Brooks warns of cuts at APS

Posted at: 10/20/2009 12:43 PM | Updated at: 10/20/2009 1:07 PM
By: Eyewitness News 4

APS Superintendent Winston Brooks

The head of New Mexico’s largest school district says if a proposed 3 percent cut to education is passed in the special session, APS would have to look at cutting jobs and closing schools.

Those are some of the consequences Superintendent Winston Brooks says are possible if Albuquerque Public Schools looses funding.

Rio Rancho Public Schools is also preparing for budget cuts. In a letter to parents, the district says it is preparing to trim up to $5 million.

The district has already increased class sizes, limited supplies, turned off lights, and school principals and secretaries are filling in as substitute teachers.

Gov. Bill Richardson said he is willing to go as far as a 1.5 percent cut to education, but won’t budge any more. He says government must curb spending in other areas.

“I have taken a number of measures to cut state spending,” Richardson said. “Salary cuts have taken place with some exempt employees, out of state travel, spending for contracts we have cut down, agencies have reduced their budgets. We are going to have to do that more.”

Some Republican lawmakers want to cut the governor’s 500 exempt employees by more than half.

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