Culinary teachers, industry leaders urge APS to release Perkins funds for CTE programs

Multiple CTE instructors and a state industry representative urged the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education on Oct. 15 to release Perkins grant funds they say are already designated for school programs.

"Career and technical education plays a vital role in helping students become career ready," Jerome Aragon, a ProStart teacher at El Dorado High School, told the board during public forum. He and other speakers said delayed funds are making it harder to run hands-on classes and competitions.

Catherine Lind, a culinary arts teacher at Atrisco Heritage Academy, said the Perkins grant has paid for transportation to Central New Mexico Community College and competition expenses, and that without the money "we cannot give them the full experience." She urged the district to "dedicate the money we can control toward the priorities we've identified and our students' needs."

Other teachers described program-level impacts: choosing which student competitions to attend, inability to buy groceries and small wares used in labs, and lacking funds to replace worn equipment in a 17-year-old facility. Jaden West of Albuquerque High said the grant aligns "precisely with the goals of our district" and called for prompt administrative work to access approximately $1 million he said was available to the district this school year.

Tom Shook, director of education for the New Mexico Restaurant Association and state ProStart coordinator, told the board ProStart provides direct pathways to the hospitality industry and postsecondary credit. He called it "a critical CTE and workforce development program" and said educators "cannot run their programs without" the Perkins funds.

Speakers repeatedly asked APS to reduce reliance on a single external grant by dedicating district funds to critical hardware, staffing, and competition costs. The board did not take action on Perkins disbursement during the meeting; the matter was raised as part of public forum and acknowledged later in the president's report.

The public forum also included other community remarks on facilities access and livestreaming quality, as well as comments referencing litigation and policies around bathrooms and sports, but the Perkins/CTE discussion drew the most sustained, organized testimony.

The board did not make a formal decision on Perkins funding during the session; staff and board members acknowledged the testimony and indicated they were working with administration on related issues.