An amended school calendar and a $2.15 billion budget: What happened at school board last night

The Albuquerque Public Schools board voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a $2.15 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The final step is the New Mexico Public Education Department review.

The budget is a whisper of a decrease from last year’s $2.16 billion budget — APS officials said “there is no belt-tightening” in response to a board member’s questions.

Operations make up the largest part, representing almost half of the district’s entire budget. Of that chunk, the majority — about $830 million — goes toward personnel costs. The budget can support almost 4,900 teachers and more than 1,700 educational assistants.

Over the past decade, APS has seen decreasing enrollment — which means less revenue. In 10 years, the district has seen enrollment drop by about 20,000 students.

The budget has a $2.3 million deficit, which Rosalinda Montoya, executive director of Budget and Strategic Planning for APS, said vacancy savings can make up for. The deficit shrinks last year’s $4.5 million shortfall.

There are other differences from last year’s budget.

A contested PED rule approved earlier this year — and challenged in court in April — is built into the budget. APS spokesperson Martin Salazar said regardless if the rule, which would require students to be in class for 180 days, withstands the legal challenge or not, APS plans to follow it.

One of the most notable changes in this year’s budget is a 3% Legislature-approved raise in salaries across the board. It will cost $25 million to cover the 3% raise; about half of the $38 million increase in APS’s operational budget will go toward that.

Another addition is the state-funded universal free lunch program, which Salazar said is intended to “fill in the gaps so all students can eat for free.”

The district is also taking on an extended learning program which previously has been funded using federal funds.

Last year, the Transformational Opportunity Pilot Schools relied on federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. Schools can opt into extended learning time using the program.

But those dollars are running out — meaning the ESSER-funded TOPS program will now need to be absorbed into the APS budget. States need to commit the last wave of ESSER money by September this year.

That makes up $16 million in the budget.

Another increase is an additional $802,000 to expand annual music and arts programs to every elementary school in the district.

In other school board news:

Summer’s coming sooner

One more dog day of summer was added to the 2024-2025 school year.

School board members voted unanimously to make summer vacation come a little bit sooner. The original school calendar for the upcoming school year scheduled a full school day for May 30.

But, “in response to concerns raised about the last day of school being a full day, Acting Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey sought other options.” The amendment changed the last day from May 30, 2025, to May 29.

Students shouldn’t celebrate too soon, though. That last day isn’t gone; it was moved to Jan. 7, 2025, which was originally scheduled as a professional development day. Now, the professional development day will be May 30.

Bigger stake for schools

The board also voted ... in favor of voting. That is, the board voted to adopt a resolution that would give APS a voice, and a vote, in the Local Government Coordinating Commission, which includes the city of Albuquerque and the Bernalillo County Commission.