Hearing delay puts Zuni school decision in limbo

Zuni Public School District Kaye Peery, right, is escorted out Twin Buttes High School by ZPSD school board president Ernie Mackel in Zuni Jan. 13. Peery was placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation of charges of misconduct. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

ZUNI — The administrative hearing for Zuni School Superintendent Kaye L. Peery has been postponed yet again.

That news was met with dismay during Monday’s Zuni Board of Education Meeting at Twin Buttes High School. That means the Zuni Public School District will continue to pay the salary of two superintendents: Peery, who was placed on administrative leave in January by the Zuni Public School District Board of Education, plus the salary of Interim Superintendent Wesley Lane. It also means the school district will end the current school year — and possibly begin the next school year — without a resolution to Peery’s case and without a permanent school superintendent in place.

Peery was placed on administrative leave after the New Mexico Public Education Department notified Peery it was considering suspending or revoking her educational licenses because of a dozen allegations of professional misconduct.

Peery hired an attorney to defend herself, and a hearing was set before a New Mexico Public Education Department hearing officer. That hearing has been postponed at least twice.

Most recently, the hearing had been scheduled to begin this week in the gymnasium of A:shiwi Elementary School in Zuni. However, it has now been bumped to June 15 at an undetermined location, Education Department spokesman Andy Lenderman said Monday afternoon.

According to Lenderman, the hearing was postponed to allow both sides more time to prepare their cases. The state had scheduled 4 1/2 days for the hearing, but now that it’s been postponed, Lenderman said the state is allotting 10 business days in June. It is still scheduled to be open to the public, he said, but its location is now undetermined.

However, in Monday’s school board meeting, Karen Ligon, the assistant superintendent of human resources, said she had learned the hearing might be closed to the public and might be held in Grants instead of Zuni.

A member of the audience asked if Peery’s contract could be terminated or bought out, but several board members said the school district could not legally do that. “Our hands are tied at this point,” board Vice President Carmelita A. Sanchez said.

Other unwelcome news included brief mention that the district is facing some budget shortfalls, particularly because enrollment in the district has been declining. According to Martin Romine, the district’s chief financial officer, the district lost 65 students over the last year.

However, another subject dominated most of the lengthy school board meeting. Dr. Richard Yzenbaard, principal of Zuni High School, presented his case for the adoption of a proposed revision to the school’s dress code. It’s a revision that focuses primarily on revising what types of shirts and sweatshirts are allowed.

“This has been a long and sometimes difficult discussion,” Yzenbaard admitted to the board. That discussion continued to be difficult with a number of differing views repeatedly expressed throughout the school board meeting. Yzenbaard lost the evening’s battle when no board member would second George DeVries’ motion to approve a slightly modified revision. At the conclusion of the meeting, Yzenbaard said he wasn’t sure if he would continue to pursue the proposed dress code revision.

The school board did, however, approve raising the graduation requirements for both Zuni High School and Twin Buttes High School from 24 to 26 credits. It also approved the proposed school calendar for next school year, two federal program approval requests, and five budget adjustments.

Bright moments during the school board meeting included the recognition of high achieving Zuni Middle School students in the Regional Science Fair and talented members of Zuni High School’s Speech and Debate Club and Art Club.

Yzenbaard also informed the board that New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has confirmed she will be the guest speaker at Zuni High School’s May 22 commencement ceremony.

All school board members were present for the meeting except for School Board President Ernest Mackel.