- Superintendent of APS Scott Elder expressed gratitude:
Results of the just-completed election mean Albuquerque Public Schools will have the critical funds necessary to begin or complete school improvements across the city.
Scott Elder, Superintendent of APS, expressed gratitude on behalf of the entire district for yesterday’s election outcome, “It was important to get it passed. Our focus right now is rebuilding the norm of attending in-person school. We need our schools to be safe, comfortable and welcoming learning places. We are very grateful to everyone who voted to support our students, staff, and schools.”
Approval of the bond package means $630M generated over the next six years from property taxes will be used for various projects like air conditioning, heating, security, technology, leaky roofs, and in some cases, complete renovations of aging schools. Some of the 19 projects tied to the funds approved yesterday are already underway, while others are scheduled to begin by late spring or early summer. It is also worth noting that the measures approved will be a continuation of an existing tax, not an additional tax. That question may have been more of a concern given the economic conditions of the pandemic.
APS School Board Member Election
Ballots were also cast for four of seven APS school board members who did not seek re-election. The new board members will replace:
Lorenzo Garcia in District 3,
Candelaria Patterson in District 5,
Elizabeth Armijo in District 6, and
Dr. David Peercy in District 7.
The new all-female Board of Education will be a first for APS.
“I hope the public joins us in thanking the four outgoing board members, as well as welcoming their successors. Public schools rely on the time, dedication, and engagement of elected officials. School board members bring the concerns, expectations, and hopes of their constituents that guide everything we do,” said Superintendent Elder.
Newly-elected Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education members include:
District 3: Danielle M. Gonzales
District 5: Crystal Tapia-Romero
District 6: Josefina Dominguez
District 7: Courtney Jackson