Meetings watch: Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s business before the Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education:

• It approved an Animal Sciences Level 3 course, which would basically provide an option to Clovis High seniors who have already taken the first two animal science courses.

The current Level 2 course, Baldock said, allows the students to receive two course credits from Eastern New Mexico University. Baldock said no such arrangement is lined up with the Level 3 course, but she would pursue any opportunities that exist.

• It approved a policy update on emergency drills, requiring drills within the first four weeks to cover an active shooter, a building evacuation and two fire drills. Each school will do at least four more drills with the remaining school year, with at least two of those being fire drills.

“I hate that we have to do that,” Osburn said in reference to active shooter drills, “but we’d be foolish not to.”

• In a move that drew some laughter, board members approved the disposal of two goats.

The goats, current residents of the CMS Ag Farm, are aging and aggressive, and the district fears they could injure somebody. The district wished to enter the goats, a breeder and a billy goat, into the Muleshoe Livestock Auction, and remove their inventory tags of 73086 and 73141.

• Board members praised recent efforts at teacher recruitment, with Martin asking if similar efforts could be done for retention.

Joe Strickland, deputy superintendent of employee services, said there were certain limits to how the district could spend the federal dollars that it did on recruitment. But he agreed retention is important.

“I believe retention is the main focus of my job,” Strickland said. “You can recruit all day. If you can’t retain, you’re never going to get out of the situation you’re in.”

Strickland said the district will spend money on retention where it’s feasible and approved, but noted the biggest issues raised in exit interviews are policy consistency and communication, and, “those are free to fix.”

• The next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27.

— Compiled by Editor Kevin Wilson