Clovis board approves opposition resolution

CLOVIS — In a lengthy special board meeting, the Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education took a stand on the importance of local control in the aftermath of more than a year of directives from the Public Education Department. But it did not take the step of opposing those directives as the school year approaches.

By a 4-0 vote Friday, board members approved a resolution stating opposition to one-size-fits-all approaches by the state, while supporting local decision-making authority and opposing “executive action that restricts the ability of locally elected school boards to respond to the varied and ever changing needs of their districts, students and communities.”

Board members did not act on a second resolution imploring Gov. Lujan Grisham to rescind and repeal any mask requirements, while advocating for staff and parental freedom to make decisions on masks.

The meeting was attended in person by board members Paul Cordova, Cindy Osburn and Kyle Snider and virtually by Shawn Hamilton. Board member Terry Martin did not attend.

Superintendent Renee Russ presented board members the resolutions, noting that since the beginning of the pandemic board members have had little opportunity to exercise local control and that citizens have strong opinions about mask requirements and other COVID-19 mitigation protocols from the state.

“It is a formal way … for you to take a position,” Russ said of the resolutions, while noting the district was fully prepared to follow the PED’s COVID-19 toolkit.

Joe Strickland, deputy superintendent of employee services, said the district has had 202 positive COVID-19 cases among about 1,200 employees since the beginning of the pandemic. He noted no positive cases in June, followed by three in July and 15 so far in August.

“That’s a little concerning to me,” Strickland said.

Carissa Engel, director of health services, said the district has been notified of 72 positive student cases on campus and 95 off campus since the fall of 2020. Reports so far for August are five on-campus cases and five off-campus cases.

During the board comment period, Osburn said she found herself back in the role of educator when virtual schooling put four kids in her living room instead of school buildings, and she knew at that point that local control was important.

Hamilton agreed with Osburn, and said he’s felt hamstrung with the board’s top responsibility of providing effective and safe learning environments.

“We’re given a responsibility,” Hamilton said, “but we’re not given any authority to take care of that responsibility.”

Board members stated they didn’t want anybody to have to wear a mask, but Osburn did note that, “whatever it takes for schools to be open is where I’m going to go; kids need in-person learning.”

The public comment portion drew 10 speakers, who covered various topics over 45 minutes.

Col. Terence Taylor, commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, said safety protocols just went from the alpha level to the bravo level, meaning COVID-19 infection is a serious matter.

“Almost all of the cases we’re seeing on the base are among the unvaccinated,” Taylor said, noting personal concerns because he has two children ready to attend Barry Elementary and a wife with underlying medical conditions.

Plains Regional Medical Center Administrator Jorge Cruz said he sees a second COVID-19 surge as inevitable with the delta variant and public gatherings like the Curry County Fair and a return to in-person schooling.

“It takes resources to be able to take care of COVID patients,” Cruz said, noting the nursing occupation was at a crossroads and PRMC has fewer staff to deal with a potential new surge. “As a rural facility, we are already limited. We pushed ourselves near a breaking point.”

Most of the remaining public speakers spoke against mask mandates, praised Clovis educators and took some solace after hearing board frustration about the lack of local control.

“I don’t have a whole lot of faith in this resolution,” Josh Parkin said. “I have faith in you guys, and I hope the people in Santa Fe will open their hearts to what you’re trying to do.”

Rosa Sanchez said the board was not doing enough, and implored it to add an Aug. 24 agenda item to join a lawsuit against the state by the Gallup-McKinley school district.

“We do not want resolutions sent to Santa Fe asking for permission to do your job,” Sanchez said.

Allyson Warrick demonstrated why she didn’t have faith in masks by wearing four disposable three-layer masks and showing board members her glasses fogged up.

“We wore masks all last year,” Warrick said. “People still got COVID.”

Amanda Ziegler spoke in favor of mask mandates, and said board policy barring public comment from people attending virtually dismissed the opinions of those with compromised immune systems. She noted the United States has a long documented history of implementing unpopular measures to combat diseases, including George Washington ordering inoculations and quarantines to stem the spread of smallpox.

“The guidance from the state is crystal clear,” Ziegler said before requesting a mask mandate as a show of support to the Clovis residents currently in intensive care for treatment of COVID-19.

Osburn said she realized many wanted the board to take a stand and decline to impose mask mandates, but referenced the suspension of the Floyd school board for similar actions.

“What little bit of local control they have, they no longer have,” Osburn said. “I’m not sure they got the intended result.”

Cordova noted many of the administrative staff worked for their entire careers to reach their current positions, and he didn’t feel comfortable putting their positions in danger by voting against PED requirements.

“We’re with you,” Snider said. “We want to fight. You just have to trust us. Let us do it in a way that we can still be here for your kids.”

Prior to the vote, Osburn said for the record she believed elements of the mask mandate resolution, which failed to garner a motion, should have been part of the local control resolution.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 24.