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Santa Fe Public Schools board debates FY27 operating budget and cash reserves; approves several budgets and contract awards
Summary
Board members spent hours on the FY27 operating budget—discussing a $153M revenue baseline, $156.24M in proposed spending that would use about $2.4M in cash for nonrecurring items, and whether to approve before union negotiations—then approved several routine budgets and contracts.
Board President Noble called a detailed review of the Santa Fe Public Schools proposed FY27 operating budget on Thursday evening, after staff laid out a baseline revenue estimate of roughly $153 million and a multi‑step spending plan that rose to about $156.24 million when board-priority items and one‑time initiatives were included. The superintendent and finance staff told the board they planned to use roughly $2.4 million of the district's cash balance to cover nonrecurring items and bridges to state funding increases.
The budget presentation, led by district finance staff, explained multiple funds beyond the operational budget and walked through pupil transportation, student nutrition, grants (mostly reimbursement-driven), capital-outlay awards and the debt-service fund used to pay bonds sold earlier in the evening. Director of budget Regina Mosqueranes and the district’s budget lead outlined that the operational baseline of about $153 million covers recurring obligations; additional step requests for behavioral initiatives, restorative justice, athletics and summer school pushed the total toward $156.24 million. Finance staff also said about 103 teachers are expected to advance a salary level, an item they plan to bridge with cash until teacher-cost-index funding is realized.
"We're committed to not sending a single penny, you know, we're going to keep what they sent us," one finance presenter said when describing the plan to manage transportation and other grant funds and to avoid unnecessary reversions of cash to grantors. Several board members voiced concern about approving a budget without the consolidated roll-up they are accustomed to seeing. "I have asked that we can look at the slides from last week because I'm not really, frankly, comfortable adopting a budget where we don't see what's in our budget," the board president said during questioning.
Board members pressed staff for program-level roll-ups (arts, curriculum, athletics and per-site line items) and for a clearer sketch of how the district expects to spend cash down toward policy targets. Staff described a multi-part approach: (1) present a concise operational roll-up in a near-term meeting, (2) add detail on programmatic line items and (3) use the budget-adjustment-request (BAR) process to reflect negotiated salary outcomes once union talks conclude. The superintendent proposed moving the next meeting to May 26 so staff can present the consolidated roll-up and allow board members two extra days to resolve questions before the June 1 deadline to submit budgets to the Public Education Department.
On related business the board approved several action items on the consent and action agendas, including the FY26–27 budget for the Academy for Technology and the Classics, renewal of the Fine Arts Education Act application, awards to multiple vendors in an invitation-to-bid for construction supplies, districtwide audit-services procurement and the consent agenda (which included a Santa Fe High synthetic turf and running-track replacement contract). Motions carried with aye votes recorded; no roll-call names were recorded in the transcript for the routine approvals.
The board's discussion focused on three choices: whether to adopt the proposed figures now with staff committing to produce a more detailed roll-up; whether to delay adoption to await negotiation outcomes; and how much cash to earmark for nonrecurring investments while maintaining a prudent reserve. Staff committed to produce the requested roll-up for the board's next meeting and to use BARs to reflect negotiated changes once they are finalized.
The board also discussed the substitute-services contract in place (ESS), noting a higher fill rate under the existing contract and that the agreement runs through the current year with limited option extensions; staff said they will study options for bringing substitute services in‑house and prepare a timeline and cost estimates.
The board scheduled a follow-up meeting for May 26 to consider a consolidated roll-up and finalize the budget submission. The meeting adjourned after routine agenda items and committee nominations were addressed.
