Española School District Superintendent Fred Trujillo told the School Board at its March 18 meeting the District would receive about $5.5 million in COVID relief funds.
“Twenty percent must be held for academic recruitment,” Trujillo said.
The remainder will be used to install some infrastructure to make campuses more COVID safe.
He listed heating and air conditioning systems, filtration systems, replace windows and outdoor learning facilities.
“I’ve worked with (District Facilities Director) Aaron Aragon about shade structures at each of our sites,” Trujillo said. “At the High School it would be a more permanent structure with propanel roofing.”
He said there were several Cooperative Educational Services companies that are pre-approved to do the work.
Kitchen renovation could also be funded with the money, as well as replace equipment such as stoves.
Stipends for extra duty by staff could also be covered with the stimulus money.
“If they’re working on their own time or tutoring, we can pay them for that,” Trujillo said. “It’s a matter of word-smithing of getting that approved.”
Trujillo said $5.8 million sounds like a lot of money.
“But in a District that has 13 campuses, with buildings with needs, it goes fast,” he said.
Finance Director Richard Halford had two pieces of good news for the District.
“The $440,000 payroll fines for 2016 have been abated in full,” Halford said. “We started with $1.2 million (in fines) and one year was automatically taken off, now this one and one other year we have protested and waiting to hear on that.”
The 2018 tax year still has payroll tax fines levied.
Trujillo and Halford spoke back and forth in partial sentences, not quite explaining what staff had to do to address the issue.
“The biggest issue to overcome was why six months from notification to filing,” Halford said.
He also alluded to no one in New Mexico being able to handle such a protest with the IRS.
The Office of State Auditor has not released the District’s 2020 audit but Halford said he received a letter from the Office.
It’s still not released, but they sent a letter and are pleased with the progress made and were complimentary of staff and the work done,” Halford said. “What they saw, prompted them to send a letter to superintendent.”
Halford also reported his office had conducted eight of the school site budgets, including Española Valley High School.