Taos board approves FY2026–27 municipal and charter budgets after calls for earlier board input

The Taos Municipal Schools Board of Education voted May 27 to approve the fiscal year 2026–27 municipal budget and the TA Charter School budget after presentations from the district finance director and charter business managers.

Dr. Reineer Martins presented the municipal budget and described the state budget process and required budget‑adjustment requests (BARs). He said finalization depends on state unit (SEG) certification and the district’s cash projections. Vice President Spray and other board members requested clearer short‑account explanations (a decoding of account strings) and earlier, more inclusive budget review opportunities; board members suggested quarterly budget or budget‑committee meetings to provide more board input before final votes.

TA Charter School director Jeremy Jones and business manager Mike Vhil presented the charter budget, which they said is balanced to meet constitutional requirements. Jones said the charter lost one staff position as a result of recent policy changes that increase employer benefit contributions (from 60% to 80% for some benefits), and business manager Vhil noted rising health insurance and risk‑premium costs.

Superintendent Leighton and Dr. Martins recommended approval of both budgets. The board approved the municipal and charter budgets on roll‑call votes with all members present voting yes.

Why it matters: approving the budgets enables district payroll and operations to proceed on July 1 and sets the spending framework for schools, but board members signaled they want greater transparency and earlier engagement in next year’s budget cycle.

Next steps: district staff will file budget documents with the Public Education Department as required and administrators said they will provide clearer account‑string explanations and consider regular budget‑committee check‑ins.