Portales cheer team recognized

PORTALES — The Portales school board recognized its cheerleading team for its continued program success at Monday’s meeting for being named state runner-up in the Class 4A all-girl division.

The team placed second to Taos High School out of 10 Class 4A teams at the March State Spirit Competition in Albuquerque. Head Cheerleading Coach Amy Green said it has finished there for the last three years.

Though it was not the first time the team claimed second place, Green said it was no simple feat for her 18 students, who excelled despite heavy graduation losses.

“Considering that I only took six out of those 20 that were there last year, we were very happy with second place, because they were all so young,” she said.

The team also spared no time preparing for the competition, according to Green.

“We had practice Christmas break, we had practice spring break. We pretty much practiced since last summer pretty consistently, and worked really hard on stunting and tumbling,” she said.

Green credited much of the team’s success to her co-coach Karah Tooley, who she said divides her time between coaching cheerleading at both PHS and Eastern New Mexico University and working on her master’s degree.

“Every summer, cheerleaders go to summer camps, and she worked for a company called the Universal Cheerleaders Association, so she was able to help teach the girls dance and really good cheer techniques,” said Green.

In other business at the meeting Monday:

• The Valencia Elementary School violin program performed three songs for the board: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Boogie Woogie.”

• Board members approved Nick Griego and Sons Construction to move into the permitting phase for a remodel of the Portales High School family and consumer science room.

Project manager Michael Rael said the existing kitchen and classroom areas will be demolished and replaced with new commercial appliances and flooring.

The cost of construction will be $450,021, Rael said.

Portales Municipal Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain added the total cost with new appliances provided by the district is estimated to be $525,000.

PMS Director of Maintenance Nat Gomez said the project is expected to begin in early summer and be completed by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.

• Board members approved the donation of two bicycles for boys by the Portales 4-H Club to be awarded to James Elementary School students with perfect attendance.

$1,750 in donations to James for the school’s color run in April were also approved.

• Board members approved the Title III Language Acquisition application for the 2017-2018 school year.

Director of Federal Programs Henry Montano explained that the $19,000 grant provides supplemental services to the district’s English language learners.

“Some of the things we use it for is to buy some supplemental materials to help teachers help these students attain English, but also for tutoring services and so forth,” he said.

• Board members approved an expedited application for State Bilingual Multicultural Education Program funding.

The application was expedited, Montano said, “because our teaching staff has done such a good job, and the state said everything is aligned.”

The grant — worth approximately $350,000 — includes the district’s dual-language learning program.

• Board members approved application for the district’s fine arts allocation for the 2017-2018 school year.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction David Van Wettering said the allocation for approximately $335,000 will go toward salaries for teachers (four music teachers and two art teachers), consultants, supplies and resources, and professional development.

• PMS’ 2017-2018 operating budget of $21.5 million was approved by board members. The 2016-2017 operating budget was $21.2 million, according to Finance Director Sarah Marquez.

• Board members approved two increases — $30,505 to the teacher and principal training and recruiting fund, and $18,118 to the total instructional materials sub-fund.

Both increases were due to carryover from the previous fiscal year, Cain said.