Hobbs board approves returning $160,351.50 in unused transportation funds to PED and OKs budget bars

The Hobbs Municipal Schools board voted May 19 to comply with a Public Education Department audit requirement and return a portion of unused transportation funds from the 2024–25 school year.

District finance staff told the board that PED requires the district to remit 50% of any unused transportation funds identified in the final audit. “You see there that we do need to send a remainder of $160,351.5 back to PED,” a district staff member reported during the business portion of the meeting.

Board members moved to consider the transportation cash-balance transfer and approved the motion by voice vote. A later agenda item presented by the district’s finance officer outlined three business items (A–C): consideration of April expenditures, consideration of investments and seven budget adjustment bars tied to the audit, including the transportation transfer. The finance presenter described each bar and said the adjustments were required to close out the prior year and recognize new-year funds.

A board member moved approval of the expenditures, investments and bars; the board approved the motion by voice vote. No named roll-call vote or individual tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript; the board approved both motions by unanimous voice vote as reported on the record.

The finance presenter also noted a separate informational budget report for April was provided to members for their review. The board did not request a line-by-line review at the meeting.