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Finance subcommittee highlights $3.5M unit-value boost and $36,000 Indian Education award in March BARS
Summary
LCPS staff told the finance subcommittee that a unit-value adjustment from the Public Education Department generated roughly $3.5 million to begin funding adopted instructional materials and that an initial $36,000 Indian Education Act award will fund a part-time liaison and tutoring supports.
At its March 12 meeting the Las Cruces Public Schools finance subcommittee reviewed budget adjustment requests (BARS) that included operational, federal, state and capital adjustments.
Melissa Zuniga, budget staff, presented eight operational bars and described a unit-value adjustment from the state. "This year we received an increase of 3,500,000; this money will be used to help pay for the adopted instructional materials for the Teaching and Learning Center," Zuniga said. She told the board that staff order materials through the TLC but that instructional materials will be distributed to classrooms.
The subcommittee reviewed six federal bars that include transfers and a Title I decrease of about $211,000 to align budgets with final award notices; staff said the reduction would not affect classroom supplies because Title I retained more than $2 million in balance. Zuniga also described an increase tied to a 'Stronger Connections' grant to fund additional compensation for sets of teachers and counselors at multiple sites.
On state bars, the committee heard about an initial $36,000 award under the Indian Education Act. Zuniga said the funding will be used to contract tutoring services and to support a part-time Indian Education liaison who will run tutoring Wednesday and Thursday nights and support summer programming in coordination with NMSU students. Dr. Lozano confirmed the district has previously supported liaison work using other grant resources and said the award will help continue part-time support for students who identify with tribal nations.
Capital bars included two maintenance items and an SB9 state-match increase to fund districtwide supplies and materials and technology needs such as wireless access points. Zuniga and budget staff said some purchases will be ordered early so teachers have materials before the next school year begins.
The subcommittee voted to forward the BARS package to the full board as part of the consent recommendations.
