APS looking to extend school year

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A proposal to extend the school year for Albuquerque Public School students district-wide may have summer vacation plans shortened or even canceled for the upcoming school year. The proposal would extend the school year by 10 days, but some school parents say they aren’t on board.

“I’m not for the extended school year academically. I don’t believe my children would benefit from anything with the extended school year,” said APS parent, Dorthy Trujillo.

APS school board president, Yolanda Montoya Cordova, says the board will discuss the proposal at the Wednesday night meeting, to go over all the options and how they will benefit teachers, staff, and students. Right now, nine schools in the district are participating in the extended learning program and if this proposal was to move forward, it would apply to every school in the district.

The extended learning program would require students to start the first day of school on July 27 and end on May 25. Opponents say families and teachers value their summer break to recharge and refresh. Some even say with the summer temperatures, it’s too hot to start the school year in July which could be disruptive.

Montoya-Cordova says the move poses some benefits to the district with the monetary incentives the district would receive. “The predominate budget that we have with APS goes to staffing goes to teachers, it goes to the people that we need to to do what needs to be delivered to students so all of those services and supports inside a classroom it could be additional funds to help us with the academic year.”

The additional funding the district would receive would equate to $42.6 million for those extra 10 days of instruction, or $600 per student. The public is invited to weigh in on the proposal at Wednesday’s board meeting at 5 p.m. They can join either in-person at APS headquarters or online. The last time this issue was discussed, 80 percent of parents who were polled were against extending the school year.