Standing room only at CCAISD Open House Monday.
Photo by Becky Brewster
By Becky Brewster
Culberson County – Allamoore ISD (CCAISD) hosted an Open House Monday, October 10 with a record audience of standing room only. The cafeteria staff served a delicious dinner of lasagna or spaghetti prior to the meeting, and extra tables had to be set up to accommodate those in attendance. Assistant Principal Keith Reyes kicked off the open house by addressing the myth that “schools and teachers exhibit the greatest influence on children’s learning” noting that parents play an equal part in the equation. He introduced the “Parent Compact” which is a commitment from the school, the parent, and the student to share in the responsibility for improved academic achievement. Reyes stressed that regardless of family background, parental expectations have a strong influence on the child’s academic success.
The parents and students then visited their grade levels and were instructed in the use of the CCAISD app for smart phones, and were provided with individualized folders for their children which included the “Parent Compact.”
Following the open house, the CCAISD Board of Trustees held a special meeting to consider the selection of a Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the campus construction project. Dion Corrales, a member of the CMAR Committee comprised of Dalia Benavidez, Marcial Gonzales, Paul Uranga, Jack Dorris and Dion Corrales, reported that the District had received 6 proposals by the September 14 deadline which were then reviewed and ranked by the committee on September 28. Based on these rankings, the Committee recommended HB Construction be selected to serve as the CMAR for the project. Benavidez stated that the firm had “lots of experience in building schools”, and noted that the resumes for the on-site staff were excellent. Scott Reid of Parkhill, Smith and Cooper, noted that all respondents were qualified, so that that deciding factors were pricing and the presence in the El Paso area market. The fees for the CMAR are based on a percentage of the construction cost with proposals ranging from 1.5% to 6.4%. Chris Lauer from HB Construction was on hand to answer any questions, noting that the main office is in Albuquerque with additional offices in Lubbock and Las Cruces. The Board unanimously approved the selection of HB Construction with a fee of 1.5% of construction costs.
In other business, the School Board learned that Blue Origin had sent representatives to help students fill out college applications and that Financial Aid Night was scheduled for October 24.