Alamogordo area folks. (sales, middle school, closing)

[mtncat]

For those of you how have not heard about the proposed closing of two schools in our district.
The proposal is to close 2 of the top performing schools (Holloman Middle School and High Rolls Mountain Park Elementary School) due to a "budget shortfall"
We are asking for all the support that we can get to stop this from happening. I encourage you to go to this site
Board of Education Alamogordo Public Schools Official Website, Kindergarten through Grade 12 Schools, Alamogordo, NM, Otero County, Education
And please e-mail all of the board members and ask them to vote no on this important issue.
There is a public forum on this on June 25th starting at 4:00 p.m so the board has the chance to hear from the public.
BUT the board president has called for a special meeting at 7:30 a.m on the 26th with the only agenda item being to vote on school closures.
I believe this is far from enough time for board members to gather the needed information from the public, have the time to evaluate it, and then make an informed decision.
Please let your voice be heard on saving our schools.
Thanks
And an FYI, there is one board member that is a with out a doubt a NO vote to the closures and that would be me!

[Cathy4017]

Yes, I've been reading about this over the last few days.

I'll definitely check the site out!

So what is really going on here with the head honcho and the board?

[mtncat]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

Yes, I've been reading about this over the last few days.

I'll definitely check the site out!

So what is really going on here with the head honcho and the board?

Cathy, I've only been a board member for a few short months but over all the board and the administration have a pretty good working relationship.
Obviously I disagree with him on his suggestion to close two of our schools. I believe that if we take the time to work with the schools, parents and the public in general we will find some solutions to the budget problems we are facing.
I don't believe that listening to the concerns and then in less then 12 hours being asked to make a decision is a correct move. I have made that known to the board president but it has apparently fallen on deaf ears.

[Cathy4017]

That really doesn't seem like enough time, so I agree with that.

I don't know whether or not the Alamogordo area school system is top-heavy with highly-paid administrative positions that are not really needed. That was often a problem with many Texas schools. Assistant this and assistant that--really overkill. If that is true here, then they need to do some paring down.

School board members are often unappreciated. It really is a thankless job! Hang in there, and good luck.

[mijomarco]

You may have something there. If you look at the vacancies the district is trying to fill (Official Website Alamogordo Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade 12, Education, Alamogordo, NM, Otero County) you'll see some unusual job titles...some I never seen when I went to school.
I wish there was some easy answer to the issue, but until Alamogordo and the surrounding areas can attract a steady influx and variety of public, commercial and industrial ventures, the tax base will remain hard pressed to meet the district's (and local government's) needs.
Many of our residents are retired, underemployed, depend on government assistance, poorly trained for technical jobs, or perhaps, given up on finding a decent job. These folks cannot be expected to contribute to increasing the tax base through ad valorum, sales and property taxes.
So what can't be provided from the inside requires we look to the outside. We have to make our community appealing to others to come and invest, reinvent and reinvigorate the community.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by mijomarco

You may have something there. If you look at the vacancies the district is trying to fill (Official Website Alamogordo Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade 12, Education, Alamogordo, NM, Otero County) you'll see some unusual job titles...some I never seen when I went to school.
I wish there was some easy answer to the issue, but until Alamogordo and the surrounding areas can attract a steady influx and variety of public, commercial and industrial ventures, the tax base will remain hard pressed to meet the district's (and local government's) needs.
Many of our residents are retired, underemployed, depend on government assistance, poorly trained for technical jobs, or perhaps, given up on finding a decent job. These folks cannot be expected to contribute to increasing the tax base through ad valorum, sales and property taxes.
So what can't be provided from the inside requires we look to the outside. We have to make our community appealing to others to come and invest, reinvent and reinvigorate the community.

The faction that controls Alamo and has for a long time won't let that happen. Who wants to come to an area that has a limited amount of useable water, nothing to do, no shopping and less than stellar medical? About the only thing we have going for us is the housing market that is more stable than the majority of the rest of the country. Those that do control Alamo don't want anything new to come, they have made excuse after excuse about making the water drinkable, and bringing anything new to the city.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by mtncat

For those of you how have not heard about the proposed closing of two schools in our district.
The proposal is to close 2 of the top performing schools (Holloman Middle School and High Rolls Mountain Park Elementary School) due to a "budget shortfall"
We are asking for all the support that we can get to stop this from happening. I encourage you to go to this site
Board of Education Alamogordo Public Schools Official Website, Kindergarten through Grade 12 Schools, Alamogordo, NM, Otero County, Education
And please e-mail all of the board members and ask them to vote no on this important issue.
There is a public forum on this on June 25th starting at 4:00 p.m so the board has the chance to hear from the public.
BUT the board president has called for a special meeting at 7:30 a.m on the 26th with the only agenda item being to vote on school closures.
I believe this is far from enough time for board members to gather the needed information from the public, have the time to evaluate it, and then make an informed decision.
Please let your voice be heard on saving our schools.
Thanks
And an FYI, there is one board member that is a with out a doubt a NO vote to the closures and that would be me!

According to todays paper Col Michael Stapleton helped to postpone the final vote until July 13. Do you know if this is true?

You would think they would think more about closing schools that bring down our test scores as opposed to the 2 that makes our scores higher.

[mtncat]

Originally Posted by ajzjmsmom

According to todays paper Col Michael Stapleton helped to postpone the final vote until July 13. Do you know if this is true?

You would think they would think more about closing schools that bring down our test scores as opposed to the 2 that makes our scores higher.

I believe that there were several factors in this decision. Col. Stapelton did indeed request some time to look into funding issues.
I protested long and loud about the short time period.
I believe also that the number of phone calls and e-mails to the Admin. office also played a big part in it