By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a board retreat July 24, 2024. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana, David Terrazas, Angelina Hardin, and Emmarie Heredia. Superintendent Michael Koury also attended.

Koury had presented all the calendars for the upcoming year and asked the board if they had any changes they wanted to make. They agreed to change some because of school breaks. October 14, 2024, board meeting will be moved to October 17, 2024. The March 24, 2025 board meeting will be moved the March 27, 2025. Koury said he could not be present at the November 4, 2024, meeting and the board decided to continue with the meeting.

Graduation had been moved to May 22, 2025, a Thursday. Koury said last year they had it on a Friday and it had caused a problem with the teachers because they had been finished with their contract on Thursday and had not been happy about having to come back on Friday. It had created a lot of problems. Guadiana had concerns about people having to travel from out of town for the graduation. Koury had feedback both ways.

The finance committee meeting on October 15, 2024, will be canceled and everything will be covered in the October 1, 2024, meeting. The March 25, 2025, meeting will be canceled, and everything will be covered on the first meeting of the month.

Koury asked the board how they would like updates on the strategic plan. Begay thought quarterly would be good. Guadiana wanted to have more in-depth reports. He suggested addressing one goal in depth each month. He wanted more information and time for questions. Currently they read the report submitted. He would like information beyond the report the board receives. Terrazas wanted a monthly summary. Begay suggested the second meeting of the month to focus on one goal.

Koury wanted to make the strategic plan reports more organized for the board. The board receives reports on technology, food service, special education, human resources, finance, academics, special projects and operations. Begay pointed out that some they need to hear more from such as special education, and Guadiana agreed.

They will be adding the principals from the schools and rotating them. They decided that when they had the meeting held at one of the schools, they would not just have a presentation from the students but would have one from the principal. The board added a work session from 4:30-5:00 to tour each host school.

Begay wanted to see them only have one executive session a month. She realized it could not happen right away but make it a goal. Guadiana said as long as they had the lawsuits they could not.

Begay wanted so to see a school budget from each school and not a compiled one. This would allow for them to know better what each school needed. Koury said he encourages them to let them know what they need so he can provide it for them. Adding positions will be a little harder for them to add. The board all agreed it would be the school's job to provide materials and not the parents. Begay said, in Silver, the district asks the teachers for list, and they purchase the materials. Heredia said it can become very expensive for parents, especially when they have multiple students. Guadiana wanted to start that practice this year with the district purchasing what the teachers needed. Koury reported to the board that the district had spent $14,000 - $15,000 for supplies to give out at Summerfest.

Guadiana had some questions about the finance report. Koury said some of the grants could only be used for certain things. Some of the grants continue but many do not.

Begay suggested cross-training everyone in finance, so the finance director is not always stuck when someone can't come to work. Koury agreed that would be a great idea.

Guadiana said he has worries about the next audit meeting. He has not seen corrective actions on many things. The state auditor will be in attendance. They have also not been able to find a public member with a student to be on the committee as required. Begay said they have been missing one in finance also. They have tried but have not been able to bring anybody on, no one has been interested. Koury suggested they use social media and create a flyer to put out asking for candidates. They could put a flyer in the handbooks they will be passing out.

Koury said they had reached out to Silver Consolidated Schools on their salary schedules and stipends, and they have been doing the same. Begay said she had a problem with it being called a schedule. It should be called a placement. Terrazas pointed out that the state uses that terminology—schedule, and it would be confusing to change that. Koury said they now require more information for stipends. "When work is done on contract time you should not get a stipend." Begay said it would require a change in mindset. "Just because you got it before does not mean you should continue to get it."

The board decided to do board evaluations in November 2024.

The board, after discussion, decided to do the superintendent's evaluation in November 2024.

They will send out questions to the administration, staff, parents and students a month before. Begay suggested doing the questions at the staff meetings to obtain the most surveys. They originally planned on the evaluations in January 2025, but Guadiana pointed out that because of the election the board might change by then.

The principal's evaluations have changed and will be more detailed and comprehensive. Koury said he had been glad to see that.

The board went over some of the goals they had for the district.

Guadiana said he would like to see some of the vacant school rooms opened for daycare, before and after school to help parents out. Koury said those programs had come and gone in the past. They would need grant money to do it. He said he could look into it and see if anything would be available. Guadiana suggested working with the state and trying to do a statewide initiative. It would be good for economic development and teachers.

Begay said she would like to see the playground equipment behind Snell Middle School be refurbished and moved to Hurley Elementary.

They spoke about revamping the Snell football field. Currently they must transport the students to the high school for practice. Installing artificial turf would be about a half million. Koury said he wanted to hold off on anything until they know about the new school. Terrazas suggested some kind of upgrade. Begay said they had invested $25,000 on the Central Elementary track and it still had not been right. They still have a problem with standing water.

Part of the Ron Clark Academy involves having different "houses" for students to choose from and be part of. The board will also be choosing a house, and they all discussed what house they had chosen.

Koury had copies of the revised handbooks for the board to review.

The conversation came back to one from the previous meeting, cell phones. Do they ban them or allow at certain times. Koury said they had a lot of pros and cons. Many different perspectives to consider. Begay said they needed to put some real thought into it.

Cobre tries to prepare the students for the workforce. Koury said they will have to put their phone away for eight hours. He recounted his own experience being frustrated when walking into a store and the employee has been on the cell phone. They need to function in society without them sometimes. The board went over all the problems that could arise by taking them away and problems allowing partial use. Koury pointed out that kids go to phones when they become bored or have extra time. "If kids are engaged or busy, it should not be a problem." Guadiana suggested staying with the current policies, and if they don't work revisit finding solutions. Koury agreed.

Begay said, "It is a hard conversation, but they are a part of our world. We need to just embrace it and need to learn because it is part of our lives now." She added they just have to find a balance.

The board discussed the possibility of plagiarism if they have their cell phones. Heredia said now the universities do everything online. Koury added the students all have Chromebooks and learn technology. Cyberbullying came up again, and Begay said that can happen just as easily on the Chromebook. Students seem to mostly use their Chromebook and don't talk to their friends.

Begay suggested the idea of having a townhall on cell phone use. Koury suggested leaving the policy the same as in the current handbook and moving forward to gather information and see what they want to do after that.

Terrazas said they had problems at the mine with employees and their cell phones.

Hardin questioned if the teachers could use their cell phones. Koury said they use them for many things for teaching and gave examples.

The board discussed having a student representative for the meetings and how they would choose.

On the next agenda they would be discussing collective bargaining and who would want to be involved. They need one board member.

Hardin asked if the district had a vision for any of the property not being used. She specifically wondered about the old original San Lorenzo school house. It would require a lot of work to make it usable but they had talked about leasing it out.

Koury said the family center would be finished soon. They had been using it but continued to do work on it to provide more services.

Terrazas wanted to know who would be responsible for the crosswalk at Hurley Elementary. He will attend the Hurley council meeting to address it.

They discussed who would be responsible for the maintaining of the side of the road at the San Lorenzo School property. Koury said Department of Transportation. However, he said it takes so long, the district has just done it in the past. He said he himself had gone out and done it before.

Begay said for the Prospectors list they always seem to ask for transportation items. Koury said they currently have been working on a priority list. He pointed out that they must have their audits in good standing before they will be eligible. He still has been talking to contractors on some of the projects.

Meeting adjourned.