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Board roundup: Santa Fe school board adopts 2026‑27 calendar, accepts FY2025 audit and designates Gonzales a School of Innovation
Summary
At its March 26 meeting, the Santa Fe Public Schools board adopted the 2026–27 calendar, accepted the FY2025 financial audit with a clean opinion and noted four audit findings, approved declaring four acoustic pianos surplus, nominated a student for the NMSBA scholarship, and designated Gonzales Community School as a School of Innovation.
The Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education took several administrative and policy actions March 26, including adopting the 2026–27 school year calendar, accepting the district’s FY2025 financial audit, and approving several agenda items from the consent calendar.
Calendar: Deputy Superintendent Romero presented the proposed 2026–27 calendar, which the district said reflects 173 instructional days and 182 teacher contract days (including professional development, planning and parent‑teacher conferences). The district reported 1,848 survey responses on start‑date options (1,235 parents/guardians and 764 staff) and the committee weighed scheduling, finals timing and testing windows before recommending the presented calendar. The board adopted the calendar as presented by voice vote.
Audit: Auditors from Jaramillo Accounting Group presented the FY2025 audit and reported an unmodified (clean) opinion on the district’s financial statements and federal awards. The auditors said the district had four current findings—negative cash balances and activity funds, budgetary overages, compliance items related to the School Personnel Act, and ERB contribution rate errors—but that the district cleared a prior finding on financial close and reporting. The board moved to accept the audit.
Schools of Innovation: The board designated Gonzales Community School as the district’s first School of Innovation and approved a phased, three‑year plan focused on expeditionary learning and community partnerships. Principal Chris Lopez described a planning year followed by phased implementation designed to increase engagement and stem middle‑grade enrollment decline; board members praised the plan and noted anticipated costs in the low six figures over three years.
Other actions: The board approved a resolution declaring four acoustic pianos surplus and nominated Ayesha Santos (Capital High School) as the district’s nominee for a New Mexico School Boards Association 2026 student scholarship.
The board also pulled consideration of an ATEC Security contract from the consent agenda for later review and discussed an estimated $500,000 increase to the substitutes contract to cover higher substitute usage this year.
Next steps: The board set dates for follow‑ups on several items, including a request for a future update on bus driver routes and availability and a study session on finance in mid‑April.
