Cibola candidates: Communication needed in district

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Five of the nine candidates — or their representatives — for the Grants/Cibola County School Board attended Wednesday night’s union-sponsored forum in Grants.

Cibola County Federation of United School Employees Local 2153 President Simon Anya, who conducted the meeting, said all the candidates were invited and received copies of questions before the event for review.

Candidates Alex Griego, District 2, Loraine Quintana, District 2, Emily Cheromiah, District 1, and Kyle Roundy, District 3, were present to answer questions and discuss the issues.

Jerald “Jerry” Smith, District 1, was out of town and sent a representative who presented Smith’s answers to prepared questions and abstained on spontaneous questions from the audience.

Neither incumbent Earl Chavez nor Dion Sandoval attended the forum.

All of the candidates spoke out for more and clearer communication within the district, citing issues such as Quintana’s concern over getting answers to simple questions about the Grants High School ROTC using a school bus to Roundy’s direct remark that teachers were afraid to say anything because of concern over retribution from the administration.

Asked if they thought the schools should educate the county’s children or provide child care, again the candidates were unanimous —the district should educate the children. Cheromiah took the bull by the horns and added, “But we are a childcare facility now.”

On the question of collective bargaining between the union and the district, again all the candidates spoke with one voice — it is a good thing if all involved approach the table in good faith, and it works if the people involved make it work.

The meeting broke up after an hour and a half with candidates, teachers, maintenance workers and others discussing school system issues among themselves, with concern for communication and protection for teachers and parents emerging along side questions of why have a school board at all if they have so little power under new state guidelines and if they just go along with the district administration all the time.

“The rubber stamp approach has to stop,” Rounding said.