Serving the High Plains

School board reviews district's master plan

The Tucumcari Public Schools board of education received a draft of the district’s five-year master plan and a “wish list” of possible future improvement projects during its regular meeting Nov. 19.

Projects on the list for 2019 to 2024 were ranked by priority to expedite its share of possible state funding, including from general-obligation bounds. The school district doesn’t necessarily expect to fulfill all the $20.37 million list of projects, hence its ranking from most to least important.

Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney said he expects the five-year plan to be finalized and approved by the board in December or January.

Marilyn Strube of Greer Stafford / SJCF Architecture in Albuquerque presented the board the proposed five-year facilities plan in a PowerPoint presentation.

Among the projects for the district, the highest in priority were these three:

• At Tucumcari Elementary School, creating two Central School entries, assess and address building settlement, install ramp on south playground and complete perimeter fencing, $603,500

• At Tucumcari Middle School, create secure entry by redesigning entry into office area, upgrade fire alarm, upgrade intercom, install additional lighting in west parking lot and complete perimeter fencing, $1.12 million

• At Tucumcari High School, create secure entry and install handicap ramp to practice field, $151,250

Listed as Priority 2 were these projects:

• Middle school: replace exterior doors and frames on 1970 and 1996 buildings, upgrade air conditioning in gym and cafeteria, upgrade or install irrigation sprinkler system in northwest field, replace carpet and flooring on 1970 and 1996 building and repave west parking lot, $5.29 million

• Elementary school: air conditioning improvements and replacing exterior doors and frames, $4.93 million

• High-school improvements at auditorium include replacing two flat roofs, update stage lights and electrical system, replace stage curtain and install presentation system, $1.33 million

• Mountain View Elementary School roof replacement, $156,000

Listed as Priority 3 were these projects:

• New baseball and softball complex, $4.87 million (cost may be lowered if city partners on the project as anticipated)

• Demolish old maintenance building across from middle school and build parking lot, $369,200

• Demolish part of Mountain View School and re-roof remaining building, $703,950

• Re-roof auditorium’s flat roofs, $156,000

• Install turf at south elementary school playground, $130,000

• Renovate home-economics lab at middle school, $377,000

• Install canopies at high school’s track and field, $130,000

• Renovate Rattler Field concessions, $24,375

• Create vocational agriculture building storefront so customers can buy student-grown vegetables, $19,500

Strube noted the district’s middle school has a higher utilization rate, which may make it eligible for more money from the state. She also said the district has an 82 percent score, or “good,” in the facility maintenance assessment report. The state average is 60 percent. Good maintenance of district buildings also would make the state more willing to provide aid.

In other board business:

• Board member Heather Gonzales said an effort — much of it led by students — soon will be coming to establish a soccer program at Tucumcari’s middle-school level.

McKinney said a study needs to be made before deciding whether to add the program. Among the issues that need to be checked, he said, are whether the soccer program would be co-ed and possible scheduling issues with other extra-curricular activities.

Gonzales noted soccer has the highest participation rate among youth in Quay County and that Tucumcari may lose students to other school districts that offer the sport.

• During the public-comment part of the meeting, Tucumcari sophomores Martin Reyes and Jordan Marquez urged the board to update the district’s tobacco policy and “be truly tobacco-free.”

They recommended an update that included prohibiting tobacco use, distribution and possession of it by students, staff and visitors on and off-site. They also said the new policy should cover all tobacco, liquid nicotine containers and e-cigarettes. In return, the campaign would provide free bilingual tobacco-free signs to all district schools and a free Tobacco-Free Toolkit to the district.

The board did not act after the presentation. The students’ sponsor was Ashley Wagner, campaign manager for the 24/7 Campaign funded by the New Mexico Department of Health.

 
 
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