Members of the Local Government Coordinated Council pressed Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) staff to appear at a future meeting after representatives for the Academies of Albuquerque did not attend Thursday’s session.

Chair Adrienne Barboa said the county runs the Youth Services Center but APS provides the education component. Barboa told the council she had been told a supplemental school that helps students re-entering regular schools after detention — referred to in the meeting by variants of the name “Lehi school” or similar — was slated to close or to shift to fully online instruction. "I don't think this is the population we should be chancing that with," Barboa said, arguing that students exiting detention often need more hands-on, in-person support to rejoin regular schooling.

Why it matters: Council members said in-person supports can be important for students returning from juvenile detention and asked APS to explain any changes before they are finalized.

What council members requested
Barboa said she would invite APS Superintendent Marco Harris and other APS officials to the next LGCC meeting to answer questions and asked staff to follow up. The council agreed to request that APS clarify whether the supplemental school will remain open in person, move online, or be replaced by another form of transitional education, and to ask how APS will support students transitioning back to regular schools.

Ending: The LGCC did not take formal action; members asked staff to seek APS participation at the next meeting and to bring back clarifying information on the education services provided at the juvenile Youth Services Center.