golf has a split season. The team has competed in several tournaments during its fall season and looks forward to a positive spring season.
The GHS cross-country team hosted this year’s District Cross-Country meet which happens every four years. Boys and girls took third place and both teams qualified to attend the state meet.
The football program had a successful season and played in the quarter-finals.
Participation is increasing in the soccer program and adding a Junior varsity team in addition to the current varsity team is being considered.
Football State Championships ended November 30. The first and second teams have not been decided yet.
Jaramillo added that the GHS sports program is working toward building a positive culture, concentrating not only on sports but also on academics and sportsmanship.
DASH Goals
Agenda item VI. Presentations addressed: A. DASH Plan Early College High School – Principal Lora Coles, presenter. Ms. Coles explained the goals for the DASH plan and their alignment with the strategic plan.
Goal 1 in alignment with the strategic plan is to provide professional development for all staff on datadriven instruction. This will work toward the goal of “a safe and respectful learning environment utilizing the latest technology and instructional practices.
Goal 2 involves the collaboration of “school leaders, teachers, staff, and the community.” The parties will work together toward “overall improvement in student academic performance, proficiency rates, growth metrics, and reduced achievement gaps.”
Positive results this year according to a STAR data assessment are: “in ELA 86% of freshmen testing at or above benchmark and 75% at or above benchmark in math. Tenth graders had 86% test at or above benchmark.” The subject was not mentioned.
Board members, parents, and community members were thanked for being supportive.
New Technology
B. Technology/Sharp Update presented by Mr. Tafoya and Mr. Jones. More Chromebooks will be ordered for students. Teacher training is an issue, they require more than half a day because some teachers are less computer literate and are having difficulty.
The budget for the help desk was presented along with other technology provided by Sharp such as antivirus scanners and network security and is the only service that isn’t being used often enough to justify the expense.