Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education convened for its regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 15 where a handful of beginning of the school year updates were presented. Superintendent Ignacio Ruíz joined for his first in-person meeting while board members discussed community concerns over school-based health policies and listened to a student transportation update — the biggest takeaway of the night.

‘Doing the same thing over and over’

Shanna Porter, an LCPS parent, told the Sun-News in July that her kids were “left standing on the corner this morning waiting for their bus” while the school day had already started.

Students and parents felt the ripple effect of delayed schedules, missed stops, and lack of communication from the district’s long-time transportation provider, STS of New Mexico.

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Those issues have somewhat improved and the company is making progress, according to Superintendent Ignacio Ruíz and Deputy Superintendent of Operations Gabe Jacquez, who both presented to the Las Cruces School Board Aug. 15.

“One of the things that I can say is it is improving, I could see that every morning and, in the afternoon, when we're looking at the different routes, etc. and we’ve made some adjustments,” Ruíz said.

Board member Patrick Nolan, left, and Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz, right, listen to updates from presenters during an Aug.15, 2023, school board meeting.

“We’re working very closely and collaboratively with our transportation company, we currently have standing meetings where they come and meet with our transportation departments to look to look at issues such as routing, registering students and some of those things,” Jacquez said.

The district currently runs 106 bus routes with approximately 99 drivers on staff. Eleven relief drivers and office staff at STS take routes as needed. The company tried to recruit new drivers throughout the summer but has had its challenges in hiring certified drivers and keeping them.

“In working with STS, they anticipated 109 returning drivers, they started school with 102 drivers, and they've had three resignations since the beginning of the school year,” Jacquez said.

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Jacquez didn’t explain the reason behind the resignations other than individuals deciding to quit after doing a test run. However, he said the company anticipated four new drivers starting and seven more in the coming weeks. The starting salary for new drivers with no experience is $15.97 an hour and tops off at $18.54. New drivers who are already licensed are being offered a $1,000 sign-on bonus.

Board members didn’t hesitate to comment on the on-going transportation situation. Drop-off and pick-up times, temperatures inside buses, as well as transportation planning were some concerns the board expressed.

Board President Teresa Tenorio said the bus company just didn’t effectively prepare for this school year.

“I do commend our bus drivers, now as far as the administrators within STS, I would recommend that they start planning and preparing much ahead of time like in June, not July, it feels like they just didn't plan, and they were kind of reacting instead of being proactive,” Tenorio said.

Board member Pamela Cort said she feels the district is “at the mercy of the bus company.”

“We are missing out on some instructional time at the end of the day because we got to get kids out early because they've got to get on the bus,” Cort said. “That is a concern for me because I would rather them being in class and learning than waiting for the bus.”

Board members Teresa Tenorio, left, and Pamela Cort, right, listen to presenters during an Aug. 15, 2023, school board meeting.

Tenorio, who had the chance to ride a few routes with students, also explained that it is essential that buses be checked constantly for proper cooling measures to ensure kids are riding comfortably.

Public Education Secretary Arsenio Romero last week approved an emergency declaration to allow buses to idle while waiting to pick up students. Previous policy didn’t allow this, but LCPS officials petitioned the Secretary to amend the policy due to the recent extreme temperatures. Tenorio commended district staff for petitioning the PED on this issue.

Board member Patrick Nolan also shared his concerns about the transportation situation, even asking the board “What's the phrase? 'Doing the same thing over and over.'” Some attendees in the audience blurting out “insanity.”

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“I just want to remark that these reports give me deja vu because we have been having consistent issues, we're talking seven years ago, where we're having these issues and we really need to have a real serious conversation and discussion around the future of transportation,” Nolan said.

Ruíz, in his opening remarks for the transportation report, said the district is already planning ahead and would like to be proactive with its transportation partners to ensure kids are getting to school and where they need to be.

Board clarifies school-based health policies

The New Mexico Legislature passed Senate Bill 397 in March 2023, legislation which will allow schools and the Department of Health to establish school-based health centers to offer primary and preventative care to students. A health center would only be established on a need for services basis and with support from school authorities, according to the bill’s text. Currently, each high school in Las Cruces and Lynn Middle School has a center.

After the bill was signed into law, House Republicans created a parental notification form, which is not an official government form the board confirmed, for parents to opt out of "transgender ideology, gender affirming care, abortion, contraception and family planning, primary health care, or mental or psychiatric care." LCPS has received a few and possibly more down the road, according to Wendi Miller Tomlinson, deputy superintendent for teaching and learning, who spoke to the board on the issue.

The board was made aware of these concerns in previous public comment segments during board meetings and responded to the issue during the Aug. 15 meeting.

“As a public school district, we are not in the business of providing any of those things … any ideologies, abortion, contraception, family planning. Our nurses do not provide primary health care, they provide health care support for our students, and mental and psychiatric care are done on a consultation basis, so we are not providing those services,” Miller Tomlinson said.

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Miller Tomlinson said that the district’s curriculum does not include those issues. Teachers are expected to follow state standards and are permitted to engage in appropriate conversations about those topics. Ruíz echoed Miller Tomlinson by stating that the district is “sticking to the state standards in our instruction.”

“As far as curriculum and instruction, our teachers teach the standards provided by the state of New Mexico that we are required to do as a public school district, and we do not have an opt out mechanism for curriculum,” Miller Tomlinson said.

While that may be the case for core studies, sex education may be the exception and it has been on some occasions, according to Miller Tomlinson. Parents may choose to opt out of certain portions of that course.

Board member Robert Wofford asked what the repercussions would be if students were to bring up discussions about abortion and gender in the classroom. He said concerns from community members regarding these topics is important but could alienate students who do identify as LGBTQ+ or who utilize school-based health center services.

"The way I read it, as (others saying) 'I don't want my child to know these things: that transgender students exist, that there is family planning,'" Wofford said.

Parents who do present the unofficial opt out form to the district will be provided with a letter outlining LCPS policies on student health support. The board encouraged the community to express their concerns but wants them to understand that the district does not provide access to gender affirming care or access to abortions of any means.

“I think that it should be well known that this is not what goes on in our schools,” Board Member Carol Cooper said.

Ernesto Cisneros is a UNM NM Local News Fund Fellow covering education. He can be reached at ECisneros@lcsun-news.com Follow him on Twitter at @_ernestcisneros.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: