CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The Feb. 16 Grants/Cibola County School District board meeting appeared relatively routine compared to the Feb. 8 special meeting. That three-hour session ended with a board vote, 3-2, to return to hybrid instruction.
Last week’s meeting, which lasted a little more than one hour, included a STAR Team report, an Affordable Solar presentation, and the Bluewater Elementary School project update.
Bluewater design progress
District Facilities Director Vance Lee and Superintendent Max Perez made a presentation earlier this month to New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority. The G/CCSD requested approval for a 23,000-squarefoot building for Bluewater Elementary to accommodate an anticipated enrollment of 120, Pre-K through sixth grade. Director Lee commented that the school’s enrollment “has been as high as 116 during the past six to eight years.” The district plans to replace the existing 14,000-square-foot structure, which currently serves 67 students. The new facility schematic plan has been designed to accommodate future changes in student numbers.
The board discussed the Cubero Elementary School, 50,000-square-feet, which is now inadequate because current enrollment has reached more than 300 students, Pre-K through sixth grade.
The discussions with the PSFA are part of the design process explained Lee who acknowledged that PSFA has now approved a proposal for an 18,171-square-foot facility to serve a student enrollment of 102. The Bluewater project is part of the district facilities master plan, according to G/CCSD officials.
State Representatives Harry Garcia, District 69, and Patricia Lundstrum, District 9, have both acknowledged their support of the proposals that G/CCDS has presented to the PSFA, according to Su perintendent Perez. Solar initiative
Solar initiative
Troy McGee, Affordable Solar, described the company’s history and proposed that the district consider a free cost/benefit analysis for solar installation. He pointed out that Affordable Solar has begun a similar assessment for the Village of Milan. The Albuquerque-based company has installed more than 2,500 solar arrays in New Mexico since it was established in 1998. The business has more than 80 employees and has supplied more than 20,000 systems to commercial, industrial, scientific, community, and residential customers in 96 countries, according to https://affordablesolar.com/.
McGee predicted that the solar industry would provide 5,000 new jobs within five years.
STAR Team
Academic Services Director Rana Sanchez reported on the recent accomplishments of the STAR Team. (The acronym represents Staff Tracking Action to see students Rise.) The team includes guidance counselors and representatives from each of the elementary, middle, and high schools. The initiative relies on a four-tier system to track student attendance and provides outreach to families along with tutoring for students who have a 10 - 20 percent rate of absenteeism. The first three tiers focus on early intervention including contact with parents, offering tutoring sessions, and interactions with counselors. Students who are identified as Tier 4, an absenteeism rate of higher than 20 percent, receive intensive academic support along with non-punitive options. The district notifies the state Children, Youth, and Families Department when a student is absent more than 20 percent of the time from academic instruction.
Director Sanchez acknowledged that internet access and the pandemic have resulted in numerous challenges for students and their families. She reported that district enrollment had dropped by 282 students since the start of this school year; Sanchez said that 120 have since re-enrolled and she anticipates that number to increase by 10 students in the immediate future.
Technology Director Raquel Whitebird commented that student access to distance-learning has been affected in certain cases by the limited broadband width available from some area service providers.
Upcoming meetings • March 2
• March 2
G/CCSD board teleconferencing meeting
5:30 p.m., the Grants/Cibola County school board electronic meeting via Zoom.
• March 16 G/CCSD board teleconferencing meeting, 5:30 p.m., the Grants/Cibola County school board electronic meeting via Zoom.
Holidays • March 22-26— Spring Break
• Friday, April 2 - District closed
Visit https://www.gccs.k12.nm.us/ or call 505-285-2603 for more information.