Portales schools officials expecting rise in operating budget

Despite a decreasing student population, Portales schools are expecting a 14% raise in their operating budget for the 2023-2024 school year, Sarah Stubbs, director of finance, told the Portales Municipal School Board on Tuesday.

The board unanimously adopted the $35.5 million tentative budget Stubbs presented on Tuesday, which now must receive review and approval from the state Public Education Department.

Stubbs said the operating budget is increasing despite an expected dip in student population for the 2023-2024 school year, due largely to salary raises of at least 6% offered to school employees authorized by state legislation.

The school district's 434 employees include 176 teachers, Stubbs noted.

The $35.5 million budget for 2023-2024 is about $4.2 million, or about 14% higher than the $31.1 million the district is expected to spend for the current school year, Stubbs said.

The state's annual allocation to schools, measured in points, which is based on a per-student scoring system that includes add-ons for some special student needs and programs, has risen by more than 14% for the current school year and for 2023-2024, Stubbs said.

The total number of student points for the current school year is 2,560 but is expected to drop to 2,503 in 2023-2024, Stubbs said.

Another factor in salary raises is that the school year will be three days longer in 2023-2024, because of state requirements to add hours to the school year.

Stubbs said more than 85% of the budget is in salaries and benefits for all school employees, and about 15% is for all other expenses.

In addition, there will be increases of 7.4% in medical insurance costs and the minimum pay level for educational assistants has been raised to $25,000 a year.

In other action Tuesday:

• The board set Nov. 7 as the date for school board elections. Three of the five board positions will be on the ballot, including the District 1 seat held by Board President Rod Savage, the District 2 seat held by Board Vice President Inez Rodriguez and District 5's seat, held by Dustin Cabeldue. Also on the ballot is a 1.5-mill bond levy, to help fund district technology needs, Superintendent Johnnie Cain said.

• The board approved the salary schedule for 2023-2024 that includes 6% raises, increases in medical insurance coverage and the new minimum wage for educational assistants.

• The board authorized Rick Segovia, Director of Federal Programs, to seek more than $437,000 in federal funds for elemnatry school fine arts education programs.

• The board also authorized Segovia to apply for $1.9 million in federal Title I programs, which fund salaries for reading and reading intervention programs, summer school tutors and wi-fi systems, and $130,000 in federal Title II funds for professional development programs and supplemental salary funds that allow smaller class sizes.

• Approved a contract extension for Woodard, Cowan and Co. of Portales to continue as the school district's auditing firm. New state rules allow the firm to stay on for more than the three years allowed under previous regulations, Stubbs said.

• Sara Hunton, the district's literacy coach, presented results of teacher coaching programs in the current school year, using video interviews of children who benefited from reading interventions.

• Blair Fowler, Portales Junior High's choir director, led the Portales High choir in a selection, and the board recognized their April 15 state championship among 4A high school choirs.

• The board named Portales High seniors Cody Webster and Rae Ruiz as winners of school board scholarships of $500 each, and Haley Disney as winner of a $300 Dupey Scholarship, a longstanding annual award.