By Lynn Janes

The Cobre Consolidated School Board held a regular meeting on November 18, 2024, at Central Elementary School in Santa Clara. Board members in attendance included Gabriella Begay, Gilbert Guadiana and David Terrazas. Superintendent Michael Koury, Angelina Hardin, and Emmarie Heredia did not attend.

Begay started the meeting by congratulating the girls volleyball team and their state championship win. Terrazas said he had watched it online and they played a phenomenal game. He added it had been the first time Cobre had gone to the state championships. Guadiana said he had been watching the games and had watched the girls grow from being a strong team to and even stronger one. It had been a testament to their coaches and their willingness. "You guys are incredible, and it was the most exciting sports at Cobre this year." He congratulated them and said second place is still an honor.

Begay recognized Coach Julie Gutierrez and assistant coaches Shelby Benfields, Denise Placencio and Jasmine Black. Gutierrez read all the girls names and presented them with certificates and t-shirts.

Cory Gropp, Cobre High School principal and athletic director, said they had been undefeated in the district playoffs and the only game lost had been the championship game and that had to be a forfeiture. The combined GPA of the team has been 3.6 and they represented Cobre well both on and off the court. "I am really proud of them."

Begay thanked the parents for the support of the kids.

Begay called the board meeting to order.

Dottie Pfeifer with Kiwanis attended to present the student of the month awards. The students have been chosen by the teachers at the high school and middle school.

Yesenia Gonzales from Snell Middle School has been an exceptional student and athlete. She always smiles and shows up ready to give her best.

Christopher Draper a senior at Cobre High School has a great GPA. He has a unique spin on things and in his personality. He has confidence and is always lighthearted.

The board approved the agenda with one change to table the board self-evaluations. Begay said she had not sent the form to the board in time, and it would be on the next agenda.

Public input none currently.

Administration, principal and directors reports.

Alma Grijalva, food service supervisor, provided a report for the board. They had applied for a USDA grant and won but do not know the amount at this time. The food service department had purchased an indoor hydroponic tower and would be starting by growing lettuce and will do it at the Central Elementary School.

The department had a professional development day November 1, 2024. It had been done by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) and had been very productive. Grijalva had attended the Golden Chile Awards to accept an award for Cobre.

Begay said they had received an email concerning Grijalva and her staff she wanted to read out to everyone. The program coordinator for Kids Kitchen Healthy Meals at PED said Grijalva and her staff had been awesome. They had made the training fun and interactive. The staff had attended in uniforms that looked nice, very professional and had a sense of pride. She was sure it translates into their work as well. It had been the cleanest kitchen they had seen so far. Grijalva runs a tight ship and encouraged her to keep up the good work.

Alicia Edwards, Healthy Kids Healthy Communities of Grant County, attended to congratulate Grijalva. She had been working with her and her staff in student nutrition for around ten years. She had made incredible progress in the last three years and went over the accomplishments. Edwards added that the Golden Seed Award had been important. "They are at the early stages of being amazing. I think it has a lot to do with the changes that have happened in the district in the last few years." She added the support had been amazing and Grijalva has felt more support than ever before. The state had implemented programs recognizing that for a student to be able to learn and play sports they have to have a quality nutrition. Many of the students in Grant County depend on the school breakfasts and lunches because they may be the only meals they have.

Gary Placencio and Jasmine Black, coordinator of operations, provided the board with a report. Black said they have been working to meet the strategic goals of the department. She will have a facilities safety check list ready for each school in January 2025. They had applied for the grant received before for safety equipment but didn't receive it so they would be looking for other funding to add more cameras. The kitchen hood fire suppression systems have come up. It has been scheduled for the week of December 30, 2024, to have all the systems at each school to be brought up to date or replaced.

In the past the district had been approached by someone to put solar panels up on school property at no cost to the district. The installation company had gone out of business. The main company, Yellow Bird, had reached out to them and the contract would still be intact and they had found another installer. The new installation company had met with them and hope to have everything started in December or January 2025. Some of the placement has been changed. For the high school they had a hard time deciding where to locate them since the current pending possibility of building a new school. For Hurley Elementary they moved them to the back parking lot. The installation company will be doing all the maintenance.

Terrazas asked about the longevity of the new contractor. Black didn't know but would check. Placencio said they had only met once. They discussed which ones would have the battery backups. Guadiana wanted to know what the change would be in the electric bill. Placencio said they had discussed that at the first meeting, and they will be coming back to them with all those figures, and he would report back. Guadiana also wanted to know how much they would be feeding into the grid.

Begay asked Placencio and Black if they had been using the app to clock in and out for the department. Placencio said no and explained why. In part they had some confusion on how to use it.

Black said they have 223 work orders in progress and receive 20-30 more each day.

Katelyn Church, coordinator of technology, provided a report to the board and said she had been fixing computers and trying to hire more staff. One applicant had a problem with the background check and Koury would have to make a decision on that. She has an apprentice that will be starting part time from the innovations program but can only work minimal hours of twenty a week. They will have some large projects with new computers having them ready for student use. Guadiana asked her how the sale of insurance had gone. Church said the ability to purchase insurance had ended in October but have allowed a few to do it since. The school will be doing it all so they can be flexible. Some schools contract it out. She didn't have as many participate as she had hoped. Guadiana said he thought all the computers had insurance. Church said all the new ones will have a four-year warranty but many have been upcycled and don't have that warranty. The warranty has been well worth it. They had already had to send 150 back to the manufacturer due to screen defects from the factory. Because of the warranty they have not had to incur any of the shipping costs to and from. The insurance offered will help replace computers down the line.

Theresa Villa, coordinator of family engagement, had a report for the board. At the recent Trunk or Treat 350 families had come through and they had a very long line most of the night. The turkey drive had been a success with providing 150 families with a turkey and food boxes. She thanked the maintenance department for all their help transporting the food.

They will be having a tree lighting on December 12, 2024, and Santa Claus will be coming. New Mexico State University will be there with the planetarium. The Commons will also be participating. Mariachis from Snell Middle School will perform and s'mores will be served. Each of the schools will have a table and crafts.

In January they will be having a "Sip and Paint" for the parents. No alcohol will be there.

Finance committee report

Begay said they had not met but were scheduled for the following week.

Audit committee report

Guadiana said they had not met since the last board meeting. He spoke to the need of the charter. He would be presenting to the audit committee at the next meeting what took place at the last board meeting concerning the charter. "This will be an issue to discuss for some time. We don't have anything to report on submissions of audits progress and or processes."

Action items

The board approved the minutes from November 18, 2024, board meeting.

The board tabled the collective bargaining agreement, after much discussion with Aaron Lewis, president of the teacher's union, and combative discussion with Guadiana. Lewis started with he hoped they would be ready to finalize because they had been working on this for three years. Guadiana asked him how often they had met. He said they had finalized in the spring 2024 and had met twice in August just to adjust some of the language because of some legislation. Guadiana said he wanted it on the record that no invitation had been received by the board to participate. Lewis said, "I have explained for three years what the board needs to do for participation. I have told you for three years exactly what you need to do in order to participate. You have not been held out of anything." He went over the process. They hire their team for negotiation. The board needs to meet with the team to find out what has been going on with negotiations. Guadiana commented the board has been allowed one person that represents the board to participate in negotiations. "You are not responsible for invitations to these meetings. It is the superintendent that is responsible and not being aware of meetings that are happening seriously limits the board's participation."

Lewis said, "So you are more important than the five members of my team who showed up every week to negotiate this? "Guadiana said, "Absolutely not. Just saying I wish I had been there." Lewis said, "I told you time and time again what you needed to do to be there, and I don't understand why you are saying again you have been excluded from the process." He continued that it had not been the case and never had been as long as he has been president of the union.

Guadiana asked him in what way he had communicated they would be having meetings. Lewis said messages had been sent. Begay said they had a change in representation. Past board member Serena Murillo had been the representative and when she had not been able to continue Guadiana took it over. She added, "That is on the board."

Lewis said he has been very frustrated that he had wasted two years of his time because they don't send a team that they feel comfortable with. "You guys pick your team at the board." Guadiana said the team had been picked and he had been on it. He had taken over for Murillo. "There was never a reassessment of who was going to be on the team, and it stayed constant." Lewis said, "You are wrong the first five you had to negotiate the contract you fired." Guadiana and Lewis continue the disagreement for a time. Lewis said, "We carried out full negotiations and supplied you with them and you denied them." At that point they continued negotiations without any problems. "It had been open to you and known to you that you could come. I have told you this time and time again."

Begay asked Lewis if he felt the contract was ready and he said yes. She asked if any of the members of the team had attended. Mr. Koury had not attended but Lewis said Suzanne Chavira, director of academics and Frank Ryan, finance director, had been on the team, and they had attended. Both said they felt the contract was ready to go.

Guadiana asked them if they had sent any notification to him about the meetings. "I don't like the accusation quite frankly that you told me because you have not."

Lewis said, "I have told you time and time again in this forum what the process is."

Guadiana asked Chavira if she had sent him a notification and she said neither she nor Ryan send invitations out. Guadiana said he had showed up at one because he had been invited. Ryan replied that had been the last one they had. Begay added that Koury had provided them with updates in executive sessions.

Lewis said, "I have stepped down as your union president because of my wasted time."

New business

Guadiana had requested the next item be put on the agenda. He wanted to discuss actions to ensure gate revenues will be appropriately received, accounted for and an accounting of how the funds have been spent. He asked what the process has been. He noted that they only have one person at each table taking money and it was a violation of internal controls. Ryan answered it would not be a violation. He asked Guadiana how many schools he had attended games, and they had two people at each table. Guadiana continued it would be a violation not to have two. Ryan said if it would be something material, they would need two, but this has been considered immaterial. Guadiana responded, "What makes it immaterial?" Ryan's response, "We are not going to spend thousands of dollars to account for nickels." Guadiana added it has been a state requirement.

Begay asked if they paid the person taking the money and Ryan said yes. She then asked if they could afford to pay two people and break even. Ryan responded they would lose money. Guadiana said he wanted to see the math on that. Begay wanted to know if they break even on games.

Ryan asked Guadiana again how many schools he had attended that had two people at each table for games. Guadiana said Deming has two and they only sell tickets online and Silver occasionally has two.

Cory Gropp, principal Cobre High School and athletic director, had a point to add. Currently Cobre has been using the same process as Aztec for tickets and it worked well there. He had come from Aztec. They only had one person at the table. He said here they have been having each person reconcile their table and then he locks it up and the next day Margaret Roacho, athletic assistant, audits everything. She knows what tickets had sold and what had been left and then reconciles it with the money received. He said they have not had any problems. "I understand the optics of having two people at each table. However, recently they had only 20 people attend a game in Chaparral and had lost money." He said he had only seen one person at each table in Silver. He added that they probably could not find more than one for each table to work. Many times, they can't find enough, and he has to fill in. "I understand your point, but I want to reiterate the process, and it works well in other places also." He continued to explain the process again to Guadiana.

Ryan said each table reconciles and it will be put in a plastic bag and sealed. Roacho reconciles it again the next day. Ryan said they have a great bunch of ticket takers working for them and he had no doubt of their honesty and integrity.

Guadiana told him it would not be a question of their honesty. Ryan told Guadiana he had no trust in people. Guadiana interrupted him. Begay asked Guadiana to allow Ryan to finish. Ryan continued that they had great people working for them and they had never given them any reason to not trust them. "In a process like this you have to trust people until they give you a reason not to." Ryan added that he wanted Guadiana to show him in the state statutes that it is a requirement to have two people at each table. At that point Guadiana asked permission to respond. He responded that Ryan had been involved with the work on the audit committee, and he had seen the level of trust should not be at the level it has been.

Guadiana commented it would all come out in time. He questioned Ryan's absolute trust in everyone. The question Guadiana raised, "Are we giving them the opportunity to take money and do it under circumstances that won't be found." He addressed Gropp about how they know which tickets had been sold. Guadiana said some may not think of taking money but if the opportunity falls in their face, the district bears the culpability by not having that accountability. He spoke to Ryan and said he could not believe that when he asked earlier how much they paid the people taking tickets he didn't know. "I doubt it is $12 an hour." He continued that they needed two people at each table.

Guadiana said these matters have been discussed at the audit committee meetings and the auditor said it needs to be fixed. "To continue the mantra now saying we don't need to do that is frustrating and extremely frustrating." He asked why Ryan had not made the effort to intercede on this matter by having Gropp come and explain this process to them. He continued with Ryan and asked him why he had asked for the statues because he should know them

Gropp said if they needed another level of accountability, he would be willing to do that whatever that might look like. "I will commit myself as principal and athletic director to count also so we have three levels."

Gropp spoke to the use of the gate money. The majority of the money goes to pay the referees and reminded them of the Chaparral game with 20 people attending. They had to pay $318 to the referees. They have to also pay referee travel and because of the shortage many times they have to have them come from Arizona. Again, he said he would provide that third level however that needs to look. "I want us to be accountable but also want us to make sure we are trusting people that have been doing this for us for a long time."

Begay said maybe doing all ticket sales online would help. Gropp said he and Roacho had discussed that. It can be hard to do. In Aztec they tried and had to pull it back because of the community push back. The technology aspect had been a problem. Many attending had been older and hate online and credit cards. Many don't understand how to do it. He and Roacho agreed they would have the same issue here. They could have a dual system but didn't feel they could go all the way online. Bloomfield went all the way and had to roll it back because of pushback from the community. Ryan said they already have online ticket sales in place, but it had been used very little. Gropp had not been aware that they had that and suggested some marketing.

Guadiana thanked Gropp for his perspective and it gave him confidence moving forward. He suggested that they have a way to pay for the ticket at the game. Gropp said when they have the Spirit Store open, they would have that capability.

Terrazas pointed out that in the past three years you could not attend a state tournament without purchasing a ticket online. "The older people that are not savvy just have their sixteen-year-old do it."

Begay said the finance committee would have a charter to present at the next board meeting.

Begay wanted to have Heredia and Hardin present before they set any dates and times for the board retreat. It will be after the first of the year. Koury had asked them to focus on team building for the retreat.

Board member reports.

Terrazas said this would be the last board meeting of 2024. He wanted to wish everyone, staff and students a safe holiday and to enjoy the time off.

Begay echoed Terrazas. As a teacher she said this has always been a crazy time. They have been in the middle of testing, and it has been chaotic. "Give yourself some grace and spread some holiday cheer." She thanked the staff and Koury and said she appreciated them.

Guadiana thanked all the people involved in doing the events. "This is a busy time for planning family events, and I appreciate the consistency of high effectiveness of what you all do." He added that he liked all that had been being done to help people in need. Years ago, they only had $500 a year in the budget to help and it had rarely been spent. "The transition is remarkable. I want to see the finances be in order. It is difficult for the district to not be eligible for capital outlay funding because of being three audits behind." Koury had been able to have help from the city of Bayard acting as the fiscal agent for funding so they could move forward with the teacher housing project. "This is a barrier too long tolerated."

The board went into executive session. They would be discussing current legal actions and advice of legal counsel for Annette Acosta v. Cobre Consolidated School District Board of Education (CCSDBE), Cecilia Barela v. CCSDBE, Melissa Maynes v. CCSDBE, Daena Davis v. CCSDBE and Maureen Peru v. CCSDBE.

The board came back into open session and said no actions had taken place.

Meeting adjourned.