APS Measures Performance

By AMY MILLER Journal Staff Writer

It’ll soon be easier for parents to know whether the money spent at their child’s school is improving academic performance.

Albuquerque Public Schools’ budget for the 2007-08 school year shows how much money will be spent on students at each school, along with standardized test scores.

“We want to measure the performance of our dollars,” APS chief business officer Bill Moffatt told board members. “Now we have a baseline to start looking at.”

The Albuquerque school board approved the district’s $923 million budget Wednesday. It will now go to the state Public Education Department for approval.

The student performance data is particularly useful, said board chair Paula Maes. “We’ve never had that kind of information before,” she said.

The district increased funding to schools by 8 percent. Schools will get $172 more per student this year, up from $3,446 last year.

The district will also hire eight full-time nurses and 13 middle school math coaches.

The budget provides for state-mandated salary increases. All personnel will get an average 5 percent pay raise. Principals will get an average 2 percent raise.

The district’s most experienced and educated teachers will now earn at least $50,000 as the final phase of the threetier licensure system.

The district also set aside $2.5 million for new school startup costs as it prepares to open nine new schools in the next five years.

Member Martin Esquivel said he’s concerned that only some schools have computer techs. He asked administrators if there’s a solution.

“If you don’t have the personnel to service computers, what good are they?” he said.

(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.