New Mexico Schools To Get almost $100 Million
Ten New Mexico school districts will receive nearly $97 million in state funds for the design and construction of school facilities, David Abbey, chair of the Public School Capital Outlay Council, said today.
The state capital outlay funds will be matched with district funds totaling $90.6 million for projects in the Raton, Ruidoso, Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Clovis, Gallup, and Mountainair districts and at the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and New Mexico School for the Deaf.
The council awarded the funds to school districts last week under the council’s standards-based process – a procedure that prioritizes the facilities with the greatest need, Abbey said.
“While there is no substitute for a high quality teacher in the classroom, the environment is also important,” he said. “New Mexico’s children deserve to learn in a safe and healthy physical environment; classes should add to our children’s education, not detract.”
Abbey noted the Mountainair school district, awarded $4.8 million to replace buildings at the junior/senior high school, is receiving an award for the first time. In addition, while a charter school in Carlsbad has received a standards-based award, this is the first time the district is receiving construction money for a traditional school. Carlsbad is receiving two awards totaling about $5.3 million for elementary school construction.
The Gallup school district, awarded the largest amount, is receiving more than $33 million for a new, single elementary school to replace Lincoln and Roosevelt elementary schools and for new facilities for Thoreau Elementary School. The second largest award, $20 million, is going to the Clovis district to replace buildings at Parkview Elementary School. Raton is receiving the third largest award: $14.2 million to build a new, single elementary school for students from Columbian, Longfellow and Kearny elementary schools.
The state funds public school capital outlay by issuing bonds on severance tax revenue related to oil and gas extraction.
Under state law, all districts are eligible for state funds but voters must approve property taxes to raise a matching amount. The level of the match varies with each school district. The matching formula takes into consideration the assessed value of properties in the district, property tax rates and other factors that affect the school district’s ability to pay for new construction.
In addition to the design and construction money for school districts, 10 district schools received $7.4 million for roof repair and replacement, the last awards for that program unless reauthorized by the Legislature, and 95 charter schools received $14.3 million in lease payment assistance. Together, the council awarded $118.6 million to charter schools and school districts.
The Public School Capital Outlay Council includes the directors of the Legislative Finance Committee, Legislative Education Study Committee, Legislative Council Service and Construction Industries Division; a representative from the governor’s office; and the secretaries of the Department of Finance and Administration and Public Education Department. Other members of the council are representatives from the New Mexico School Boards Association and the Public Education Commission.
-30-
