Commentary: Last week, the entire Floyd School Board was suspended by the Public Education Department (PED) for refusing to follow state mask guidelines. This week, PED announced that former Las Cruces Superintendent Stand Rounds will serve in their place until further notice.
Senator David Gallegos (District 41-Eddy and Lea) issued the following statement regarding Mr. Rounds' appointment:
“Mr. Rounds is an honorable man and a gifted educator. However, I am deeply troubled that a duly-elected school board can be removed without statutory standing and replaced with an unelected individual with no association or stake in the district. The appointment of Mr. Rounds, who lives in Las Cruces and serves as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Superintendents’ Association, demonstrates that PED has no interest in respecting the right of parents and students in Floyd. I hope the Floyd School Board is swiftly reinstated with full authority so they can return to serving the needs of their community.”