ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Public Schools Board approved its operating budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The board, at its meeting on Wednesday, also made changes to the 2025 calendar.
Budget approval
The $1.02 billion budget includes a 3% raise for staff. Money will also be used to continue the Transformation Opportunity Pilot Schools (TOPS), which increases instructional time for students in schools. The district also set aside funding to expand the fine arts program at elementary school.
Story continues below
Podcast: Sheriff making real time crime center with new Bernalillo County tech investments
Trending: VIDEO: Victim of May road rage incident records encounter
Community: Albuquerque teen wins contest for dog toy invention
The budget passed the board unanimously and now heads to the state Public Education Department for consideration.
Calendar changes
The APS Board altered the school year calendar after learning that some families and employees were not satisfied with the current schedule.
In 2025, the last day of school will still be a full day, but it will be Thursday, May 29, instead of Friday, May 30. To accommodate the change, the professional development day that had been planned for Jan. 7 will now be held on Friday, May 30, 2025.
APS said the change will give students an earlier start to summer break, and will allow teachers to focus on packing up their classrooms and handling other end-of-year tasks on that day.
Also under the revised calendar, students will wrap up winter break and begin the second semester on Jan. 7, a Tuesday, rather than Jan. 8.