Enrollment in Albuquerque Public Schools is expected to drop — again — for the coming academic year.
School board members will meet Wednesday to face numbers that show a projected enrollment of 64,995, down roughly 2% from the 66,321 students this year. Since 2016, enrollment will have fallen by 20,341 students (or about 23.8%), if the projection is accurate.
District staff say enrollment dropped by 5% in 2023-2024, when a 2% decline was expected. The difference is a $2.5 million reduction in revenue from the state.
Budget discussion set
The Board of Education will also hear an update on the 2024-2025 spending plan.
Rennette Apodaca, the district’s chief financial officer, and Rosalinda Montoya, APS’ executive director for budget and strategic planning, will also update board members on the status of the fiscal 2023-2024 budget.
The update will include a discussion of how APS will spend Title I money. That category, named for its place in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, is supplemental federal funding provided to allow schools to meet the needs of high-poverty students.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
WHEN: 5 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: John Milne Community Board Room in the APS district headquarters at 6400 Uptown Blvd
Also discussed will be Title III spending, which is used to assist those learning English, and the budget for language and cultural equity instruction.
The only action item on the agenda is the consideration of the nomination of Atricso Heritage Academy High School senior Angelina Olivas for the New Mexico School Boards Association 2024 Student Scholarship.
On the consent agenda
- A proposed application for Ventana Ranch Elementary School to the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.
- A reorganization application that would split the part-time credit-recovery program from the full-time school at eCademy High School.
- The approval of an application for state money for bilingual multicultural education programs for fiscal year 2024-25. No dollar amount is listed in the agenda, but the application says APS expects to have 8,730 students enrolled in the programs.
The full agenda can be found here.
We need to decrease the number of administrators and get those educators into our classrooms concentrating on core subjects with “No fluff.” Relacement for lost revenue should not be taken from student’s classrooms, food, sports, art, music, etc.
APS A DRAIN ON THE TAXPAYER NEEDS TO BE REORGANIZED!