Across the country, school districts are facing declining student enrollment and confronting difficult questions about how to best use their schools and resources. Our state’s largest district, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), is no exception.

In the 2013-2014 school year, APS served nearly 90,000 students. By the end of last school year, enrollment declined to fewer than 64,000.

This significant decline has left many schools serving far fewer students than their buildings were designed to hold. Today, nearly one in four APS schools serves fewer than 250 students, and about one in six operates at less than half of its intended capacity.

In response to declining enrollment, APS has launched a months-long community engagement effort to explore how the district should organize its schools and resources to best serve students. No decisions have been made, and APS wants to hear from families and community members before determining its next steps. Learn more about the process and find upcoming community meetings at aps.edu/right-sizing.

A Challenge Facing Districts Nationwide

Superintendents and school boards nationwide are grappling with difficult right-sizing decisions. Earlier this month, Tulsa Public Schools voted to close 17 schools following a districtwide planning process. Meanwhile, Portland Public Schools is weighing two right-sizing scenarios, and in Colorado, the Thompson School District is seeking community feedback on 12 different right-sizing options.

Right-sizing is not an issue unique to one district, superintendent, or school board. Rather, it reflects a broader challenge facing public education as birth rates decline and patterns of where students live and attend school change. In New Mexico, where the population has grown by less than 1% since 2020, stagnant population growth adds another layer to this challenge.

Although right-sizing can be a difficult process, it provides an opportunity for school leaders and communities to ask:

How can we respond to declining enrollment while ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education?

What Does Right-Sizing Mean?

Right-sizing is the process of making sure a school district’s buildings, programs, and resources match the number of students it currently serves and expects to serve in the future.

When enrollment declines, the costs of operating school buildings remain, even with fewer students. According to APS, the district spends approximately $50,000 per day on utilities alone.

Declining enrollment can also affect the student experience by making it more difficult for schools to offer a variety of academic programs, extracurricular activities, and specialized services. In Tulsa, for example, declining enrollment and budget challenges left 6,119 students across 21 schools without dedicated music and art teachers. In Albuquerque, schools with low enrollment may rely on part-time administrators or staff and offer fewer elective courses.

While school closures and consolidations are among the most commonly discussed right-sizing approaches, they are not the only options. Other possibilities include finding new uses for existing school buildings, revising school boundaries, establishing specialty or magnet schools, or expanding access to early childhood centers or career and technical education hubs.

What’s Next for APS?

APS is asking families, educators, students, and community members to share their thoughts about how the district should respond to declining enrollment.

No decisions have been made about closing or combining schools, and APS has not yet proposed a specific right-sizing plan.

The district plans to gather community feedback through January, review the input in February and March, and report back on findings and possible next steps later in the school year.

As this conversation unfolds, it is critical that student success remains at the center of any potential decisions about how APS organizes its schools, programs, and resources.

Learn More and Join the Conversation

APS is hosting community meetings across Albuquerque over the coming months to hear directly from residents.

If you are an Albuquerque resident, parent, or community member, we strongly encourage you to make your voice heard, ask questions, and participate in an upcoming community meeting.

Visit aps.edu/right-sizing for more information about the right-sizing process and the full community meeting schedule.