Corner to Corner
Diane Denish is a former lieutenant governor of New Mexico. She is a native of Hobbs and now lives in Albuquerque.
There’s an old saying that “all politics is local.” It’s true. Yet too often, voters skip past local elections and focus on the next Governor’s race or the Presidential contest. Let’s not do that this year.
This fall, local nonpartisan elections will be held across New Mexico. Voters will choose mayors, city councilors, and—importantly—school board members. It’s that last group I want to focus on.
In 2019, House Bill 407 changed how school board elections are held. For decades, they were stand-alone elections scheduled in February, the coldest month of the year—when turnout was abysmal. In one year, during a below-zero freeze, only 2% of eligible voters showed up. Now, school board elections are part of the regular local election cycle. That change matters: in the past, poor turnout meant school boards often governed without a true mandate from their communities.
Serving on a school board is no easy task. It’s unpaid, heavily scrutinized, and often thankless. Members make tough decisions, and inevitably some families are unhappy. The most controversial decisions usually involve school consolidations and closures. Parents often respond with anger—and school board members become the targets.
I watched this unfold in 2010 when I was serving with Governor Bill Richardson. The Santa Fe Schools proposed consolidating Acequia Madre Elementary into Atalaya Elementary. The move was intended to address financial concerns and Atalaya’s structural needs. After an outcry from parents—and, I believe, a visit to Governor Richardson who agreed to meet with the superintendent—the board postponed the decision for a year. Still, Acequia Madre eventually closed.
Fast forward to today. With birth rates declining and Santa Fe’s rising cost of living pushing young families away, the Santa Fe school board recently made another tough decision: not to rebuild E.J. Martinez Elementary School. Originally, the board was set to approve a bond issue for the project. But after reviewing data on neighborhood demographics and declining enrollment, members reversed course.
In Albuquerque, the APS board recently voted to close Taft Middle School as part of a district-wide “right-sizing” effort. APS enrollment has dropped by 16,000 students in recent years. Angry parents have resorted to lies and criticism of the Board chair because in the end, a tough decision was made they didn’t agree with. Despite that criticism, this was not a rushed decision but one based on long term planning, data, facilities needs, and budget priorities. When APS voters elected new leadership in 2021, it signaled support for bold, forward-looking decisions rather than clinging to the status quo.
Parent frustration is real, but the bigger picture matters. School closures are not the fault of any one board member—they reflect demographic realities New Mexico cannot ignore. In 2003, 27,753 babies were born in our state. Twenty years later, in 2023, that number dropped to 20,951—a 25% decline.
Fewer births mean fewer students entering pre-K and kindergarten each year. Smaller classes today become smaller middle and high school cohorts tomorrow. Eventually, some schools simply don’t have the enrollment to stay open. That’s the difficult truth more and more school boards face.
And that brings us back to the importance of local elections. School boards make critical decisions about budgets, buildings, teachers, and student opportunities. They need thoughtful, informed leaders—and they need engaged voters.
So don’t look past November’s municipal elections. Verify facts. Push back against misinformation. Call the candidates yourself if you have questions. And above all, show up to vote. National politics may dominate the headlines, but it’s your local school board that will shape the classrooms, teachers, and opportunities your children see every day.
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