by Jennifer Parker
WALSENBURG- Tuesday night’s Re-1 school board meeting began with the swearing in of its newest members: Diego Bobian, William Downey, Robert Duran, Erin Jerant, Lynette Kleinschmidt, and Arthur Ortiz.
Jesse Jackson was voted the new president, taking over the position previously held by David Mockmore. Jackson stated, “I want to thank all of you who voted for me, and for those who did not, I hope we can work together to resolve issues.” Kleinschmidt was elected vice-president, Downey elected to secretary, and Duran elected as treasurer. Superintendent Dr. David Gray reminded the group that, “The treasurer’s name appears on all the checks.” A chuckling Duran replied, “So you guys better be nice!”
Former school board officials Ray Bustos, Jolette Martinez, and David Mockmore were recognized, thanked, and given a gift of appreciation for their years of service. Bustos and Martinez both served 4 years, and Mockmore did 10 years.
A conflict arose when Duran requested more notification on topics that needed the Board’s permission in between meetings. He felt that items need to be approved before hand, not after the fact. An audience member pointed out that circumstances arise and may not allow time for permission before the next scheduled meeting. Duran and Jerant both agreed that short meetings should be called for specific items. Duran was upset about one situation in particular saying, “I was disturbed because I never got a chance to vote on the issue, and never got an email. I just think that is bad practice.” The Board did approve of calling for new “short” meetings as needed.
The retirement letter of David Marquez was accepted effective December 31, 2007. Marquez has 27 years of service with the district. A resignation letter was also accepted for Wendy Domann due to a personal family matter. Gray expressed “Best wishes to both.”
For anyone wishing to home-school a child, notification to the district is required. A specific curriculum, how often they will test, and planned number of school day attendance is also needed. The district currently has approximately 30 home-schooled students.
There will be an open house on December 20, 2007 between 2-4 p.m. for the second phase of Peakview, and cookies and hot chocolate will be offered. Fifth and sixth graders will be moving in.
