SFPS returns to old athletics organizational structure due to budget constraints

Jun. 25—Farewell, on-site athletic directors at Santa Fe High and Capital High Schools.

Starting next week, Santa Fe Public Schools will unveil a reshuffled command structure within its athletic department. It is eliminating the AD posts at Santa Fe High and Capital in favor of current district AD Marc Ducharme overseeing the schools with athletic managers assisting him at each school. Meanwhile, Santa Fe High athletic coordinator Estrella Flores will transition to a familiar post — middle school athletic coordinator. She will oversee the athletic programs at the eight middle and community schools that field teams during the season.

Ducharme said the changes occurred as departments across the district are cutting their respective budgets to help address salary increases for teachers. In March, the state approved a new teacher pay structure in which annual base pay will increase by $10,000 for each of the state's three licensing tiers, as well as a 7 percent pay increase for education workers.

Ducharme said there is a possibility the on-site positions return in the future but did not guarantee they will return.

"With everybody getting 7 percent raises and the governor not giving us enough money for that, I guess, we had to look at where are we going to save money?" Ducharme said. "Every department has to hold their weight."

The move also came amid changes at Capital, which saw its athletic director, Charlie Bernert, leave at the end of the school year to pursue a job in Utah. Athletic manager Zeke Villegas also resigned after nine years at his post so he could focus on expanding his Northern New Mexico Children's Sports League. It started initially as a Santa Fe football league but has grown over the past few years to include most of Northern New Mexico and expanded into cheerleading, volleyball and basketball.

Ducharme said the league has become an important staple in offering Northern New Mexico children a chance to grow in those respective sports at a lower cost than club teams provide.

"We're not gonna have kids that are getting fundamentals who are going to be able to develop into our future athletes at the high school level," Ducharme said. "Plus, he gets the rules that these kids are going to have to learn, as far as eligibility and other things."

Flores is returning to a position she held from 2018-19 when the district had a similar organizational chart under then-district athletic director Larry Chavez, who is now the superintendent of the district. Flores said she does not see the new position as a step down but a new challenge she looks forward to tackling. She added her new schedule will not involve as many long nights as it did as Santa Fe High's athletic coordinator and it frees up time for her to focus on getting her master's degree in sports management and administration.

Flores' duties will include handling scheduling, the hiring of coaches for a variety of sports, hiring and paying officials and facilities oversight at each school.

Previously, the high school ADs also oversaw the athletic teams of the feeder middle schools for Santa Fe High and Capital.

"I feel like I'm a bit more focused," Flores said. "I might be working less with the high schools and more directly with the middle schools, but I am pretty excited about that. I feel like I am helping to work closer with the high schools by strengthening the middle-school programs."

As for Villegas' replacement, Ducharme said a recommendation has been made and an announcement should come in July.