Educational leaders say the short-term future of New Mexicoâs public schools revolves around two words: hold harmless.
The terminology refers to school districtsâ push to keep funding levels based on an average of the past three yearsâ budgets, rather than enrollment figures from the 2020-21 school year â a time when public schools have seen thousands of students withdraw during the COVID-19 pandemic.
âWeâre looking for stability,â Dennis Roch, president of the New Mexico Superintendentsâ Association and a former state representative, told members of the Legislative Education Study Committee on Wednesday.
A drop in funding in the 2022 fiscal year will leave school districts âscrambling this spring to reduce staffing to get down under the new budget numbers,â Roch said, adding that when the pandemic subsides and students begin returning to schools, âWe will have to scramble to staff up to accommodate their needs.â