NM announces extra money for schools that serve low-income families

Ryan Boetel, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

Jun. 14—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Seventeen Albuquerque Public Schools will receive money as part of a new state program that will send aid to public schools around the state with the greatest share of students from low-income families.

The Public Education Department on Monday announced how $15 million for the 2022 fiscal year will be divided among 108 schools statewide. The two-year program was authorized in legislation — Senate Bill 17 — which the governor signed April 5.

It uses a "Family Income Index," which was developed by the PED as well as the Taxation and Revenue and Human Services departments, to decide how much aid to send to different schools. The index is essentially the percentage of a school's students who come from families with a very or extremely low income. A family of four that makes $34,000 or less would qualify, according to a PED news release.

During last year's legislative session, PED officials asked that the state keep public education spending essentially flat at around $3.3 billion, and then create this pilot program that will funnel a total of $30 million in the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years to certain schools. The money must be used for math and reading support, hiring school counselors and social workers, creating family resource centers or other academic interventions.

"Unlike most programs that funnel money through school districts, the Family Income Index gets extra aid directly to the schools that need it most to offset the effects of concentrated poverty," Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said in a prepared statement. "Schools will use this extra funding expressly for evidence-based programs known to improve academic outcomes."

In Albuquerque, La Mesa Elementary, a school with 440 students and a .77 family income index in Southeast Albuquerque, will get the most assistance, $323,726. Atrisco Elementary School, a Southwest Albuquerque school that has an index of .63 and 285 students, will get $170,432.

Statewide, some schools with less than 50 students received $20,000. El Camino Real Community School in Santa Fe, which has 840 students, will get $434,174 — the largest single distribution, according to the PED.

The 108 schools that will benefit from the program this year are from 69 of the 89 districts in the state, and 10 of the 98 charter schools will also receive aid, according to the PED.