Sequestration Won't Impact APS This School Year

However, the automatic federal budget cuts that are scheduled to go into effect Friday could mean millions of dollars in cuts on top of millions already anticipated for the 2013-2014 school year.

February 27, 2013

Automatic federal budget cuts that could go into effect Friday won’t have an immediate impact on Albuquerque Public Schools, though they could mean millions of dollars in cuts on top of millions already anticipated for the 2013-2014 school year.

If Congress fails to prevent a series of automatic budget cuts – called sequestration – before Friday’s deadline, Title I funding for public education will automatically be cut by 5 percent.

The state of New Mexico anticipated these possible cuts when funding public education this school year, so the sequestration won’t have an immediate impact on APS. However, a reduction in Title I funding for next school year could dramatically impact schools.

APS receives about $34.3 million in Title I grants. The mandatory reduction could mean about $3.6 million would be cut in federal funds for APS in 2013-14. Nearly two thirds of APS students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is the measure for identifying schools eligible to receive Title I funding. Seventy percent of the district’s schools are classified as Title I schools.

APS is already anticipating a budget shortfall of about $9 million for 2013-14. Though the state Legislature has proposed a slight increase in public school funding, expenses continue to outstrip revenue.

This would be the fifth consecutive year for budget cuts for APS. In the past four years, the operational budget for the district has been cut by $105 million and a reduction of 1,000 jobs.

Go here for more information on the APS budget. We will continue to update the budget webpage as more information becomes available.