Meetings watch: Board of Education

At the Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday in the Administration Building, board members:

• Reorganized board members.

Alan Garrett was named president, while Antonio Sanchez Jr. was named vice president. Former president Inez Rodriguez was moved to the position of board member.

• Recognized Spanish spelling bee champion Maira Alaniz, an eighth-grader at Portales Junior High School.

• Received an update on AdvancED accreditation.

Pamela Nelson-Ray gave each board member a booklet to look over and told them to contact her if they had questions.

• Heard administrative reports.

Brown Principal Becky Flen said three quarters of children coming into kindergarten are below the reading ability they need to be at, so school staff are creating pamphlets to put into public venues telling parents of the importance of reading with and teaching their children skills before they start school.

James Principal Mark Gormley said the school is testing children in reading to determine which children are not comprehending what they read due to reading too fast. He said children are showing growth.

Lindsey-Steiner Principal Rick Segovia said students have improved 5.1 percent in reading and 5.9 percent in math in the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) testing.

• Approved donations.

Wal-Mart and Robert De Los Santos donated six bicycles for students with perfect attendance.

Wells Fargos Bank donated a portable popcorn machine to Valencia Elementary.

WTI Inc. and Heflin Construction donated $175 each to Brown Elementary for refrigerators for student lunches.

• Approved a resolution declaring certain fixed assets obsolete.

• Approved a revision to the Board of Education policy and procedure handbook.

• Approved a contract between New Mexico Graduation Reality and Dual Role Skills (NMGRADS) and Portales Public Schools.

• Approved naming the administration building the L.C. Cozzens Administration Building in honor of a longtime local educator.

• Approved the 2012-2013 school calendar.

• Approved budget adjustment requests.

Requests included $33,586 towards teacher/principal recruiting and training and $21,000 towards NMGRADS.

• Approved paying bills and expenditures.

• Approved changing the next meeting from April 9 to April 10.