GMCS overall school grades rise above F’s

On Aug. 25, the Gallup McKinley County Schools Student Support Center boardroom at 640 Boardman Dr. was full for a second time in two weeks. This time, though, instead of a room full of tension, the meeting revealed the smiling faces of children and adults, along with frequent outbursts of applause.

The reason for such celebration, Superintendent Frank Chiapetti said, was that “we’ve raised the bar for our students and they have succeeded.”

Chiapetti was referring to the release of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test scores, which revealed consistent growth in student performance over the whole...

MANUELITO: Next meeting might yield decision

The Gallup McKinley County School Board took no action Aug. 24 on the job status of Superintendent Frank Chiapetti. A special meeting was held purely for closed-session purposes to discuss personnel matters related to the supervision, evaluation, and employment contract of the superintendent, as well as a report on personnel.

The meeting, conducted at the cafeteria of Tohatchi High School, the alma mater of board member Kevin Mitchell, went nearly four hours. Board members emerged from the meeting with a synopsis that wasn’t what those in attendance had expected.

“We talked about everything except the report on personnel,” Board...

Fact checks needed for recent dress-code comments by board members

Tensions ran high at the Gallup McKinley County Schools Board of Education meeting on Aug. 15 over a number of issues previously reported by the Sun. One topic loudly interrupted the school district superintendent when it solicited cheers and boos from audience members, and even a member of the school board.

The topic was about dress-code policies that are instituted and upheld at multiple Gallup McKinley County Schools at an autonomous level. Superintendent Frank Chiapetti clarified near the beginning of the discussion that most questions would be better posed to a panel of principals who all have different school...

No specifics given on change

Jennifer Lazarz, the manager of the city-owned and historic El Morro Theatre, is now the interim city tourism and marketing manager, officials confirmed. Klo Abeita, city human resources director, told the Sun this week that Gallup tourism and marketing manager Catherine Sebold departed the $63,000 job on Aug. 19. There was no elaboration by Abeita nor the city on why Sebold vacated the job.

“[Lazarz] will be performing the tourism manager duties until we fill the position vacancy,” Abeita said.

Asked if Sebold, who started the job in February of this year, resigned or was terminated, Abeita said, “It was the end of her at-will...