Board talks budget, graduation

PORTALES — The Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education spent about two hours Monday afternoon discussing and approving a 2020-21 budget they knew wasn’t going to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and a Portales High School graduation they hoped would.

The proposed 10 a.m. May 23 commencement at the Portales High School parking lot will feature about 185 students attending in their own vehicles before taking part in a student parade once they’re officially graduates.

“We’re hoping this will be the only graduation in Portales High School history that will be done in a car,” Superintendent Johnnie Cain told the board. “This will be a unique memory for these students.”

The ceremony would be conducted by PHS Principal Arturo Ontiveros, with segments prerecorded and broadcast via radio.

Families could be with the student in the vehicles, but the graduating student would be the only one allowed to exit the vehicle for the diploma presentation and a picture with a school board member.

Board member Inez Rodriguez said she had concerns because historically, “parents can’t contain themselves” at graduations and she wasn’t sure how well a “stay in your car” mandate would go over. Cain said those would be the rules of the graduation, along with avoiding handshakes and handling diplomas with gloves.

Any student who didn’t feel comfortable participating, Cain said, would receive their diploma through other measures.

Board member Antonio Sanchez believed there would be mask requirements in place, and staff said they were anticipating delivery of 100 masks with the Portales school logo on the front.

Rodriguez warned she has mobility issues and might have difficulties walking across the parking lot dozens of times to award diplomas. Ontiveros said he was already looking at using golf carts to help in that regard.

“It is a lot of walking,” Ontiveros said. “I don’t think we’ve graduated 185 kids in years. This is a large group.”

The parade would start on Knoxville Avenue, then head south onto Third Street, west onto Globe Street, south onto 18th Street and west onto Avenue O. After students reach Avenue O, the parade will conclude.

Board member Randy Rankin said the plan was a good one, “and we owe them a graduation.”

Cain said a few details are still to be determined, including how to let students know which assigned spot is theirs and what traffic control the city will need to provide.

Regarding the budget, district finance director Sarah Stubbs said to nobody’s surprise, “This budget was a lot more complicated and difficult than in past years; even though we’re going to be approving this budget, this is not going to be the budget we’ll have next year.”

Without any direction until a June legislative special session, Stubbs had to build the $28.25 million budget — up from this year’s $27.03 million — based on what the Legislature had appropriated in February before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and oil and gas prices plummeted.

Much of the budget increases came by including 4% raises for staff, medical expenses rising 8.7% and the minimum wage jumping to $10.50 in January.

Stubbs is projecting $2.3 million in reserves, “but with the budget cuts that are coming, we’re going to need it.”

• During his superintendent’s report, Cain reminded board members of his intent to find future times to do any activities that were postponed due to the pandemic, and he’s willing to go as long as August if he needs to for Maypole.

“Maypole is one of the big ones,” Cain said. “A lot of parents have bought the dresses, they want their kids to be involved. If we can do it, we still try to do it.

“They’ve been planning that since they were in first grade. I don’t want to cancel that. I want to keep that postponed as long as possible until we can do it, or it can’t possibly happen.”

• Cain told board members he’s probably not going to have summer school as it’s normally held, and instead use that time specifically to help kids catch up if needed.

He also noted he and the board should think about plans for next school year if any mass gathering restrictions remain in place, with possibilities including teaching smaller sets of students on different days and a first day delay to Labor Day with longer school days to compensate.

While nothing was set in stone, Cain said he would like to have a few plans to pick from instead of having to create plans on the fly like Portales and other districts were forced to do in March.

• Athletic Director Mark Gallegos said the department did get some good news with Ruth Chavez rejoining the school as volleyball coach. Chavez retired after 15 years at the helm, then found she missed coaching after a year out and took the open position at Clovis High School.

She’s excited to come back,” Gallegos said. “I think it will be a great thing for our program. We had some outstanding candidates, but we felt like Ruth was the best person, especially in these trying times, with these kids moving forward.”

Gallegos said there is some talk from a New Mexico Activities Association bylaws committee where he serves to allow kids to work in small groups with coaches.

“Our kids are ready,” Gallegos said. “They’re really getting stir crazy, for lack of a better term. Our coaches have really been working, staying in contact.”

• The next board meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 8. Board members hope to hold the meeting at the PMS administration building, but will plan a Zoom meeting.