May 24, 2021
May 24, 2021
Cobre High graduation forced inside Written by Aaron Rogers on May 24, 2021
While the threat of rain put a damper on the plan to hold Cobre High School’s graduation on the new artificial turf football field, the Class of 2021 was able to move indoors to mark the end of their four years at Cobre with a typical graduation ceremony. The last-minute change, of course, capped off a senior year that was anything but typical.
“As principal of Cobre High School, it is so great to see everyone come and support the graduating class of 2021,” Principal Sandra Montoya told the crowd. “It sure has been a different year, but we are getting close to getting back to normal, so we are happy for that.”
Cobre adds dual-credit firefighting course Written by Dean Thompson on February 23, 2021
The Cobre Schools Board of Education approved the district’s 2019-20 audit, conducted by Stone McGee, during its meeting held virtually on YouTube on Monday night, and heard a short presentation about a dual-credit course to allow students to become wildland firefighters or members of the Forest Service’s camp crew program.
The board also heard a little more about the status of school reentry readiness, but the longest discussion came halfway through the meeting, when board member Gabe Holguin asked why the comment section on YouTube had been turned off for the meeting.
Cobre voters turn down 2-mill tax levy Written by Dean Thompson on February 17, 2021
Cobre Consolidated Schools district voters narrowly turned down a proposed 2-mill tax levy that would have kept money heading to the district for maintenance of buildings, buses and vehicles.
The special election was a mail-in ballot. “According to the way the state law is written, special elections are mail-in voting,” said Grant County Clerk Marisa Castrillo.
The final vote tally was 469 for and 491 against, for a total of 960 votes. According to Castrillo, 4,758 were eligible to vote, meaning about 20 percent voted.
“It wasn’t a bad turnout,” Castrillo said. “Cobre Schools had a special election in 2017 where they had five voting places, and with absentee and early voting, and that turnout was just 5.32 percent.”
February 3, 2021
Cobre board meeting gets heated during reopening, athletic discussions Written by Dean Thompson on February 3, 2021
The Cobre Schools Board of Education heard discussion on reopening in a hybrid model and allowing four-students-to-one-coach athletic pods and had a lengthy look at public input during their meeting Tuesday evening, which was held virtually.
Not only was there discussion, but more than one voice was raised during that discussion, to which board member Gabe Holguin toward the end of the meeting said, “I’d like to remind the board we’re all on the same team and we should maintain some professionalism and respect for each other’s opinions when we’re speaking. Body language speaks volumes, and it appears to me we’re not doing that and I’ll leave it at that.”
February 1, 2021
Despite misgivings, students, staff back return to classrooms Written by Dean Thompson on February 1, 2021
The Silver Schools Board of Education has already given the green light for its secondary schools to move into the hybrid model.
The district’s elementary schools have been in and out of hybrid instruction where 50 percent of the student population is in the classroom two days a week, alternating with the other half of students in online classes since before the holiday break.
The Cobre School District never went into a hybrid mode in its elementary schools, however.
Last week, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Public Education Department announced that they will allow all districts to enter the hybrid mode in all grades Feb. 8, as long as all of the state’s guidelines are met.