APS school board elects new president, swears in new members

New APS school board members sworn in

Albuquerque Public Schools formally welcomed three new board members and elected a new president Wednesday night

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education elected a new president and swore in three new board members Wednesday night.

The board elected Danielle Gonzales its new president. Voters elected Gonzales to the District 3 school board seat two years ago.

Janelle Astorga, Ronalda Tome-Warito and Heather Benavidez were sworn in after their recent election. The board elected Tome-Warito vice president and Astorga secretary.

Tome-Warito is an educational consultant and longtime advocate for children with disabilities and Native American students.

Benavidez is the leader of a disability advocacy nonprofit and a former magistrate judge. Her husband, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Chief Judge Joshua J. Sanchez, swore her in.

At age 26, Astorga is believed to be the youngest board member in APS history. She is the co-director of the Learning Alliance of New Mexico.