School board approves Rancho gym floor, kitchen equipment, science adoption and other purchases

Taos Municipal Schools’ board approved a package of facilities, curriculum and equipment purchases during its April 16 regular meeting after debates over timing, funding and design details.

The board approved separate contracts to restore the Rancho Elementary gym roof, replace the gym floor, and buy new kitchen equipment at Taos High School, and it adopted new K–12 science instructional materials. Trustees also retroactively authorized a district maintenance truck purchase and approved routine financial reports and budget adjustments.

The actions were presented by Superintendent Antonio Layton Jr. and by facilities and finance staff, who said funding for the works will come primarily from local gross receipts tax (GRT) and existing capital-outlay balances. Board members asked for clarifications about warranties, paint and mascot colors on the gym floor and about how the district will use grant money allocated to upgrade the high school kitchen.

Among the items approved: - Roof restoration, Rancho Elementary gym: a restoration proposal amounting to $238,040.07 to repair leak-damaged areas, replace deteriorated curb flashings and apply a fully reinforced coating system with a 20-year warranty; staff said the district intends to use local GRT or capital outlay funds. - Gym floor replacement, Rancho Elementary: award to Robert Cohen Company LLC for $169,464.16 to remove the existing plank floor, install a new maple sport floor with subfloor and resurfacing, and reinstall bleachers; the board directed staff to incorporate Rancho’s traditional red into the design while accommodating existing blue bleachers and mats. - Taos High School kitchen equipment: purchase of commercial kitchen and service-area equipment for $343,103.90 using a previously awarded infrastructure grant. Staff said some replaced units will be moved to other schools and that remaining grant funds will be allocated to other projects. - Science curriculum adoption: districtwide adoption for K–12 science materials and digital licenses in the amount of $347,576; the board approved STEMscopes for elementary and selected programs for middle and high school after teacher, student and community review. - Retroactive purchase approval: the board retroactively authorized the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 utility vehicle for the maintenance department after staff acknowledged the procurement moved forward without a separate agenda item and pledged process changes to prevent recurrence. - Financial items: approval of March financial reports and budget adjustment requests as presented by the director of finance.

Board discussion highlighted three recurring themes: ensuring transparency and timely board notification for purchases, matching project timing to warranties (for example sequencing roof work before floor replacement), and preserving community identity in school facilities. Vendors and contractors who spoke to the board described technical details and warranty terms; Tremco representatives explained the restoration solution and projected energy and landfill-diversion benefits from restoring rather than replacing a full roof.

The board approved the items on the consent and action calendar by motion and second; where roll-call votes were recorded during the meeting those approvals were taken by voice/roll call as shown in the official minutes.

Trustees said they planned to stage ribbon-cuttings or community events for the completed projects and to present more detailed funding breakdowns (which funding source will pay which line item) before work starts.

Funding and next steps: staff will finalize contracts that include the 20-year roof warranty language and will present the exact fund sources for each project (GRT, capital outlay, or grant) in the vendor contract documents and upcoming board reports.