The state needs to get its act together. The governor vetoed the state budget, and, thus, the the Los Lunas Schools aren’t able to finalize their budget. Figures aren’t available about per-pupil funding, which makes up a huge part of a school district’s budget.
“Is the governor prepared to sign the state budget in May?” asked Deputy Superintendent Bill Moffatt last week. “We don’t know what will happen. It all depends on what the state does. We could get more, or less, money.”
It isn’t just an inconvenience for the people who draw up the budget, but for the people who work for the school district. All of the district’s letters of intent for employment are contingent upon approval of the budget, Moffatt said. That means every employee of the district is left sitting there in limbo.
The University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus Advisory Board faced the same dilemma last week, but it passed a budget that didn’t reflect any salary increases for employees.
This is the first year Moffatt said he hasn’t had a budget that the school board could vote on and approve at this time. Next week, we’ll more than likely hear what the Belen Schools will be doing about the situation.
Even if what the governor gives the district is bad news, it’s better to have the real picture than it is to just wait for an answer. We need action — and the sooner, the better.
This is getting very old.
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 18, 2024
