Great Things Going On
While most of our staff members were out on our annual spring break, Center Schools director of finance Betty Casanova was once again working hard on our monthly payroll process. I want to take time to thank Betty for always being willing to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done in order to keep the district operating.
We received word on Friday that the official canvass of the Center Schools recall election has been completed by Saguache County Clerk and Recorder Carla Gomez. As a result of this the board of education has called for a special meeting to take place this Tuesday, March 31st to officially seat Misty Palacios and G. Lyn Bogle as its newest directors. I believe they will take the oath of office around 6 PM Tuesday evening.
With the recent announcement that I will be moving on to Cañon City this summer current school board members Michael Lobato, Yuridia Cendejas, and Richie Barela have already begun a process by which a replacement superintendent could soon be identified and offered the position. I have been extremely impressed by the work each has been doing to communicate with the staff about their desire to find somebody who will continue the good work that is already well underway in Center, and to do so in a quick, non-disruptive, and efficient manner.
We received word on Friday that the official canvass of the Center Schools recall election has been completed by Saguache County Clerk and Recorder Carla Gomez. As a result of this the board of education has called for a special meeting to take place this Tuesday, March 31st to officially seat Misty Palacios and G. Lyn Bogle as its newest directors. I believe they will take the oath of office around 6 PM Tuesday evening.
With the recent announcement that I will be moving on to Cañon City this summer current school board members Michael Lobato, Yuridia Cendejas, and Richie Barela have already begun a process by which a replacement superintendent could soon be identified and offered the position. I have been extremely impressed by the work each has been doing to communicate with the staff about their desire to find somebody who will continue the good work that is already well underway in Center, and to do so in a quick, non-disruptive, and efficient manner.
Big Things We Are Working On
We received information this week that federal legislation is once again in play to possibly fund the Secure Rural Schools Act for both last year and this year (2014 and 2015). This would be big news for the district if it actually goes through. If SRS does not ultimately pass we will need to make some major end of year budget adjustments that will significantly affect our end of year carryover.
On Tuesday evening I will be asking our newly constituted board to take official action to accept the old Masonic lodge building as a gift to the school district to be used as a facility for a Boys and Girls Club. I estimate the value of the property to the district to be well over $100,000. If the board chooses to accept the property we will have director of facilities Rich Brandt and vocational building trades teacher Mark Jones and his students go through it to make sure it useable for Boys and Girls Club programs this summer. Center resident and current Americorps worker Lawrence Trujillo has long been working to establish a local Boys and Girls Club chapter and has one ready to go now. My recommendation to the board will be to accept the property, and then to work with a lawyer to write an MOU as to who will be responsible for building upkeep tasks and how the building might be used should this Boys and Girls Club project not last long into the future.
On Tuesday evening I will be asking our newly constituted board to take official action to accept the old Masonic lodge building as a gift to the school district to be used as a facility for a Boys and Girls Club. I estimate the value of the property to the district to be well over $100,000. If the board chooses to accept the property we will have director of facilities Rich Brandt and vocational building trades teacher Mark Jones and his students go through it to make sure it useable for Boys and Girls Club programs this summer. Center resident and current Americorps worker Lawrence Trujillo has long been working to establish a local Boys and Girls Club chapter and has one ready to go now. My recommendation to the board will be to accept the property, and then to work with a lawyer to write an MOU as to who will be responsible for building upkeep tasks and how the building might be used should this Boys and Girls Club project not last long into the future.
The Past Week
I was out of the office during the past week as the district was on spring break. However, I was in constant communication with director of finance Betty Casanova and school board president Michael Lobato tending to various school district matters throughout the week. During spring break Becky, Priscilla, and I traditionally travel to Charleston, South Carolina to visit her stepmother Liz. While there we usually get a chance to visit the beach, tour downtown Charleston, ride bikes, and run. However, our usual routine has also recently evolved toward tackling a bunch of household repair items for Grandma. With the passing of Becky’s father several years ago Liz has established quite a habit of planning out an extensive “honey do” list for when we arrive. This year we installed yard lights, repaired a toilet, painted a kitchen wall, trimmed trees, and spread mulch among all the other fun we had. However, by far the best part of our trip was the opportunity Becky was given to go through old family photo albums, with her greatest finds being an original picture of her parent’s 1947 wedding ceremony and one of her grandfather in uniform as a soldier in World War I.
The Week Ahead
On Monday I will be working on various facilities, finance, and personnel issues. On Tuesday I will participate in a Boettcher Teacher Program expert panel in the afternoon in Alamosa, but will return to Center for a special board of education meeting and work session that will take place early in the evening. On Wednesday I travel to and from the Denver area with Moffat Schools superintendent Kirk Banghart to observe a Public Education Business Coalition model lab classroom in action. Kirk and I are doing this to determine the possibility of setting up such lab classrooms in the San Luis Valley where teachers can eventually go to observe and learn about effective instructional practices. I have a pretty routine work schedule on Thursday and will be out of the office on Friday in celebration of the upcoming Easter holiday.
Thanks for listening once again.
George
Thanks for listening once again.
George