Deming Public Schools reviews struggling Child Development Center; board considers closure, staffing and repurposing options

Deming Public Schools board members on Thursday spent extended time on the future of the district—s Child Development Center, hearing from the center—s director about licensing requirements, staffing shortages and a tight funding picture that officials said may make the program unsustainable without additional support.

The presenter said the center opened in November 2023 after grant-funded start-up work, but the district cannot use certain K–12 operational funds to support an early-childhood program. "The district could not financially support us because it was not a K–12 program," the presenter said, explaining that state funding rules and licensure limit how the district can apply standard operational dollars to the center.

The center was designed as a Montessori dual-language early-childhood program and initially targeted birth-to-3 enrollment and teacher-retention goals. Presenters and board members outlined multiple obstacles: - Licensing and training: The center is in the New Mexico ECECD rating system and must complete extensive online training hours, parent conferences and observation cycles to raise its star rating.…