Clovis schools budget put at $168.9 million

The preliminary fiscal year 2024 budget for Clovis Municipal Schools (CMS) is more than the FY24 preliminary budgets of Clovis and Curry County combined.

At Tuesday's regular meeting of the CMS school board, the CMS preliminary budget was put at $168.9 million. Combined, the preliminary budgets for Clovis and Curry County are $118 million.

CMS Deputy Superintendent of Finance, Shawna Stowe, said one year ago, the preliminary budget for FY23 was $162.9 million.

"The biggest increase to this year's budget is the salary increases mandated by the state legislature," Stowe told The News after the meeting.

Board members approved the preliminary budget. Stowe said it would now be submitted to the state.

In other business:

• The board voted to renew the school system's annual fleet service contract for school bus service from Adair Inc. of Clovis.

• Board members heard from Clovis High School Athletic Director Lonnie Baca of the statewide honors garnered by the CHS sports teams.

• The Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico's Director Dianna Sprague told the board of the success of the food bank's backpack program that provided over 17,000 meals to over 600 students in Curry and Roosevelt counties in the past year. The program provides weekend meals in an effort that is privately funded, and no federal money is used.

• Debbie Westbrook, Senior Director of Student Nutrition and Well-Being, gave a report to the board on the status of dealing with absenteeism in the school system.

"Absenteeism is a common concern; statewide, nationwide. All school systems are having a problem with absenteeism," Westbrook said.

Westbrook told the board she and her team have been working on the problem, noting the highest rate of absenteeism happens in the first 40 days of the school year.

Westbrook presented figures to show inroads have been made in dealing with the problem in Clovis schools.

• Mandy Carpenter, CMS Executive Director of Talent Management and Development, told the board in the first 23 days of this month her department had hired 70 people for open positions with the school system and will be interviewing 65 people in the next week.

• During the open comments part of the school board meeting, Clovis resident Daniel Otero addressed the board concerning what he called "severe degradation of children."

"Stand up for the right things in the Bible. Stand up for our kids or get out of the way," Otero said.