Central Consolidated board approves $77.2 million FY26-27 operating budget amid enrollment decline

At a special meeting, the Central Consolidated School District board approved the fiscal year 2026–2027 operating budget and Form 901B-10, adopting a $77,223,434 spending plan that shifts a larger share of revenue into instruction and student supports.

Stacy Gallagher, presenting the district’s preliminary budget, said the district has about 4,064 students on the 120‑day count and roughly 850 employees. Gallagher said enrollment has fallen about 493 students since 2023–24, with steep declines at some schools (for example TBA from 404 to 218 and Nuka Mid from 164 to 83). Gallagher attributed much of the loss to jobs and housing that have pushed families to relocate to places such as Farmington, Gallup and Phoenix.

“Even with those drops in enrollment and the legislative mandates, we were able to take our projected revenues for next year and allocate them for an increase in instructional funding and support services,” Gallagher said, noting the district expects instruction’s share of spending to rise from roughly 59.2% to about 61.19% in FY26-27.

Gallagher also told the board the district supplemented food services with about $1,000,000 last year because state and federal revenue was not sufficient; she said the district hopes those revenue streams will cover the line next year but that staff will monitor and adjust if needed.

In the presentation, Gallagher highlighted assessment gains across grade levels — for example, third‑grade reading up 16 percentage points and math gains as high as 31 points in sixth grade — which she tied to increased instructional investment. She also described recent facilities and outreach work, including marketing billboards, building painting and new lighting projects at Kirtland and Newcomb.

After presentations and questions from board members about student loss and local economic pressures, the board moved into an executive session to discuss limited personnel matters and collective bargaining as permitted under the New Mexico Open Meetings Act. After reconvening, the board took a roll‑call vote to approve the FY26‑27 budget.

The board did not provide a specific timeline for major capital projects described in the presentation; administrators said some projects will be coordinated with partners such as NTUA. The board president declared the budget approved on the roll call vote and moved on to other agenda items.