APS finance committee reviews intrafunction transfers, cites contracting due to limited in‑house HVAC capacity

The Albuquerque Public Schools finance committee on June 25 approved intrafunction transfers for May that reclassify funds across accounts to meet last‑minute operational and grant needs and discussed the district’s reliance on contractors for certain maintenance work.

CFO Reanetta Apadaka explained the grant‑budget transfers: in one example, $300,000 was moved from compensation to contract services to align funding for summer‑school bus routes. "We are aligning the budget to support summer school bus, student bus transportation routes," Apadaka said.

For non‑categorical operational funds, Executive Director David V. Hill told the committee that a large share of the transfers funded HVAC maintenance and repairs and reflected that the district lacks the in‑house staffing to accomplish all year‑end work. "We used a lot of vacancy savings from positions that weren't currently filled to contract services in order to get those maintenance and repairs done," Hill said. Hill and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Gonzalez said the district’s in‑house HVAC technician team is small — "in the neighborhood of 5 to seven" — and post‑pandemic market rates have made hiring difficult.

Board members asked staff to provide specific account numbers and details for significant transfers, and they asked for the exact count of in‑house HVAC/plumbing staff; staff said they would follow up in writing. The committee also reviewed lists of equipment and portables slated for disposal and heard a list of obsolescent items (computers, gym equipment, smartboards, special‑education devices) and portables that are fully depreciated but may remain in service until decommissioned.

The committee approved forwarding action items to the July 1 board meeting and completed roll‑call votes for the day's motions.