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Board approves Fine Arts Education Act application for 2025–26
Summary
The board voted to submit the district's Fine Arts Education Act application for 2025–26; the program funds elementary arts and music specialists, professional development and partnerships such as the Santa Fe Opera and Kennedy Center initiatives.
The Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education approved submission of the district’s Fine Arts Education Act (FAEA) application for the 2025–26 school year at its May 12 meeting.
Kurt Schmidt, executive director of fine arts, presented the FAEA application and explained the program funds arts and music instruction at the elementary level (K–6), professional development for teachers, student performances and partnerships. Schmidt said the FAEA is not a competitive grant but a statutory appropriation administered through the Public Education Department; the application documents how the district will use the statutory multiplier to support services and supplies.
Schmidt told the board the formula uses the unit value (projected next year at roughly $6,800), the district’s 80/120-day average enrollment (projected at 8,036 students) and the FAEA multiplier (0.055) to calculate funding. Schmidt said the funding supports salaries for elementary art and music specialists (11 art teachers and 13 music teachers reported in the application), stipends for band and orchestra and arts-integration workshops. Schmidt also described partnerships that the funding supports, including student opera productions and work with the Kennedy Center and the Santa Fe Opera.
Board member Jessica Tyler moved to approve the application; Jeff Morgan seconded. The motion passed on a 5–0 voice vote.
District leaders said continuing FAEA support is critical to sustaining arts instruction and related partnerships at the elementary level.
