This story was originally published by City Desk ABQ.
Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education is building on its success of asking for community input as officials begin the process of building the district’s fiscal 2024-2025 budget.
APS board members say they are focused on improving student outcomes. “Part of that commitment means adopting an annual budget that will create the conditions for the school district to accomplish the vision for what the community wants students to know, otherwise known as the goals, while honoring the values of the community, which the district has listed as its guardrails,” according to the Board’s invitation.
APS used public input campaigns recently to adopt new goals and guardrails in early 2023. The district asked to hear from the public again during the process of selecting a new superintendent this year. Now, the public is invited to attend two forums on the district’s plans for spending more than $900 million for the next school year.
“The board is enthusiastic about ensuring that you have a say in the 2024-2025 APS budget so it truly mirrors the visions and values of the community,” the press release said announcing the forums on the district’s website.
District spokesperson Martin Salazar said that the forums are being publicized through several channels, including the website, APS’ biweekly newsletter and social media. Board Services, he said, has created an invitation that will be sent out to tens of thousands of contacts.
Salazar said he expects to see public input take on a greater role in future APS decisions.
“Our board of education is very interested in involving the community in decisions it is making,” he said.
Community members seem to be up to the challenge—Salazar said that a recent survey regarding the upcoming academic calendar drew some 13,000 responses.
The public forums are scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE and Feb. 28 at Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School, 6811 Taylor Ranch Dr. NW.
Each forum will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a drawing and prize giveaways at the end of each event.
For those who can’t make it in person, the Feb. 26 forum will be live-streamed and posted on the APS Board of Education YouTube channel. Spanish and sign-language interpretation will be provided, and anyone needing translation in another language is asked to submit a request by email boarded@aps.edu.