NEW MEXICAN PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING: ARE WE DOING ENOUGH? By Kalina Leisey

WHY DO SCHOOLS NEED MORE FUNDING? Many schools are in poor conditions There is a small amount of teachers Most schools are in need of new equipment A school on a reservation had no fire alarms (Barker) “New Mexico devotes less than 45% of its $6.2 billion budget to education” (Williamson)

WHY AREN’T SCHOOLS GETTING FUNDED NOW? New Mexico's poverty rate is second highest in the nation and the state has failed to account for that in its school funding (Williamson). New Mexico’s government funding went down $874 in 2008 (Leachman and Mai) and has gone down every year since because of its small population. Other services, like public transport, construction, etc. are also in need of funding.

IS ANYTHING ALREADY BEING DONE? Santa Fe Public Schools, Gallup-McKinley County School District and Moriarty-Edgewood School District all sued the state for lack of funding last year which was the third lawsuit filed that year (Williamson). The trial is still on-going, but many people have gained awareness of this problem and the demand for funding is ever-growing.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The education of children should be one of the most important things to be funded because it’s our future we’re funding. We should be giving these children good educations since this generation will soon be running our world. It may seem like it’s only taking away new books this year, and light bulbs next year, but next thing you know, you’ll be wishing those fire alarms had been working.

WORKS CITED Barker, Larry. "The Most Dangerous School in America?" KRQE News Nov Web. 8 Feb Leachman, Michael, and Chris Mai. "Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 20 May Web. 1 Jan May, Jay F. "Charter School Funding: Inequality Expands." 1 Apr Web. 1 Jan Williamson, Richard. "New Mexico Schools Sue for Higher State Funding." 20 Oct Bond Buyer. Web. 8 Feb. 2015