Hobbs board adopts 2026–27 budget after updated state funding figures

The Hobbs Municipal Schools Board of Education approved the district’s 2026–27 budget on June 11 after staff reported updated state funding calculations that raised the operational fund total from the figure the board saw in April.

Mr. Lashway, who presented the budget packet that was delivered to trustees that day, said the change resulted from K–12 unit funding adjustments submitted to the Public Education Department. "Once that got all plugged into the formulas, we went from the $178.1 million operational figure to roughly $182.5 million," Lashway said, characterizing the change as a roughly $4 million increase and explaining the board needed to act that night to meet PED deadlines.

Lashway reviewed the packet’s fund-by-fund breakdowns and noted several state and federal program lines are still being finalized by the department, including the title III bilingual entitlement. He said the district expects an entitlement near $450,000 when PED opens that program for entry; until then that amount remains unentered in the ledger and the budget will change accordingly.

Board members emphasized that the higher operational-fund total does not translate to immediately available spending beyond the reserves the district maintains. A trustee noted the board originally built the budget on a lower operational baseline and that the district maintains an operating reserve (discussed in the packet) of roughly $40 million that is included in the total figures but not available for routine spending.

After discussion, the board approved the budget on a roll-call vote; the clerk called each member and the vote was recorded in the meeting transcript.