Governing Council Letter to Parents – 5/4/26 School Budget

May 4, 2026

Dear EVCA Families,

Spring is budget-making time for New Mexico schools and we need a moment of your time to discuss the EVCA budget for the school year 2026-2027. Once again, EVCA is in the unfortunate position of needing to tighten our belt even further due to decreased student enrollment and a recent New Mexico legislative mandate. On average, public charter schools in New Mexico receive 7% less funding than non-charter public schools, so every dollar matters even more.
With student enrollment in the low 500s, fewer dollars are available for operating expenses that continue to rise, as many of our families have also personally experienced. Additionally, the NM Legislature passed the School Employee Insurance Programs Bill which changed health insurance cost-share requirements, raising the employer (school district) contribution for health insurance premiums to a minimum of 80 percent for all employees who elect our benefits (80/20 Healthcare Premium Bill (HB47). Added to this was a 9.95% increase in insurance costs. Although legislators have set aside some money to help cover increases, for EVCA, that amount falls short by $162,000. Additionally, the risk insurance for EVCA increased 14.87%, an increase of $33,620. All of these legislative and mandated increases necessitate that we utilize more of our operating expenses to cover this increased cost for our valued staff and faculty.
Rest assured that, as always, we are committed to providing the best educational program and environment for our EVCA students. The Finance Committee, along with Interim Executive Director Joshua McCleave and Business Manager Jennifer Dukes, have been meeting regularly to ensure the best outcome for students in spite of projected budget cuts. The reality is we must cut approximately $400,000, but we’ll be as creative and resourceful as possible in order to maintain the high standards your family expects from EVCA. Families can help support EVCA by spreading the word about our excellent educational outcomes, contacting legislators for increased charter school funding, and donating items like paper items (contact front office for details) or making monetary donations to the EVCA Foundation, who continue to help support our school.
Should you have questions or concerns about any of the information above, please reach out to any member of the Governing Council. We are working diligently to minimize the impact on our students, staff, and families, and we want to be as transparent as possible about our current situation. Thank you for your continued support and trust; we do not take the responsibility of educating your students lightly.

Respectfully,

Governor Bill Richard, Finance Committee Chair
Governor Theresa Nunneley, Enrollment & Outreach Committee Chair