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APS board increases superintendent's compensation following evaluation
APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey walks through the halls during her visit to Garfield STEM Magnet and Community School on the first day of school on Aug. 7. The board increased compensation in her contract Wednesday.
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The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education has increased the compensation package in Superintendent Gabriella Blakey’s contract, but did not give her a pay raise.
Wednesday night, the board voted unanimously to increase the district’s contributions to her retirement account by 4% and provide her with additional life insurance. Her salary remains at $295,000.
The increased compensation is due to her leading the district to stay on target with the board’s goals set in 2023 of improving student academic performance, according to Board President Danielle Gonzales.
“I would say it was a unanimous decision, and the board concluded that the superintendent is making meaningful progress towards all student outcomes goals,” Gonzales said. “We had discussions and agreed that she’s demonstrated a strong commitment to our students.”
The board extended her contract in February through June 2028. She was hired as superintendent in July 2024.
“We’ve worked hard over the last 15 months to implement the changes needed to move the needle for our students, and we will continue that hard work,” she said in a statement to the Journal.
According to the district, the superintendent did not request a salary increase. She remains the highest paid person in APS.
She also did not get the 4% raises that all other APS employees received after the Legislature passed raises for education employees.
Discussions on her evaluation took place behind closed doors Wednesday night during the executive session portion of the board’s meeting.
APS is the largest school district in New Mexico, serving around 64,000 students. Blakey is the district’s 30th superintendent.
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“Dr. Blakey’s collaborative leadership has helped drive meaningful gains in reading and math across APS,” Board Member Heather Benavidez said. “While we celebrate this progress, we recognize there is still important work ahead to ensure every student benefits from these advances and reaches their full potential.”
