COVID-19 cases rise at Santa Fe Public Schools
May 21—Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Hilario "Larry" Chavez gave staff and families a grim reminder this week the coronavirus pandemic is not over: Since May 2, the district has counted 103 cases.
"We have seen an uptick of COVID, not only in our schools but in our community and in our state," Chavez said at a school board meeting Thursday night.
He said 13 percent of the cases in May were contracted on campus and 73 of them were infected students.
He urged students and staff to use hand sanitizer and masks.
The district's drive-thru testing site on La Madera near Aspen Community School is still open, Chavez said, but the district's testing contract ends June 30.
The district may have to pay for the testing program, Chavez said, as it remains uncertain if the state will continue to cover testing costs.
Santa Fe Public Schools also may host vaccine clinics over the summer for students ages 5 to 11 who are now eligible for booster shots, Chavez said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday urged families with children in the age group who completed their first round of vaccinations at least five months ago to get a third shot from Pfizer.
In New Mexico, only 32.3 percent of children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
Also Thursday, board members Kate Noble, Sarah Boses and Sascha Anderson chose to delay approving a $301 million operating budget for fiscal year 2023 and asked for more specifics about the plan, such as details on programs and professional development.
Members Rudy Garcia and Carmen Gonzales were not present.
"We have a financial framework here that is how it works structurally for the district," Noble said. "I can see the frame ... but I"m really struggling seeing what we do, what's changed from one year to the next, how some of these things we've talked about through the years are carrying on or not."
The board will likely hold a special meeting next week to hear a revised presentation and may seek public comment on the budget before then.
