Santa Fe board reallocates $4 million from 2021 GO bond to Chaparral and EJ Martinez improvements

The Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education voted Dec. 10 to reallocate contingency and facility‑renewal funds from the district's 2021 general obligation (GO) bond to immediate improvements at the Chaparral and EJ Martinez campus.

Vice President Noble moved to approve the Citizens Review Committee's recommendation; the motion carried by voice vote. Executive Director of Operations Gabriel Mero summarized the CRC proposal, and CRC member Jessica Johnson Shelton told the board the committee had voted 8–1 in favor of the recommendation after an in‑person site visit.

The staff summary presented the following line items for reallocation: new furniture, $1,500,000; HVAC upgrades (phase 1), $2,000,000; turf fields, $600,000; and kitchen/cafeteria immediate needs, $900,000. Mero said most of the amounts would come from GO bond contingency funds, with the HVAC work funded from facility‑renewal funds in the same 2021 bond.

Shelton said CRC members emphasized the need for a long‑term plan for the facility and recommended using funds to benefit both schools that occupy the building in the event of future rezoning.

Board members asked about timing. Mero estimated HVAC work would start next summer and said furniture orders typically take three to four months for delivery. The board directed staff to proceed with procurement and implementation consistent with the approved reallocation.

The vote implements a short‑term funding strategy the board said is intended to address urgent facility needs while the district continues community engagement about the site's long‑term use.