Española schools voters approve property tax renewal
Española school district voters have approved the renewal of a supplemental property tax used to fund improvements at the district's schools.
The Public School Capital Improvements Tax is a tax of $2 per $1,000 of net taxable property value to fund improvements for school buildings, pre-K facilities, educational technology and school grounds. In an all-mail election that concluded Tuesday, the measure received a combined total of 1,393 votes in favor and 1,191 against, which works out to almost 54% in favor, according to an email sent to the district's parents and guardians by Española Public Schools Superintendent Eric Spencer.
'The passage of this measure means that Española Public Schools and McCurdy Charter School will receive critical capital improvement funding over the next six years,' Spencer wrote. 'These funds are essential for addressing pressing infrastructure and safety needs, including technology for classrooms and libraries, maintenance and repairs to our aging facilities, equipment upgrades, and enhanced safety and security systems. Many of our schools are decades old and face challenges that impact the daily learning environment for our students and staff.'
The election was conducted by the Santa Fe and Rio Arriba county clerks' offices, which handled the mailing, collection and processing of ballots. While Rio Arriba hasn't released its vote count, the Santa Fe County Clerk's Office reported receiving 428 ballots — 220 in favor, 184 against and 24 rejected ballots — of the 3,117 total ballots sent to Santa Fe County residents in the school district, according to a news release the county sent out Thursday.
Ballots were due by 7 p.m. Tuesday, with the County Canvassing Board scheduled to meet April 8 to certify the results. The Santa Fe County Clerk's Office is also contacting those who submitted the 24 rejected ballots for the 'ballot curing' process to correct issues like lack of a signature or identification.
The election was closer than is often seen in school bond or tax elections, which tend to garner broad support in Northern New Mexico. A school bond put to Española voters in November 2023 passed with 70% support, while taxes for the same $2 per $1,000 amount put to Santa Fe and Pojoaque Valley school district voters that same year passed with 77% and 70% support, respectively.
'We recognize that some members of our community voted against the measure, and we deeply respect the diversity of opinions across our district,' Spencer wrote. 'With that in mind, we reaffirm our commitment to using these funds transparently and responsibly, solely for their intended purposes. We will be accountable to the public and will ensure that every dollar is spent in support of our students' learning environments.'
Regular updates on the usage of funds will be added to www.k12espanola.org, Spencer wrote.
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