Finance subcommittee recommends board approve budget adjustments, property dispositions and $10.45 million in vendor payments

The Las Cruces Public Schools Finance Subcommittee voted unanimously among present members to recommend that the full board approve a consent package of budget adjustment requests (BARs), property dispositions and vendor payments following a review of the supporting materials.

Chair Karen Wofford called for the committee's recommendation and Member Tenorio moved to send the items to the full board; the motion carried on a voice vote with four members voting in favor and none opposed. The recommendation covered operational, federal, state and capital BARs across multiple funds, property dispositions for surplus school equipment, and the monthly vendor payments report.

Why it matters: The packet included transfers and maintenance BARs affecting school sites and departments, federal grant alignments and two capital items. Recommending these items moves routine but budgetary and procurement decisions to the board for final approval and keeps district spending and asset management on schedule.

Key details - Non-payroll disbursements for August were $10,449,843.88, of which $3,149,012.46 (30.1%) were checks and $7,300,831.42 (69.9%) were ACH payments, according to the presenter of vendor payments. - The BARs reviewed included 10 operational bars (six transfers, four maintenance), 11 federal bars (including initial budgets and transfers for homeless education, CTE community-project funding, and Title II alignments), five state bars (including aviation program and outdoor learning at Las Cruces High), and two capital BARs (a Tonana parking lot and furniture for Highland Elementary). Presenters said the federal CTE funding was a congressional community project intended to support CTE equipment and that the aviation program funding typically supports about six to ten students per cohort. - Property dispositions listed surplus technology and furniture from multiple school sites, including Desert Hills Elementary School, Highland Elementary School and Organ Mountain High School.

Vendor-payment questions and responses Committee members asked about several vendors and purchases. The presenter said Crayon Software covered a Microsoft district renewal and Riverside Technology covered a purchase of 500 Lenovo laptops targeted to Title I-identified students and schools. Carahsoft payments were for cloud-server renewals. A purchase of parts for a welding trailer was described as supporting career-technical education competition teams. The committee also asked whether poultry products used in district meals were fresh or processed; Nutrition Services staff said the chicken products from supplier Rich Chicks are fully cooked and minimally processed, while some locally sourced beef arrives raw and is fully cooked by Nutrition Services staff.

Vote and next steps Member Tenorio moved and the subcommittee voted to forward the BARs, property dispositions and vendor payments to the full board for action. The recommendation passed 4-0 (Member Frank: yes; Member Tenorio: yes; Chair Wofford: yes; President Court: yes). The full board will consider the items at its next meeting.

Ending The subcommittee completed its agenda items and adjourned after the recommendation. Staff said audit and grant-reporting work will continue, and the items recommended will appear on the board consent agenda for final action.