Deming superintendent: 80th‑day enrollment steady, some staffing gaps persist as district outlines outcome goals
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Summary
Superintendent Wolgamuth told the board Dec. 18 that 80th‑day membership held at 4,692 (down 17 from last year) and kindergarten enrollment rose by 17. He flagged about 26 open positions—including seven special‑education vacancies—and outlined proficiency and attendance targets tied to a proposed school improvement framework.
Superintendent Wolgamuth reported the district’s 80th‑day membership for 2025 was 4,692, compared with 4,709 the previous year, a change he described as smaller than earlier projections that had anticipated a drop of about 44–50 students.
Wolgamuth said the district’s 80th‑day membership drives state funding and that “the more stable those numbers stay on the eightieth … the more stable our funding will stay.” He noted kindergarten enrollment increased from 345 to 362, a rise of 17 students.
On staffing, Wolgamuth and human‑resources staff told trustees the district currently has roughly 26 positions open, including about seven special‑education vacancies. He said some of those openings reflect routine midyear resignations and retirements, and staff are working to fill positions.
The presentation moved from enrollment into district outcome targets. Assistant director Wyman described how the district sets summative goals: for early grades the target is an ambitious 60% proficiency goal with schools asked to plan for year‑over‑year increases; for grades 6–12 the emphasis is on maintaining proficient students and meaningfully advancing roughly 30% of students who are 'nearing proficient.' Wyman added that different assessments are used at different grade bands (K–2 assessments vs. NMSA for grades 3–8 and the SAT at grade 11), which affects how goals are measured.
Trustees and staff also discussed attendance measures. Wolgamuth explained that chronic absenteeism is reported on the state report card and that campuses set targets accordingly; as an example, Deming Intermediate’s overall absence target was described as 6% (a 94% attendance target).
Board members asked for community‑friendly reporting and suggested focusing on a small set of measures that show growth and are easy for families to track. Wolgamuth said the district could present proficiency and growth measures, and described plans to refine which measures are published to the community.
The superintendent framed the enrollment and outcomes material as the starting point for a strategic plan the district will refine with stakeholders in the coming months.