In the end, the Dolores School District Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9 was a long one, and lots of topics were covered.
There was a lot of discussion about upcoming issues, current issues and educational topics, but not a lot of action was taken.
Secondary Principal Brandon Thurston voiced concern that parents were upset that at the homecoming dance the weekend before Breathalyzers were not used. The school owns two Breathalyzers.
"This is something that has been supported by students and staff and the community," Thurston said.
But board members were unsure about the legality of randomly testing kids as they come into a dance or even testing all the students.
"Random testing has a lot of liability. We should ask legal about a reasonable cause testing," McHenry said.
School board president Jon Kelly, who is also an attorney, was also hesitant to allow Breathalyzers at dances.
"Are we moving from a school into a police force?" he said.
Thurston said there were some underage drinking issues as the dance this year.
"This is an event we are asking the kids to come to and if they want to drink, don't come to the dance," Thurston said. "I agree to disagree (with the board). To me, this is a very reasonable precaution to put in place."
Kelly told Thurston to come back to the board with area schools' policies on Breathalyzers.
"I don't want kids drinking, don't get me wrong. My concern is we are spending an inordinate amount of resources on this, and civil rights issues with this," Thurston said.
Deborah Hager presented a new club to the board Thursday night. As a volunteer, she had recently started a dance club. She asked for the board's approval, but found out that she first had to fill out a budget and other forms.
She said she plans on taking the dance girls to competitions. There are six girls in the club.
"The girls love it," Thurston said. "I can't turn down a positive opportunity for the kids."
In the end, the board directed Hager to fill out the proper paperwork and decided to call a special board meeting, Oct. 16 at 7:30 a.m. to approve the club, so that they could begin fundraising for an upcoming competition in Grand Junction.
Board members also discussed bus stops and worked at trying to make the stop on Road P near Four Seasons Nursery more safe, apparently after getting a letter from the Montezuma County Road Department.
In the afternoon, Superintendent Scott Cooper said, the business will let parents park on the east side of the nursery's parking lot, but in the morning, parents will only be able to park on the north side of road P, because that is where the doors of the bus are. Also, Cooper said, they are going to only ask parents to let their children out of their cars only once the bus stops and opens its doors.
Cooper added that during the bus discussion that the district is "extremely short on bus drivers."
For example, Secondary Athletic Director Jimmie Lankford was not at the meeting Thursday because he was driving a bus to a sporting event.
Cooper said they are launching a program that will pay for the training of potential bus drivers because they need them so bad.
Board member Joye McHenry voiced a concern that the high school needed a guidance counselor after hearing complaints of one student who fell behind when taking vocational classes at Southwest Colorado Community College.
Board members also discussed a contract with a cell phone tower company. The tower, located near the bus barn, could bring as much as $1,200 a month to the district and a $15,000 bonus.
Board members also discussed the search for a new elementary school principal. Principal Sherri Maxwell will retire at the end of the year. Cooper told the board that he is going to form committees soon and talk to staff, parents and students about what qualities they would like to see the most in a new principal. The district will start advertising for the position in January and interviews will likely begin in March. Cooper said in the meantime, he is going to start putting together a hiring team, with about 12 to 15 people.
