Portales superintendent's contract extended

PORTALES — The Portales Municipal Schools Board of Education took about 30 minutes in December to evaluate Superintendent Johnnie Cain in closed session.

It appears the time was positive, as board members took just over a minute Monday night on a one-year extension to Cain’s contract through the 2023-24 school year.

“I’d like to commend Mr. Cain for a job well done,” board member Rod Savage said before the 5-0 vote. “We’re fortunate to have him.”

Cain’s salary for that year will be determined during the budget process, members said.

Much of the meeting, a relatively short one at 45 minutes, consisted of Cain and various department heads giving status updates.

Cain told board members that once a state-mandated post-holiday remote learning period ended this week, the district planned to resume limited in-person education in small elementary groups in 5:1 ratios.

He noted a push across the state to get all schools back into at least hybrid education, which currently requires counties meet benchmarks of 8 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 and test positivity of 5% or below. Since Dec. 30, the beginning of the upcoming two-week evaluation period, Roosevelt County has had 159 total new cases and 18.2% test positivity.

Cain said a visit from the Public Education Department was likely later in the week, and he has told PED officials, “we’d be ready to go (to hybrid) as soon as they give us the word.”

The district is continuing to test at least 10% of staff weekly, with Cain part of the most recent testing. “So far, I haven’t heard anybody coming back positive,” Cain said. “The state’s idea is that they want to catch the asymptomatic people.”

Also, Cain said, Roosevelt General Hospital has told the district educators can now sign up to start receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and that the district would make sure anybody who wants it knew how to sign up. He has not heard of any efforts to make vaccination mandatory, but board member Antonio Sanchez noted many airlines and cruise lines are requiring passengers provide proof of vaccination.

“People need to realize,” Sanchez said, “there are going to be some requirements.”

In other business during the Monday virtual meeting:

• Portales High Athletic Director Mark Gallegos said he was optimistic football season could start in February, but the New Mexico Activities Association was still waiting on clearance from the governor’s office.

• Portales High Principal Arturo Ontiveros said school clubs and organizations can meet, provided they follow the same guidelines as athletic programs and meet in 4:1 pods.

• The board approved asset disposal of a series of welders replaced with a recent grant.

“They’re all in good shape,” Cain said. “I hate to even have to sell them, but we don’t have the room for all of them.”

The district had already given some of its excess to the Hondo school district.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 8.