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Residents and state representative press Santa Fe district for GO bond transparency and fixes at EJ Martinez relocation
Summary
Public forum featured multiple speakers urging the board to be transparent about the proposed GO bond allocation—especially a $35 million administrative facility line item—and raised urgent safety and building concerns about EJ Martinez students now housed at the Chaparral campus; parents asked the board to prioritize Midtown school investments.
Several public commenters at Tuesday’s Santa Fe Public Schools board meeting urged greater transparency about the district’s proposed 2025 General Obligation bond and pressed the board to accelerate repairs and long‑term planning for Midtown schools.
State Representative Tara Lujan (House District 48) told the board that spending decisions should focus on classrooms and direct student services, citing the Martinez‑Yazzie litigation’s emphasis on classroom resources. “I implore you to reevaluate how we're spending those or asking our taxpayers to spend their dollars,” Lujan said, noting the bond proposal lists a $35 million allocation for a centralized administrative facility that she said should be reconsidered.
Several parents and residents raised building safety and capacity concerns after EJ Martinez was moved into the Chaparral campus. Dominique Romero, a Chaparral parent, said Chaparral has absorbed EJ Martinez but that the host school deserves recognition and continued support. Kimberly Novowill and Anthony Will, both parents of EJ Martinez students, appealed for urgent attention to safety and maintenance at the Chaparral site and asked the board to prioritize a permanent Midtown elementary facility rather than short‑term band‑aids.
Jennifer Khan, a community member who addressed the bond campaign, asked the board to include a clear, public itemized breakdown of the bond—dollar amounts and percentages by category—so voters understand what each line will fund.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said the CRC and staff are working on contingency and prioritization plans for the EJ/Chaparral site. No formal board action to change the bond scope was made at the meeting.
Speakers’ requests varied from immediate repairs at the Chaparral campus to a broader public transparency campaign outlining how GO bond dollars would be allocated; several asked that funds redirected from the district’s EJ allocation be used for long‑term, rather than temporary, Midtown investments.
