APS Announces Community Meetings on Right-Sizing

District invites public input on facility planning and resource allocation amid declining enrollment.

Albuquerque Public Schools is launching a series of community meetings running from October through January to gather public input on how schools can best serve students today and for years to come.

Enrollment at APS has declined over several years, resulting in a number of schools and facilities operating significantly below their intended capacities. As part of planning for the future, APS is asking families, students, district employees and community members to share what priorities should guide decisions regarding schools, academic programs and district resources. 

Community Meeting Highlights

The public listening sessions begin next week, starting with a session on Monday evening:

• Cibola High School, cafeteria, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Del Norte High School, cafeteria, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Eldorado High School, cafeteria, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Highland High School, cafeteria, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Berna Facio Professional Development Center - Meeting for those who speak Arabic, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Swahili and Vietnamese (6 p.m.) and Spanish (6:30 p.m.), Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
• Manzano High School, cafeteria, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Rio Grande High School, cafeteria, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Valley High School, cafeteria, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, 6 p.m.
• Albuquerque High School, theater, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027, 6 p.m.
• Atrisco Heritage Academy High School, cafeteria, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027, 6 p.m.
• Sandia High School, cafeteria, Monday, Jan. 11, 2027, 6 p.m.
• Volcano Vista High School, cafeteria, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027, 6 p.m.
• West Mesa High School, library, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, 6 p.m.
• La Cueva High School, PAC, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027, 6 p.m.

Sharp enrollment declines

The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education approved a resolution in September to launch a districtwide public engagement process on facility and enrollment planning, initiating conversations on how to address years of sharp enrollment declines.

No decisions have been made regarding school closures, consolidations or boundary changes. Instead, the resolution authorizes a series of community meetings to gather input from students, families, staff and community members before any formal recommendations are crafted.

The initiative comes as APS grapples with significant demographic shifts. In 2016, APS served about 84,000 students. By the end of last school year, enrollment had fallen to under 64,000 — a loss of roughly 20,000 students.

The drop is primarily due to declining birth rates in Bernalillo County and families with school-age children moving out of state. Although district projections indicate enrollment will eventually level off, student populations are expected to remain substantially smaller than in past decades.

Student impact

The sharp drop has left many schools underutilized, directly impacting the day-to-day student experience. Roughly one in six APS schools operates at less than half of its intended capacity — making it increasingly difficult to offer comprehensive programming and robust campus environments.

Operating under-capacity facilities presents significant financial and operational challenges that draw resources away from classrooms. APS spends about $50,000 daily on utilities alone, amid rising maintenance costs and an uncertain financial outlook marked by the expiration of pandemic relief funding, volatile state revenues and increasingly unpredictable federal funding.

Smaller student populations negatively impact student opportunities and learning experiences. When schools are very small, students lose out on dedicated, full-time specialized staff — including counselors, librarians, nurses and art or music teachers — who are frequently forced to split time across multiple campuses. Extremely low enrollment also limits access to extracurricular activities, electives and teacher collaboration, leading to unequal access to vital support services and well-rounded enrichment.

APS is not alone in these challenges. School districts across the country are facing similar enrollment shifts and taking on right-sizing and closure initiatives to preserve educational quality and equitable student resources.

District leaders have pointed to past campus repurposing efforts as examples of potential options, such as converting underused facilities into early childhood centers, dual-language academies, or specialized high schools.

Under the proposed timeline, community feedback collected through January will be reviewed during the winter. District staff expect to return to the board in early 2027 to present the community's priorities and discuss possible next steps before any specific proposals are drafted.