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Council approves consent agenda and multiple project awards, including Estancia and Hatch teacher housing
Summary
By voice vote the council approved the consent agenda and passed motions to move forward funding for Estancia Elementary and Hatch Valley teacher housing (with an amended local match), among other items; staff will revisit some local match reductions and sequencing questions.
The council approved the consent agenda by voice vote and took a series of project decisions and motions covering awards, match reductions and procedural follow up.
On the consent agenda PSFA staff summarized changes including an award language change for Navajo Pine High School, a systems award amendment for Zia Middle School and a construction funding plus state match request for East Picacho Elementary. The consent agenda passed with no roll‑call opposition recorded.
The council then voted on individual out‑of‑cycle items and subcommittee recommendations. Key outcomes included:
• Van Buren Middle School (Albuquerque) — the council approved the awards‑subcommittee motion to reduce the state participation to match the district’s current enrollment (324 students), to limit the admissible traditional classroom square footage and to rescind previously awarded design funding tied to a 650‑student expectation. PSFA staff said the council’s decision tracked past practice for graded participation levels and that APS may return with updated enrollment information or bond commitments.
• Estancia Elementary School — the council approved construction funding for a 301‑student elementary school. Staff recommended, and the council approved, a partial local match reduction totaling $7,685,978, producing a revised state match of $18,644,069 and a revised local match of $3,719,382.
• Hatch Valley teacher housing — staff presented a request to add construction funding for five modular teacher housing units and initially recommended a full local match reduction. Council members amended that motion to retain the district’s prior contribution (approximately $85,000) rather than a full waiver; the amended motion passed.
In several cases council members asked staff to revisit match‑reduction calculations where districts showed cash balances or recent bond proceeds, asking for consistent policies and additional staff work on waiver criteria. Staff agreed to return to subcommittee or to bring revised figures at the May meeting where appropriate.
Votes at a glance: Van Buren participation adjusted — approved (voice); Estancia construction funding and partial match reduction — approved (voice); Hatch teacher housing modular units with prior local contribution maintained — approved (voice); Consent agenda — approved (voice).
What happens next: staff will work with districts to confirm local contributions where staff flagged uncertainty, will return to subcommittee in cases where match reductions need recalculation and will proceed to finalize awards and contract steps for approved projects.
