By Xchelzin Peña, Deming Headlight.
Lt. Gov. kicks off state tour of schools in Deming.
(Deming, NM) – New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales visited Deming High School on Thursday to tour its facilities and hold a round-table discussion with educators, students and public officials.
Morales’ stop to Deming was his initiation to visiting schools around the state. Superintendent Arsenio Romero, Chief of Support Services Herb Borden and DHS Principal Marlene Padrón facilitated the tour and exhibited Deming High’s opportunities in vocational and technical training.
Morales witnessed classrooms and labs geared for robotics, health occupations, culinary arts and welding all of which is mostly funded through Perkins grants – federal funding exclusively set for the improvement of career and technical education programs throughout the nation.
“It’s amazing how all of the this was accomplished even with two failed elections, the Two-Mill Levy and the bond in 2008,” Morales indicated to the administrators just outside the DHS metal shop.
Luna County voters opposed the Two-Mill Levy during a special election last February. The Two-Mill Levy would have funded additional capital improvements to classroom furniture, student computers and technology, activity vehicles, playground equipment, roof repairs, ADA accessibility and safety and security measures.
MRomero reflected on two reasons why the bond failed: The bond was a mail-in election and more effort needed to be done to get the word out there.
Despite the two failed elections, Borden indicated the construction of the 7.2-acre project (Deming High School) still made it through.
“There was a lot of transitions that happened during that time and – and it worked out,” Borden said. “And the community sees this, and they just want more and more and more… This is the largest thing that has happened since 1898 when they built the courthouse.”
Morales and the group of administrators then continued to the student library located at the second floor. There, they met with dozens of round-table participants. Morales took in questions from those who attended.
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales holding a round table discussion with educators, public officials and students. (Photo: Xchelzin Peña – Deming Headlight)
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English Arts teacher Lynda Call of Deming Cesar Chavez Charter High School (Photo: Xchelzin Peña – Deming Headlight)
“Many of our high schools are engaging students in vocational and technical learning that fires imaginations for life and launches countless successful careers,” Morales stated on Twitter, “Visited Deming High today, a model for the state.”
After DHS, Morales briefly visited with the welding students at Red Mountain Middle School where he was presented with a handcrafted plaque with Morales’ name and title.
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