Additional Details

Special Board of Education Meeting

AGENDA

Friday, March 15, 2013

7:00 AM

DeLayo-Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown NE

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Minutes of Special Board of Education Meeting

Albuquerque Public Schools

A Special Board of Education Meeting of Albuquerque Public Schools was held Friday, March 15, 2013, beginning at 7:00 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE.

I.      Call to Order

A.     Roll Call

Present: Dr. Analee Maestas, Kathy Korte, Lorenzo Garcia, Martin Esquivel, Steven Michael Quezada, Dr. Don Duran and Dr. David Peercy

B.     Adoption of the March 15, 2013, Special Meeting Agenda (Discussion/Action)

Kathy Korte motioned to adopt the agenda. Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion. Board members unanimously adopted the March 15, 2013, Special Meeting Agenda.

II.     Consideration for Approval of Recommendations for the FY 2013-2014 Budget (Discussion/Action)

Don Moya, chief financial officer, and Ruben Hendrickson, executive director of Budget, Planning, and Analysis, reviewed the details of the budget process, pending legislative issues that will impact the budget, and current and future APS obligations that will impact the formation of the budget.  Board members were asked to reflect on the information presented and give APS leadership direction so the initial stages of the budget process could begin with budget calls to schools.  Mr. Hendrickson recommended that it would be better to create a strategy reviewing possibilities on the cost side of the equation while the revenue side is pending approval from the governor.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Recommendation from the administration and support from board members for a 5-year strategic budgeting plan to build sustainability
• Continued hiring for new schools is not possible because closing schools may be a possibility.
• Support for continuing the fine arts program, but understanding that some large urban districts are taking drastic cuts in this area
• Impact of enrollment, the pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) waiver, necessary hiring if PTR waiver is not extended, unknown cost of implementing common core, lowering or removing the payment for retiree life insurance premiums, efficiencies implemented, hiring freeze and who would be affected, reduction of staff at schools, reducing the availability of cash, restructuring of school boundaries to be in PTR compliance, and  the goal to lower PTR with the understanding that PTR needs to be 15:1 to make significant impact
• Review savings from past years of cuts and reorganization
• APS has done more with less, but it can no longer continue this process of absorbing costs
• Support for middle school principals and for more nurses and counselors
• Clarification of board staff requests defined as board member requests for changes to resolve district issues
• Proposal to incentivize teachers at highest performing schools to   move to lowest performing schools
• Transportation costs and changes requested by vendors
• Request more details about budget options at the next full board meeting
• Concern that employees may get one percent raise, but will be quickly taken up by costs such as raising medical insurance
• Recommendation to lease school sites to magnets and charters

APS leadership requested direction from board members, but no vote was needed at this time.  Board members will be presented with progress on the budget process at upcoming board meetings as information becomes available.

III.    Announcement of Upcoming Board Meetings

President Esquivel announced that the next Board of Education meeting will be Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., in the John Milne Community Board Room.

IV.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 a.m.

APPROVED: ____________________________

Martin Esquivel, President

ATTEST: __________________________________

Steven Michael Quezada, Secretary