The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education will discuss the expected budget decrease for fiscal year 2024-2025 at its regular meeting Wednesday night. The district’s budget office is projecting that the budget will drop about 12.3% to $1.9 billion from $2.167 billion for the current fiscal year.
Superintendent Scott Elder said that the decrease is largely due to the end of an annual federal pandemic relief grant; that amount is $242 million for 2023-2024.
In his weekly message, Elder said that the pandemic aid went toward one-time expenses, not recurring needs that would require new funding after the federal money ran out. However, he said, the budget cuts will still mean tough choices for district leadership.
Those choices, Elder said, come down to identifying programs that will be supported from the regular budget and which APS can’t afford to continue.
Also on the agenda:
- A closed-door executive session to discuss litigation against the district related to the sexual assault of a student by a former elementary school teacher. Danny Aldaz is serving a 57-year prison sentence after his convictions on two counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 and two counts of criminal sexual contact. The New Mexico Open Meetings Act permits a governing body to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation with attorneys but any actions taken regarding the litigation must be approved by a vote in open session.
- An update on the district’s investment program for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024.
- The purchases of buses and other vehicles.
- Boards Association’s 2024 Excellence in Student Achievement Award.
- A discussion in executive session to discuss strategy for collective bargaining negotiations as allowed under state law.
The meeting is at 5 p.m. in the John Milne Community Board Room at district headquarters, 6400 Uptown Blvd. It will also be live streamed at aps.edu