Some Española School Board members are not happy with the decision by outgoing Española School District Superintendent David Cockerham to rehire most District administrators and principals for next school year.
Cockerham made this move just weeks after a hiring freeze, enacted by the Board in December, had expired.
“That’s my authority,” Cockerham said. “That’s my job to do.”
According to House Bill 212, school superintendents have the sole authority to do all the hiring of employees. Board President Leonard Valerio said he was the one that made the motion Dec. 11 to put the hiring freeze on Cockerham.
Valerio said the motion was based on the Board’s ability to control the budget. Valerio said the freeze was valid until the Board and District learned its budget limitations on salaries. Once the state legislative session ended March 21, Valerio said Cockerham knew his salary limitations and could technically begin hiring staff for the fiscal year, which begins July 1.
“The reason, I put that (motion) in place is because I didn’t want to see our new superintendent coming in with the same problem that Dr. Cockerham had when he came in with his predecessor (former superintendent Vernon Jaramillo),” Valerio said.
In 2005, Jaramillo received criticism when he gave two-year contracts to select administrators and principals in the weeks before his own contract expired.
“Just because it happened to Cockerham doesn’t mean Cockerham had to come back and do it to somebody else,” Board member Coco Archuleta said.
Cockerham contested that point of view. He said when he started as a superintendent the contracts approved by Jaramillo locked those employees in their position. Cockerham said the new superintendent will have the flexibility to shuffle those employees to different positions.
Cockerham said Tuesday that he was putting the names of the District administrators and principals on the weekly Superintendent Personnel Action document. Cockerham said the document serves as a public “notice of employment” but contracts have not been signed by any employees. Cockerham said the document would be available to the public Friday. Cockerham said $1 raises will be given to those employees to comply with state salary requirements, and the guarantee of employment was limited to one-year.
As of Tuesday, District administrators had not heard that their contracts had been renewed. Regional Quality Center Specialist Christiana Sisneros and Procurement Officer Gilbert Sanchez both said they had not heard the news. Superintendent candidate and Title I Director Evelyn Maruska also said she had not heard anything about contract renewals or rehiring.
Maruska is one of four candidates for Cockerham’s position. She shrugged her shoulders when asked how she felt about Cockerham guaranteeing jobs to all administrators and principals.
“We’ll just wait and see,” Maruska said.
Board member Floyd Archuleta also said he wished the new superintendent could have done the hiring.
“That would be that person’s administration to work with,” Floyd Archuleta said. “It was (Cockerham’s)a choice, but I really think that the new superintendent should have had the opportunity to do that.”
The Board plans to hire a new superintendent this week. They would not start officially until July 1, or a day after Cockerham’s contract expires. However, Board members said the new superintendent should be consulted about hires made before their contract starts.
Cockerham said three administrative positions that are currently being filled by outgoing employees are still open: Española Valley High School athletic director, District special education director and human resources director. Cockerham said he planned on conferring with the new superintendent about these three positions. Valerio said this issue with Cockerham is not based on personal motivation.
“I’m not trying to get my cousin a job as a special (education) or (human resources) director,” Valerio said. “I don’t have any personal agendas to hire 100 janitors. My agenda as a school board member is to make our school community a better place and give all our students an education they lawfully and rightfully should get.”