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Las Cruces Public Schools board adopts substance-free workplace policy with employee-wellness reference

Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education · October 28, 2025
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Summary

After debate over wording and scope, the Las Cruces Public Schools Board adopted a revised policy to keep employees substance-free while conducting district business and to reference employee wellness. The board approved the fourth reading and made technical edits to definitions and citations before a unanimous vote.

The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education on Oct. 28 adopted a revised employee policy intended to keep district personnel free from drugs and alcohol while conducting district business and to clarify how employee wellness resources relate to that policy.

Board members said the policy’s purpose was clarified to apply “wherever district business is conducted,” and they agreed to use the district’s full name in the purpose statement. The board also directed staff to align definitions (district personnel, contractors, substitutes, volunteers) and remove legal citation clutter from the definitions section.

Ms. Donnelly, staff presenter, said the recommended language replaces a building-specific rule with broader wording so the policy applies at conferences and any offsite events where district work occurs. President Court and board members debated the policy title and agreed the policy should prioritize the substance-free workplace framing, with employee wellness referenced and handled in related regulations.

The board discussed a public comment suggestion to revise the title to read “Substance-free workplace and employee wellness.” Several board members noted the district already maintains a separate employee-wellness policy and that retaining a substance-first title better matched the policy’s operative purpose. The board directed staff to expand the written definition of district personnel so it explicitly includes independent contractors, substitutes and volunteers and to remove unneeded NMAC citations in definition text.

Moved by Ms. Tonordio and seconded by Secretary Wofford, the motion to adopt the revised policy passed on the floor with the ayes recorded and no opposition. President Court said the policy will be filed with the agreed edits and accompanying regulations to govern implementation.

The board previously met in closed session earlier in the week; the public record at this meeting reaffirmed that the closed-session topics were limited to personnel updates and pending litigation as permitted under the New Mexico Open Meetings Act.