For the second time in a three-month period, Cariños Charter School is faced with the possible resignation of a member of their governing Board.
Board member Suellen Strale submitted a letter of resignation at the Nov. 4 meeting, but the Charter School still has a full Board because a decision on Strale’s request to resign was tabled until Nov. 23.
“We have a full Board right now,” Board Secretary Del Jimenez said. “I’d like to keep it as full as we have it.”
Myrna Romero, former Mountain View Elementary Parent Advisory Committee president assumed the duties of Stan Sanders, who submitted his resignation, Sept. 11.
Strale’s request to resign comes on the heels of Romero’s appointment to the Board last month.
In Sanders’s letter, he wrote that he was resigning because of health issues.
He wrote that his medical problem is progressive, and thus, he has to retire from the Chater School’s Board. At the time, he would stay on board until Sept. 29, to give the school an opportunity to find his replacement.
Romero, a Cordova resident whose previous work experience includes 36 years working as a manufacturing manager at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, has since replaced Sanders.
The movement of Board members comes at a time when Cariños is seeking a state charter, in light of strained relations with the Española School District.
Cariños Chancellor Vernon Jaramillo said he was happy to have Romero on the Board and he thought she would be an asset, as they attempt to increase enrollment.
“If we accept her (Strale’s) resignation today, that means we’re going to be one position open until we fill it,” Jimenez said.
He said he preferred to move that the Board get a person first, then fill the position and accept the resignation.
“That way, we have a full Board,” he said. “Although she’s not active, at least we have our full Board member.”
Jimenez said Strale will remain on the Board and continue helping the school with grant writing and other duties. He said Strale is in charge of the Chimayó Youth Core, an educational nonprofit, providing services in Rio Arriba County, and she has been too busy trying to work out scheduling conflicts and trying to balance her duties for both organizations.
“She’s caught in a dilemma,” Jimenez said. “I think it’s critical for us, especially at this time. Especially going for our new charter, it’s important that we have this (full board in place.)”
Jimenez motioned to table the resignation at the Board meeting, with Board member Tomas Garcia seconding the motion.