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Teachers, parents warn new Title I threshold will force teacher cuts at Albuquerque High
Summary
Teachers and parents at the March 5 APS Board meeting said a district change raising the Title I eligibility threshold from 50% to 60% will strip Albuquerque High of approximately $500,000 and four teacher FTEs, with additional projected staffing losses tied to enrollment projections.
Albuquerque High School staff and parents told the APS Board of Education on March 5 that changes to the district’s operational at‑risk and Title I allocation method will substantially reduce funding and staff at several schools.
Alicia Lopez, a special education teacher at Albuquerque High and an ATF federation representative, said the school historically qualified for Title I but lost that status under the district’s new fixed allocations tied to a 60% threshold. “As a result, we are losing half a million dollars and 4 teacher FTEs and an administrator,” Lopez said. She added that new district enrollment projections could lead to the loss of six additional teachers and two secretarial positions at Albuquerque High.
Teacher and parent speakers echoed concerns that the district’s poverty measurement — which they said relies on who receives public assistance — overlooks migrant families who may meet income criteria but do not apply for benefits. Courtney Fishhager, an Albuquerque High teacher and parent, said the district’s decision lacks transparency and will force needed staff reductions: “The threshold change is going to cost teachers their jobs,” she said.
Speakers asked the board to reconsider the shift from a 50% to a 60% threshold for Title I allocations and to restore allocations based on feeder patterns and a 50% threshold. Some commenters also tied the funding changes to broader policy and legislative pressures (HB 171), asserting the new method undermines supports required by the Yazzie‑Martinez litigation remedies.
Board response and next steps: The board acknowledged the testimony and said staff and administration would be engaged during the budget process. No formal budget allocation decision was made at the meeting; the FY26 budget calendar adopted at the meeting will guide further budget development and committee review.
