APS board should be applauded for school consolidation

On a narrow 4-3 vote the Albuquerque Public Schools Board voted to shut down Taft Middle School next year. As is typically the case there was a lot of “outrage” about this decision from families and employees as well as the minority on the Board. But it was the right move. And, it is something that needs to be done with more frequency at APS. The student population at APS has declined dramatically in recent years.

And the situation shows no signs of turning around in the years to come (according to data presented below from the National Center on Education Statistics):

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe (which unlike APS doesn’t have a nearly unlimited supply of money) recently closed Our Lady of Fatima school. More public and non-public schools are going to have to close because New Mexico is seeing a downward trend in its youth population. Part of this is a global phenomenon of declining birth rates, but New Mexico has also seen an outflow of families and young people thanks to bad economic, education, and crime policies that put us at a disadvantage when compared to our neighbors.

At least the APS board took action. More such actions will be necessary in the years to come.