Belen won’t get a new middle school for now

October 16, 2009

For nearly seven years, Belen Consolidated Schools has been trying to get funding to build a new middle school in Rio Communities, on Valley Improvement Association (VIA) land near La Merced Elementary School.

This week, the district gave up on the effort, giving land VIA had given to the district back to VIA.

The 31-acre site was expected to be the new site for a middle school. Right now, Belen Middle School is located in downtown Belen.

“This is a parcel of land that was agreed upon that should the district have been successful to the state in requesting that we get a new middle school that it would be built on that property,” said Superintendent Patricia Rael.

Rael said VIA requested the land be returned to the association because no middle school has been built on it.

“We tried to do it, but we were unable to do it,” Board President Jamie Goldberg said.

The board of education approved reverting the deed back to VIA.

Board members and the superintendent said they felt VIA would be open to providing land in the future should the board need it for a middle school or another project.

“I assume they would work with the board of education again for such a purpose,” Rael said.

The board turned its attention back to the existing middle school, to continue work to improve it.

At the same meeting, the board initiated a call for proposals for asbestos abatement at Belen Middle School.

The district is preparing for the demolition of two nearly 50-year-old buildings on the campus, former classrooms that later were used for district maintenance services and warehouse storage. The buildings are now vacant.

Art Castillo, deputy superintendent and finance director, recommended the board approve the abatement work this week, instead of opening it up to proposals, since the district had a state-contract company ready to go.

“I always hesitate with just taking the one bid from the one vendor,” Board Member Sammy Chavez said. “I’d like to see a competitor, particularly in today’s market where people aren’t working and they’re more apt to bid lower to try to get a job to keep their employees working.”

Castillo suggested by not approving the work this week the district is at risk of losing $200,000 appropriated by the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority for the abatement and demolition because the state will soon cut appropriations to lower its budget deficit. The buildings can’t be demolished until the asbestos is removed.

The board denied the award of the contract to the lone company and opened up the project for proposals to give a Belen company, Advanced Environmental Solutions, the chance to get the job, which it hadn’t been given through the procurement process used to secure the state-contract company.

“We have a local vendor,” Goldberg said. “I’m not saying to hire the local vendor or give them preference, necessarily, because I don’t want to get in trouble for saying that. But I would like to see them get a fair and equal shot at getting the contract.”

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