Questa school board races draw familiar names

With three races on tap for the Questa school board, the Feb. 7 election could mean old faces again have a majority on the board.

Jose Lavato, Questa school board president, is the the only candidate to file for his seat, while Tammy Jaramillo, the only candidate for position 3, will take over for outgoing school board member Bernie Torres.

Incumbent Joel Flory will face off against Christy Argüello, of Amalia, and Mathew Ortega for Questa's position 5. All seats in Questa are at-large positions, meaning the seats do not have geographic boundaries.

Jaramillo and Ortega previously served on the Questa school board, but were removed from those positions when the New Mexico Public Education Department suspended the authority of the board in 2012 over allegations of harassment and conflict of interests. Both Ortega and Jaramillo were implicated in the suspension along with current school board member Daryl Ortega, who won reelection to the board in 2015.

Matthew Ortega told The Taos News Dec. 28 that the issues with PED suspending the school board were ”just allegations.” He contends that those issues shouldn't distract from current challenges facing the district — such as a struggling budget, lawsuits and “the athletic department going downhill.”

“It can't always be about politics, it's got to be about the kids. My voice is for the kids,” he said.

Ortega also contends that positive improvements to the district were accomplished in the seven years he served on the board, such as new lighting in the athletics facilities and upgrades to the roofs of the schools themselves.

Should Ortega win the election against Flory and Argüello, the majority of the board would be identical to when the PED suspended its authority.

The vacancy that will put Jaramillo back on the school board came about because, as Torres told The Taos News, after 12 years on the Questa school board, “it's time to let someone else have at it.”

Torres said his business, Mountain Range Supply and Transport, as well as his family, are the bigger focuses right now — but added he would continue to be involved in the district, especially through the annual La Cosecha harvest festival at Rio Costilla Southwest Learning Academy.

Torres was a champion for the academy in recent years when the board began looking at closing the small school (it has fewer than 30 students) because of budgetary pressures. Questa is currently on emergency supplemental money from the state.

“Everything was a concern, but Costilla turned out to be one of those places where I had to focus very hard. Hopefully the new board continues to look at that school as a plus [for the district],” he said.

Other districts

In Peñasco, Amanda Bissell is running against incumbent Audry G. Medina-Dominguez. Incumbent Mary Trujillo Mascareãs is the sole candidate for her seat, while Sherry A. Archuleta is the only candidate running for the open position 1.

In Taos, both Mark Flores II and James Sanborn, current school board president, are the only candidates for their seats.

Elections will be held Feb. 7 at a smaller-than-usual number of polling places.