Local schools kick off year

Logan and House schools begin their school years on Monday, Aug. 22 to accommodate the Quay County Fair, which begins today.

San Jon Superintendent Colin Taylor began the school year with “more students than I have ever seen here.”

QCS photo: Steve Hansen

Four members of San Jon High School’s student council help kick off the school year Monday with a skit and announcements. From left, Sahara Sherwood, secretary; Morgan Becerra, reporter; Brevin Stoner, vice-president; and Marcelina Acosta, president.

Enrollment at San Jon, he said, has climbed to about 170, about 20 more than the previous year. The larger number of students, he said, is distributed across all grades but mostly in elementary grades. “We have a quality education system here,” he said, “and word is getting around.”

Taylor said students can look forward to more tutoring opportunities this year, including Friday tutoring by appointment.

There are also some new teachers in the elementary, middle and high schools, as well as new coaches, Taylor said.

At Tucumcari schools, there are few changes, according to Assistant Superintendent David Johnson. It is too early to tell whether enrollment will go up or down, he said.

Johnson said he is grateful that the New Mexico Legislature left per-student school funding alone for the current school year but a 5-percent cut in administration budgets for the state Public Education Department might have some impact.

At House, Superintendent Lecile Richards said, there is a new team alliance as House joins with Fort Sumner in football and track. For the past several years, House has joined with Grady to assemble sports teams.

In addition, he said, there are new teachers in the elementary, junior high and high schools.

The elementary school has adopted a “Candy Land” theme, based on a popular children’s game.

The guideword for all schools, he said, is “Honor,” and students will be inspired by a quote from former President Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles ... the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena ... ”

Logan greets a new principal this year as Tommy Thompson replaces Craig Terry, who retired at the end of the previous school year.

Thompson was principal of Logan Schools in 2004, but left to take a teaching job at San Jon. He also taught agriculture and was the athletic director at Logan Schools, Superintendent Dennis Roch said.

Thompson, Roch said, “will be a great asset to Logan schools.”

In all, Roch said, “We’re looking forward to another great year.