[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5975151,"mediaKeyId","5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36","parentId",5819926,"title","Committee asks staff to track state-held PSAT appropriation; government affairs to follow up with PED","audioSeconds",194,"startMs",676000,"endMs",870000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36&start=676&end=870","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36/thumbnail_676000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5975151/New-Mexico/Committee-asks-staff-to-track-state-held-PSAT-appropriation-government-affairs-to-follow-up-with-PED","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975151-ba2f7e4f71a1020e344b5b28a7a5ec3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770807921&Signature=Kl~~dggB0rJ9KtB7pqXRnmz2g4r3bIIw9RPByXcM6PGehQQ5JXwS3erZ3h1UutRpflPIqrPlAqiRiiuqYAnkw3jzvDhbw94DzBHk6b~~9Zy36-g7f3SFBXPJGSlahkPDC~uFgciSToI11~dvLvAyYxNLhiTSyPQB~c-RLZDdzpTKOn2-DexXSBaAkNbmuv1adS~ld94~M4f9NSsgcdoDrildt9ixwGBLMRXzcy9NhbVDKIMtQLXrLcOVnQpvIuO5tkiXOPoEA8WcwFztA~oj8hcSvOrzlh8oz3dXuLVtO6lgZgK5f5o6MVRkOP8euboWz1SEB~GwHm98TU-mrk6Ryw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS","date","2025-09-24T14:00:33Z","article","During the finance committee's review on Sept. 24, board members asked staff to check the status of an appropriation intended to pay for PSAT test costs for district students.

Board member Heather Benavides said she believed the appropriation was \"about 1 to $2,000,000\" and described it as an appropriation that went to the Public Education Department (PED) rather than directly to the district. Benavides praised a student (identified in the meeting as Walter Bradford) who had brought the issue to the board’s attention.

District staff responded that the district's government affairs team is tracking multiple appropriations held at PED that have not yet been disbursed. Daniel Manzano (government affairs) told the committee the district was creating a running list of pending PED items and would research the PSAT appropriation's status and report back.

Why it matters: If PED holds an appropriation intended for local districts, the district must track disbursement timing to ensure students receive the benefit in the intended school year.

What’s next: Government affairs staff will follow up with PED and report the status of the PSAT appropriation to the committee; staff said they would add this appropriation to the list of pending items for ongoing tracking.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance Committee Meeting 9-24-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members raised a question about a PSAT testing appropriation they believed to be held by the New Mexico Public Education Department; staff said the appropriation is with PED and assigned government affairs to track disbursement and report back.","taxTitle","ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, School Districts, New Mexico","taxId",13253,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5975156,"Committee seeks clearer cash-disbursement reporting, asks staff for vendor-by-vendor contract-services breakdown",487,3004000,3491000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36&start=3004&end=3491","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36/thumbnail_3004000.jpg","/articles/5975156/New-Mexico/Committee-seeks-clearer-cash-disbursement-reporting-asks-staff-for-vendor-by-vendor-contract-services-breakdown","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975156-53685e89f5d70c09f91bb526750d9bbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770807921&Signature=eEeAUco9fb5zR4JQKlANxHSnIyk07cfzp52o9-urNV3VgmzMGaenmEStIwI6yqx01ylAsvH4MXB8kLnVG9NFeR55RQSq5H3f0D6ZkUm3OzeHE~M-YTstZebZ535RTxC~R-koIro0cdyYf5oClzCJJb0VKd4D4DJjvXWuMifM5W8-vBJnp1MxmtpUDqpqc64z3vFD9pcn26aZh25lujN7FkCUdkS~YKyURQIY9pUIlX5J~Rf8j-bGUkpXDeSW1xaTqTUEVtSxLKBVi72gbuuYGWuey0PFWhOJd-8NfQA-zFgrfV4X50xTYzmEJ3VYisPTwGLmkQVzJsO2HOjaIU2Z2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The APS Board of Education Finance Committee asked staff on Sept. 24 to provide more detailed cash-disbursement reporting after reviewing the August 2025 cash-disbursement materials.

Committee members said the packet’s summary and graph were a helpful first step but lacked sufficient detail for the committee's review of legal and contract-service spending. Chair Josefina Dominguez asked for clarification of legal expenditures listed under vendors such as Modrall Sperling and Walsh Gallegos and whether specific attorneys (for example, Kyle Robinson) were associated with particular invoices. She also asked whether there were board-related legal costs distinct from administrative legal spending.

Staff response and follow-up: Finance staff said the packet included a table and detailed voucher listing showing every check and vendor, and that more research would be required to connect individual checks to contract summaries. Staff said they can provide a board report distinguishing legal expenses and board-vs-administrative classifications. District finance officer Torgerson told the committee, \"We can provide a board report on that.\" The committee indicated it would submit RFIs for more granular information on contract services by vendor.

Why it matters: Committee members said they want greater transparency about how contract-service dollars are distributed among vendors and raised the concern that a small number of vendors may represent a disproportionate share of contract spending. Chair Dominguez asked staff to consider disaggregated displays that separate payroll from other expenditure types so contract-service spending by vendor is easier to read.

What’s next: Staff will prepare a follow-up report that breaks out legal payments, classifies board versus administrative expenses, and — at the committee's request — provides a vendor-level breakdown of contract services. The committee will use that information to determine whether further action is needed.","During review of August 2025 cash disbursements, the finance committee requested a follow-up report breaking out legal expenses, contract services by vendor and a distinction between board and administrative costs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5975162,"Finance committee reviews August inter- and intra-function transfers, emphasizes quarterly spend-down monitoring",438,467000,905000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36&start=467&end=905","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36/thumbnail_467000.jpg","/articles/5975162/New-Mexico/Finance-committee-reviews-August-inter-and-intra-function-transfers-emphasizes-quarterly-spend-down-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975162-a070927663bd684983fadda27680957e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770807921&Signature=XLhyCBjgI6TCTqUw3IF8104ieelyiKBbqc4VmYGkS~44hbu5qcXjQKIw~gclgb0Q9NWpcNvHihFw4xGoTmmMFNMslX4at3mOMIRkVnQIX4nYaCcikYolmH8pC1cidASMbKbKiwr4zBAFA82RhIv5CLFMkvw15Ey~zCO9wu04qO0TeXsvP9W-pa~fY4m8dZbMRrZ51S6j4IuOR3VLF4W8fi1z2hfjJKPF2abxbSv5STjY7GAt~-mOAC2KlJJYFr0FdI0AavhIMeBUmXT1KGtSGDler~iVynt3jh-nzSUAFhmODRz5Kf-6O9S8K-fHuJrINZADcisrhnKU9S0KteSZBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The APS Board of Education Finance Committee on Sept. 24 reviewed August interfunction and intrafunction transfers for grant and operational budgets and discussed the district’s process for monitoring grant spend-downs.

Renee Apodaca, Chief Financial Officer, presented the interfunction transfers for grant management covering August 2025 and described adjustments that included the reversion of Title funding tied to a federal freeze and unfreeze timeline. Apodaca said the transfers align funds in holding accounts to program priorities and approved application budgets.

Why it matters: Interfunction and intrafunction transfers move budgeted dollars between spending categories or functions and affect how schools and departments can use grant and operational funds within the fiscal year. Proper timing is critical to ensure federal and state funds are spent in the correct program year.

Discussion and follow-up: Committee chair Josefina Dominguez and other members asked whether the district is meeting spend-down deadlines for federal grants. Superintendent Blakey and finance staff said the district conducts quarterly spend-down reviews and that the first quarterly meeting for the year is scheduled for next month. Blakey told the committee, “we do have quarterly spend down meetings… the goal is that we remain on target, especially with Oracle coming on board,” and said staff are working with schools and departments to provide tools to track spending.

Committee members also raised a specific question about an appropriation for PSAT testing that had been discussed previously. Board member Heather Benavides said she believed the appropriation was “about 1 to $2,000,000” and described it as an appropriation routed through the Public Education Department (PED). District staff said the appropriation is with PED and that government affairs staff (Manzano) will track pending disbursements and report back to the committee.

What’s next: Staff committed to provide additional detail on spend-down status and to research the timing of specific expenditures where needed. If a board member requests a public discussion on a transfer or purchase, they were advised to follow the governance manual process to add it as a future agenda item or submit an RFI for staff to return with details.","Committee members reviewed August interfunction and intrafunction transfers and discussed monitoring procedures for federal grant spend-downs and quarterly reporting to keep funds aligned with program year needs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5975167,"Finance committee recommends consent approval of multiple multimillion-dollar district purchases",0,1217000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36&start=1217&end=1217","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5819926-c432fe36bc2ec0a1492806d4196c3f36/thumbnail_1217000.jpg","/articles/5975167/New-Mexico/Finance-committee-recommends-consent-approval-of-multiple-multimillion-dollar-district-purchases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975167-ff6747b7871a5ee9ba618dd972b7cce1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770807921&Signature=B7n9hn0AapDXIwmsctPztxA5hqoJaEyHN7FjTm8z-yP0cUaTg436p-FGoItjDbZivdjd9N~TE55OCU0vrkAIrQOAkE8ttItDu8Gb~RRhTSQ3kMZWT3qC6A6TIm2KWpDJIjvdHceg~LzfS8yQRiNmaQpvXBEy-gCs9y57zm6yVfKVTQBg8xCiPlBb82CdXKRRzpnBSwIsE8yw6iBdaJqSRdVSDz7x7JTuSNpwKRY85Ocjlv0gTo-xJGIP8x4QX7XiAnAAXg~MaLpr-1ilNtmy1fqb~kIaiGmzOALfAlRUrrwUxODdm-~83kVnJ4qYYmE7rIOx~1OEDE-C7IAFxzDDCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The APS Board of Education Finance Committee recommended Sept. 24 that the full board place a package of high-value purchases on the consent agenda, including vehicle, food, equipment and services contracts totaling several million dollars.

The recommendation bundles separate procurement agenda items so the full board can vote on them at the consent stage. Committee chair Josefina Dominguez, Chair of the Finance Committee, called for a motion to recommend consent approval; board member Heather Benavides made the motion and board member Reynaldo Tomorito seconded it. The committee approved the motion by roll call vote — Tomorito, Benavides and Dominguez each voted yes.

Why it matters: These awards commit district funds and establish multiyear contractor relationships for transportation, food services, facilities and arts instruction. Moving them to the consent agenda signals the committee's intent that the full board consider them without separate debate unless a board member pulls an item for discussion.

Key items the committee recommended to the consent agenda include:
- Purchase of six new buses (two 71-passenger and four 48-passenger) at an estimated $903,646 using New Mexico Public Education Department grant funds and district transportation funds; presenters: Antonio Gonzalez, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, and Royce Binns, Executive Director of Transportation Services.
- An $800,000 expenditure to procure New Mexico-grown produce for student meals under the state produce program, presented by Marie Johnson, Executive Director of Food and Nutrition Services; the presenters said federal funds would be used for the purchase and that procurement followed state procurement rules.
- A multi-award contract for appliances (commercial and residential) estimated at $4,000,000 over four years using capital and operational funds; presenters said this is an “as needed” contract with no guaranteed minimums for vendors.
- A six-year, multi-award office equipment contract estimated at $1,000,000 using operational, federal and capital funds; presenter Johanna King said local and regional vendors were represented on the vendor list.
- A three-year floor-covering installation award recommended to Harrison Contracting Company at an estimated $750,000 using operational, federal and capital funds; staff clarified the installation contract does not cover specialty gym-floor replacements, which require different contractors.
- An eight-year floor-covering materials (sales only) multi-award estimated at $2,400,000 using operational, federal and capital funds.
- A general landscaping on-call contract to support new construction and maintenance (amount not specified during the committee presentation).
- An eight-year, $1,600,000 estimated purchase for backflow products and supplies to protect drinking-water systems, using operational, federal and capital funds.
- A six-year, $1,200,000 estimated multi-award to contract with community dance studios for dance technique and instruction, using grant and operational funds; staff said contracts may support instruction before, after or during the school day depending on schools’ schedules.

Committee members asked operational clarifying questions during presentations: whether drivers were available for new buses (staff said yes), whether appliance vendors were guaranteed minimums (staff said they were not), and whether flooring installations included specialized gym floors (staff said gym flooring is a specialty handled under separate contracts). Staff repeatedly noted that all recommended procurements followed the New Mexico procurement code, federal uniform guidance and the district’s procurement policies and procedural directives.

The committee’s motion expressly listed each procurement item it recommended for the consent agenda; the items will appear on the full board consent agenda at a future board meeting unless a member requests removal.

What’s next: The full Board of Education will consider the committee’s recommended consent agenda at its next scheduled meeting, at which time any board member may request an item be pulled from consent for separate discussion.","The Board of Education Finance Committee on Sept. 24 recommended that the full board place a slate of high-value purchases — including buses, produce contracts, appliances, flooring and dance instruction — on the consent agenda for board approval.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee asks staff to track state-held PSAT appropriation; government affairs to follow up with PED

Committee seeks clearer cash-disbursement reporting, asks staff for vendor-by-vendor contract-services breakdown

Finance committee reviews August inter- and intra-function transfers, emphasizes quarterly spend-down monitoring

Finance committee recommends consent approval of multiple multimillion-dollar district purchases