News
Human-Caused, But How, Exactly?

Teen Gives Cash To Victims of Trigo Fire

Diner at the End of the World

Median Breaks Sought Along I-40

Talking Can Start Healing Process

Services May Stay at San Antonito

Man Helped Spearhead Moriarty Skate Park

After Trigo Fire, Concern Is Now Flooding

Pandemic Flu Plan Prepared

Mill Levy Renewal Voters Allege Coercion

More
News

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, February 28, 2008

District Enrollment Shrinking

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
    The final numbers for the Moriarty-Edgewood School District's enrollment will be collected on March 3, but at this point it doesn't look good.
    Enrollment has continued to drop at the same rate as it has for the past several years, according to associate superintendent Mike Reese.
    In a report he presented at the School Board meeting on Feb. 19, Reese added that the decline is almost exactly as projected last year.
    "Unfortunately we're pretty good at guessing at a bad number," he said.
    Funding based on enrollment is determined on the average of enrollment numbers on the 80th and 120th day— which is March 3— of the school year.
    An estimate of that number, based on enrollment taken on the 80th and the 112th day is 3,583.
    If those numbers stay consistent until Monday, there will be a loss of nearly 189 students from last year.
    Reese said there are more specifics to work out, but the expected decline may cause about a 5 percent deficit in part of the district's budget.
    One projection of that deficit showed a $930,000 loss in funding. The solution may be a reduction in staffing and teachers, Reese said.
    "What we're talking about is a shrinking bottom line," Reese said.
    There is still hope that there will be a surge in enrollment due in part to almost 500 new jobs created for the newly constructed Wal-Mart in Edgewood. Because of the way enrollment is taken, those hopes will not likely make a difference in next year's budget, however.
    In addition, Moriarty Middle School is ranked very low on the state's Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC). In fact, it is 20th out of 100 in the state, according to Couch.
    That may not be such a bad thing. The low ranking will likely be used to argue for funding from the PSCOC to build a new school, Couch said.
    "Typically, if you're rated in the top 25, it's a slam dunk," she said.
    Additional funding is also coming to the school in the form of general obligation bonds. An election for $18 million in bond money was held on Feb. 12 and passed by about three to one. That margin was the same in polling places in Edgewood and Moriarty, according to Couch.
    Also discussed at the board meeting was how the money will be spent.
    The first bond sale, to be held in the next month or two, is expected to be around $7 million. The remaining money will be distributed evenly over the next three years.
    In anticipation of the bond passing, a request for proposals was sent out for a contractor to work on Moriarty High School's football field prior to the election.
    The work requested includes taking out the grass, shaping the field and replanting it.
    The board approved the low bid of $53,650 sent in by Mountain West Golfscapes of Peralta, New Mexico. There were only two responding companies for the board to choose from and the other bid was for about three times more money.
    The work may be started just after the end of school, so the field can still be used for graduation ceremonies.
    The board discussed another project that may be necessary prior to work on the field: a new well and pump station.
    According to Joe Butler, the school's athletic director, the field will need more water as the grass is getting established. The concern is that, without a new system in place, there will not be enough water.
    Other bond projects discussed were re-roofing and paving projects for all eight schools in the district.
    Replacing the cafeteria tables, which were a source of complaint from the district's two elementaries, was also discussed. New tables would cost between $24,000 and $28,000 per school, according to Couch.
    She said that a discussion of a four-year plan for bond projects should be scheduled within a month.
    "What we're talking about is a shrinking bottom line."
    MIKE REESE, ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT