At their May meeting, the Dolores school board received an update about construction on the new high school, safety and heard concerns about recent vandalism on campus.
The board started by issuing more Above and Beyond awards and Longevity awards to district staff.
This month’s Above and Beyond awards were presented to Tyson Atwell, Denise Arruda and Tonya Castillo. The Longevity Awards were presented to Elaine Medina, 21 years; Lisa Vaughn, 20 years; Reggy Haase, 13 years; and Shelly Purkat, 13 years.
After the awards, two middle school students presented their idea for a 3D printed store in the middle school. The students talked about printing things like action figures and fidgets that students could “buy” with points they earn for good behavior or exceptional work in the classroom.
Though the students said they thought they could only handle the demand for the middle school right now, they hope to take the store to the high school after they graduate middle school.
In citizen comments, the board heard from individuals concerned over a recent act of “hateful” vandalism, including a racial slur in graffiti. They asked why there hasn’t been a campuswide email regarding the graffiti and inquired on how it would work for the vandalism to be reported to the state.
The board was then given a construction update for the BEST grant project, including a celebration report that informed them that the budget it not just on track, but the project is currently under budget, allowing things to be added to the project list.
The construction schedule was also discussed, with it being noted that this summer will be “pretty intense” with a lot of traffic and trucks coming into town for construction. The board shared that they have been working to get the word out about the construction so the community won’t be caught off guard once construction starts.
A safety update from Kaylee Green, school resource officer, gave insights into what issues have even popping up on campus this school year.
Green shared that four students have been charged with drug possession, and amphetamines were found next to the dumpster near the playground in March.
There have been three cases of sexual assault, one porn case, 10 safe-to-tell cases (including child abuse and suicide concerns), three threat assessments, two harassment cases and more than 40 citations for driving in the school zone.
Green noted that there has been an uptick in campus crashes and more than 30 vapes have been confiscated. The board acknowledged that this information was “concerning,” but also expressed appreciation for Green’s work on campus.
Green added that she is preparing a safety plan for students and staff during the construction period. She also shared that Sheriff Steve Nowlin is working on making it possible for her to be on campus all day, rather than sporadically.
Next, the high school’s Future Farmer’s of America club gave the board information about their upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. for the FFA conference, providing insight into their fundraising efforts and plans for the trip. They asked the board to consider a donation.
The next Dolores school board meeting will take place Monday, June 9 at 6 p.m.
