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Board debates proposed change to donation policy that would let superintendent accept gifts under $20,000
Summary
At a first reading of policy K0850 the Taos Municipal Schools board discussed a superintendent authority to accept gifts and donations valued at $20,000 or less and asked staff to preserve board oversight while improving efficiency for smaller community donations.
The Taos Municipal Schools board heard a first reading April 16 on revisions to district policy K0850 that would let the superintendent accept gifts and donations valued at $20,000 or less and report those gifts to the board at its next regular meeting.
Superintendent Antonio Layton Jr. told trustees the change is intended to speed acceptance and use of modest community donations without bypassing board oversight. "What I would like to propose to the board is an update to the policy that would allow the superintendent myself to accept donations that would be 20,000 or less," he said during the presentation.
Board members raised concerns about preserving donor intent and public transparency. Several trustees and finance staff described frequent small donations from foundations and community groups — often a few hundred or a few thousand dollars — that can be delayed by the district’s current requirement to present every gift to the full board before acceptance. Staff said routine procurement and transparency rules still apply and that any donation could be returned at the board’s direction.
Discussion items included whether $20,000 is the right threshold, how gifts would be recorded and tracked in district inventory and property records, and how the board should be notified when a superintendent accepts a gift. Director of Finance Tanya Maestas told the board that recent donations in the district have tended to be well below the threshold and that $20,000 aligns with the district’s procurement authorization levels.
Trustees asked staff to clarify in the policy language that the board “reserves the right to direct the superintendent to return any gifts or donations accepted by the superintendent on behalf of the board,” and to ensure the superintendent’s acceptance would be followed by a report at the next regular or a special board meeting. The proposed revision would leave authority with the board for donations above the threshold and preserve the board’s ability to refuse or reassign gifts that do not fit district goals.
Because this was a first reading, no final action was taken; trustees requested staff return with updated wording and with precise cross-references to procurement limits so the board can consider final approval at a subsequent meeting.
