Portales school district concludes worry-free audit

PORTALES — The finance department at Portales Municipal Schools uses too many staples in its documents, and John McKinley added that smiley faces on receipts have got to go.

That was how McKinley, a CPA with Woodard, Cowen and Co., noted a worry-free 2018-19 audit of the Portales district at Monday’s school board meeting.

The audit had no findings for the second consecutive year, and McKinley said the only reason he was there was the state required an in-person report.

“Control structures are still very strong here,” McKinley said. “We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve had two or three good ones in a row.”

Superintendent Johnnie Cain said that just 18% of school districts complete an annual audit with no findings.

Sarah Stubbs, finance director for the district, said the credit for the audit went to her staff for simply doing what they’re supposed to do every day.

McKinley said when it comes to audits, Portales and the others in the 18% should be the districts that receive awards for their performance, but the focus usually goes to a district that goes from 50 audit findings one year to 20 the next.

In other business at the Monday meeting:

• The board opted for a bond sale March 20 to acquire the remaining $2 million on a $7.5 million bond authorized by voters in 2017 and gave Cain the authority to sign the closing documents on behalf of the district.

Cain said the money is largely dedicated to ongoing renovations at Brown Early Child Education Center and roofing at Portales Junior High School.

• The board approved a February 2021 by-mail election to renew the bond cycle. Should the bond election fail, the district would have the option to ask again in the November 2021 general election.

Cain also told the board it may want to consider using the November 2023 general election to ask voters to approve a bond cycle beginning in 2025. The district is not allowed to have bond elections in even-numbered years, and going onto a general election ballot saves approximately $4 per voter versus a by-mail election.

• The board was informed the district has received $582,000 in an end-of-program disbursement from Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grants.

The “circle” grants have provided Portales with $450,000 a year, but the district received unencumbered dollars from the program because it was the only New Mexico district in 100% compliance with grant requirements.

So far, the district has hired a family engagement worker to do home visits and is working on adding tutors for grades 7-10, Cain said, “so (students with difficult circumstances are) not coming into junior year with 10 credits.”

The district has until June to use the money on literacy initiatives.

• The 2020-21 calendar was approved. School will start Aug. 17 for grades 3-12, Aug. 24 for grades K-2 and Aug. 25 for pre-K. The final day of instruction, and Portales High graduation ceremonies, will be May 28.

• Members of the PHS student council noted they were heading to Albuquerque on Thursday for the New Mexico Student Council Association conference at Eldorado High School.

• Nichole Washburn, a senior at PHS, told board members of her recent visit to the state Legislature on behalf of the Business Professionals of America to advocate for support of various programs. Sometimes BPA representatives support specific legislation, Washburn said, but that was not the case this year. She added she is soon attending a BPA conference herself and plans to see a national office in the organization.

• Sophomore Cali Walker updated the board on efforts to make Portales Schools a 24/7 tobacco-free organization. She said such an initiative was important because most tobacco users start before they turn 18 and she has a relative who started using tobacco products before much was known of their risks.

“I’ve seen her struggle with it,” Walker said. “She’s trying to quit, and it’s been a journey for her.”

Walker said the district could improve its policies by covering tobacco possession of visitors, make annual notifications of the policy and address the policy in staff training.

• The board will next meet 6 p.m. March 2.