School Board members and Honorable Judge Elizabeth Allen following their swearing in at the start of the Jan. 11 meeting, from left, Christine Bernstein, Antonio Jaurigue, Allen, Erin Green, Ellen Specter and Melanie Colgan. Courtesy/LAPS

LAPS News:

The first Los Alamos School Board meeting of 2022 was held Tuesday, Jan. 11. Newly elected board member Antonio Jaurigue, along with re-elected members Melanie Colgan, Erin Green and Ellen Specter, were sworn in by the Honorable Judge Elizabeth Allen. 

The board then held elections for officers, resulting in Melanie Colgan being elected president; Christine Bernstein vice president and Antonio Jaurigue secretary.

Assignments to various board committees for 2022 resulted in the following:

• Audit – Erin Green and Antonio Jaurigue;
• Budget and Finance Committee – Christine Bernstein and Antonio Jaurigue;
• Equity Council – Melanie Colgan and Erin Green;
• Facilities Master Plan Work Group – Erin Green’
• Guidance Advisory Committee – Erin Green;
• JJAB – Melanie Colgan;
• LAPS Foundation – Ellen Specter;
• LAC/LAPS Executive Leadership – Melanie Colgan and Christine Bernstein (6 mos.) and Ellen Specter (6 mos.);
• Native American Parent Advisory Committee – Erin Green;
• New Mexico School Board Association Excellence in Student Achievement Award Committee – Christine Bernstein and Antonio Jaurigue;
• North Mesa Project Steering Committee – Erin Green;
• Policy Review Committee – Erin Green;
• Student Liaison Application Review – Melanie Colgan and Erin Green; and
• Zoning Committee (formerly Elementary School Attendance Zones) – Christine Bernstein and Ellen Specter.

Interim Superintendent Jennifer Guy presented the Open Meetings Act Notice Resolution. Some revisions are necessary, so a clean and clear copy of the resolution will be brought back to the board at the next meeting.

Interim Superintendent Guy then provided a COVID-19 update, presenting the latest positive case counts at each school site and outlining the process if a school closure became necessary. Guy thanked parents for keeping schools in the loop by providing results from at home testing.

Schools are following safety guidelines as outlined in the latest COVID-19 Toolkit from the New Mexico Public Education Department. She also noted that the district has ordered KN95 masks, which will be distributed to school sites for staff use.

“The health and safety of our students and staff is priority number one,” she said.

School Board Member Ellen Specter and Interim Superintendent Guy next presented three legislative resolutions for the 2022 legislative session:

• Increase flexibility for extended learning, K-5+ and K-12+;
• Regionally competitive school staff compensation; and
• “Above the line” funding to increase local school board decision making that supports student success across New Mexico.

The board voted unanimously to send these resolutions to the governor, secretary of public education, the legislative education study committee and the legislative finance committee.

The next School Board meeting is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 in the School Board School Room.