APS Seeking Input on Next Year's Budget

Board hosting Listening Tour sessions on Oct. 24, 28.

The APS Board of Education, Superintendent Gabriella Blakey and the district’s Finance Department are inviting the public to offer input into the 2025-26 APS budget.

The board’s Listening Tour will be held at two sites in late October as Albuquerque Public Schools begins making plans for the 2026 fiscal year budget. Elected representatives in the seven APS board districts believe they can better serve students – and make the best use of the public’s money – by getting the thoughts of parents, students, and the public as they begin making plans for the next school year.

Crafting the district’s budget is a months-long process and must be completed by the spring to present to the state Public Education Department. Exactly how much money APS will receive is a moving target, largely dependent on the 2025 state legislative session, but officials believe priorities can be set ahead of time by listening to the public.

The district’s budget for the 2024-2025 school year was $2.1 billion. Operational spending is about $1 billion; the rest goes to capital projects, debt service and grants.

“We believe the public can be partners in the budget process, and we’re looking forward to getting as many ideas as possible as we embark on the process for the next school year,” said Superintendent Gabriella Blakey. “We want this to truly be a listening session so our board and staff can get a sense of what the public wants and needs for their schools.”

Event dates are:

• Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5-6:30 p.m., at Berna Facio Professional Development Center, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE. This session will be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel. 
• Monday, Oct. 28, at Jimmy Carter Middle School, 8901 Bluewater NW, from 5-6:30 p.m.

“We are excited to hear from the community and get thoughts and ideas about how the 2025-26 budget should be crafted,” said APS Chief Financial Officer Rennette Apodaca. “We will be there to answer questions to the best of our ability, and we look forward to gaining insight about how the budget can better serve the students of the district.”