GRANTS, N.M.— On August 4, Grants Cibola County Schools held a meeting lasting over three hours. During this meeting, they discussed strategic plan discussion and data, a donation to Grants High School, and legislative committee meeting priorities. They also held an executive session.
Strategic Plan Discussion & Data
According to Larry Chavez, Vanessa Romero, Director of Teaching & Learning, and Superintendent Widner, the district experienced a notable increase of 36 students for the 2025-2026 academic year, following a significant decline in 20242025.
Early College High School was said to have a stream rise in enrollment, going from 45 to 54 students. Meanwhile, Laguna- Acoma Middle and High School has maintained a stable enrollment with minor growth over the past two years. Grants High School also rebounded in 2025-26, regaining students after a decrease the previous year.
Despite broader statewide demographic challenges, several schools have managed to maintain stable enrollment figures.
Looking at this recent stability, the district plans to continue implementing effective student recruitment and retention strategies. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening the kindergarten and preschool enrollment.
It was shown in the presentation that there will be an increased focus on marketing district choice programs, including Early College, Career Technical Education (CTE), extracurricular activities, athletics, and social programs. Analyzing enrollment patterns by grade level will help identify critical transition points where students may leave the district. Additionally, the district aims to enhance family engagement and customer service to retain current students.
Notably, Superintendent Widner said that 2026-2027 has 68 new employees.
Donation to GHS
Grants High School was given a donation of $1,500 from The Way, The Truth, and The Life Ministries. GHS Administration Martha Ward said, “We have been meeting and actually speaking with Mr. Almanza [from the Way, The Truth, and The Life ministries] because he actually came to us and asked how he can support us in the attendance issues that we are trying to address.”
Ward went on to explain that GHS has an 80% attendance rate. This means that a majority of the students are missing about a quarter of their education at a time. “And if students aren't at school, we can't teach and we're not going to raise those scores. So, we are attacking attendance. And he has offered to help support us by providing incentives.”
When they met with him, they spoke about the difference that food and gas make for teenagers. Ward explained that Mr. Almanza is willing to donate $1,500 in five gift cards for either food or gas, that can be used for the students. Ward added, “He would also like to collaborate with us to also reach out and collect additional donations of similar gift cards maybe for local businesses so that we can continue with this incentives program throughout the entire year.”
Martha Ward explained, “We are requesting that the board help us in supporting this collaboration and this partnership with them because it's going to benefit our students. It's going to benefit our teachers. It is going to help us attack the attendance rates that are causing deficiencies in our scores.”
Superintendent Widner said that he believes donation from a church is acceptable, but taking students to the church for a sermon would violate the separation of church and state. “There are federal rules about church and state, but [this] should be fine with it being just a donation.”
Ward said, “So for clarification, it is simply that he is donating. They are also going to provide an assembly for students that is related to bullying and stuff like that, but there will be no crossing the lines between church and school. They are two separate things and he's very aware of that and we've made it clear that these things are going on.”
The board approved the receiving of the $1,500 donation.
Legislative Committee
Meeting and Priorities
According to Superintendent Lane Widner and Larry Chavez, Director of Student Support, GCCS is preparing to create a cohesive strategy for securing vital funding, building relationships with state lawmakers, and promoting educational initiatives. The district will leverage state funding opportunities by ensuring proposed projects are shovel-ready and community-oriented, aligning with state priorities to enhance funding chances.
Legislative appropriations are classified into capital outlay, special appropriations, and operational funding, with many having restrictions or not covering total project costs, requiring additional funding solutions. House Bill 2 (HB 2) serves as the principal budgetary framework, helping GCCS strategically time finding requests and align them with legislative priorities. Transparency laws ensure approved projects are public, facilitating accountability and partnerships.
In the presentation, Chavez explained that GCCS addresses funding gaps by exploring options like grants or phased implantation. Potential investments include facility improvements, technology advancements, and policy considerations. To enhance relations with legislators, they plan to provide educational impact statements, financial data, and legislative briefing materials. Chavez showed the established detailed legislative timeline with two phases: preparation from August to November, involving organizing committees and reviewing projects, and advocacy and session from December to April, involving meeting with legislators and evaluating outcomes.
Executive Session
The Board held an executive session for about an hour. During this session, they discussed potential or pending litigation related to policy enforcement, but no action was taken.
Schedule
August 6: GCCS Staff Welcome Back - Professional Development, GHS August 7: GCCS School Board Strategic Plan Training August 8: GCCS School Board Strategic Plan Design Group August 10: GCCS K-12 Fall Classes Begin August 17: GCCS PreK/DD Classes Begin