Right-Sizing

Right-sizing is the process of looking at how APS can better align its schools, programs and resources with the number of students we serve today and expect to serve in the future.

APS has been losing enrollment for many years. In 2018, APS served nearly 84,000 students. By the end of last school year, enrollment had fallen to just under 64,000 — about 20,000 fewer students.

Enrollment is projected to continue declining, although at a slower rate than in recent years. That means we need to plan for a district serving fewer students than it did in the past.

Two primary factors have contributed to the decline:

• Birth rates in Bernalillo County, as in many parts of the country, have declined.
• New Mexico continues to lose families with school-age children to other states.

These trends are expected to continue, which means APS needs to plan for a smaller student population in the years ahead.

Nearly one in four APS schools serves fewer than 250 students, and about one in six operates at less than half of the number of students it was designed to serve.

The picture isn’t the same everywhere. A handful of APS schools are full or close to full.

Finances are part of the challenge. Many of the costs of operating schools don’t decrease when enrollment declines, while maintenance and construction costs continue to rise. APS also spends about $50,000 a day on utilities.

But this conversation is about more than finances. When enrollment at a school becomes very small, it can be harder to provide the same range of programs, services and staffing. Students may have less consistent access to programs and supports, fewer electives and fewer opportunities. Staff may have to divide their time among schools and have fewer opportunities to work and plan with colleagues.

No. No decisions have been made, and APS has not developed recommendations.

We are starting with the community — before recommendations are developed — so your ideas, priorities and concerns can help shape what comes next.

School consolidations could be one option, but they are not the only possibility.

Other options could include boundary adjustments, learning centers, specialty and magnet schools, early childhood centers, career and technical education hubs, shared campuses and services, or new uses for school buildings.

There may also be ideas we haven't considered yet. That’s why APS is starting with community engagement before recommendations are developed.

Yes. As enrollment and community needs have changed, APS has made changes to schools and found new uses for some buildings.

For example, former school buildings now serve as homes for the Public Academy for Performing Arts, Albuquerque Sign Language Academy, an APS Early Childhood Center and APS International High School. Taft Middle School also became Coronado Dual Language K–8 School.

Those experiences have taught us that these conversations need to begin early and include the people most affected.

Families, students, employees and community members will have opportunities to participate through community meetings, small-group conversations and online feedback.

We want to understand what people believe APS should prioritize as we plan for the future, what concerns they have about possible changes, and what opportunities or ideas they want us to consider.

Feedback gathered throughout the process will be included in an independent analysis.

Our planned timeline is:

October–January: Listen

• Community meetings
• Small-group conversations
• Online feedback

February–March: Review

• Identify themes
• Priorities
• Ideas

Later This School Year: Report Back

• Share what we heard
• Discuss possible next steps

Once community engagement is complete, APS will provide the feedback we receive to an independent third party, which will analyze it and identify common themes, priorities and ideas.

Later this school year, APS will share the results with the Board of Education and the community and discuss possible next steps.

Any recommendations would come after this community engagement, and any decisions would happen later through a separate, public process.