Events & News

Los Lunas Schools is holding a 3 Mill Levy Special Election to help fund technology in our district. The deadline to mail in your ballot is August 13, 2024.

What is the 3 Mill Levy?

The 3 Mill Levy dedicates a small percentage of property taxes for the district to maintain and stay up-to-date with technology.

How 3 Mill is used today?

• District school buildings require new cabling and network equipment at least once every 15-20 years for 15+ district sites.  (Although the district utilizes E-Rate funding for these projects, the district still must put up 80-90% of the overall cost, which runs into millions of dollars in overall.  Each project can be several hundreds of thousands of dollars for the total cost.) 

• Servers, Wi-Fi equipment, and network equipment must be refreshed periodically, typically at least every 5-8 years.

• Primary source of funding for student & staff iPads and MacBooks (~10,000 devices) with an estimated 5-yr lifecycle for iPads and 1,800 MacBooks are purchased for high school students every 2 years. MacBooks and iPads also provided for all teachers and most staff.

• Staff PCs, audio/visual components from projectors, large displays, and support for Interactive Flat Panels.

• District Server Infrastructure (40-50 servers)

• WiFi Infrastructure – Controller and access points must be refreshed every 5-7 years.

• All network components such as routers, servers, Wi-Fi Infrastructure, district firewall.

• Annual warranties for core network components in the event of a hardware failure.

Subscriptions paid from 3 Mill?

• Online Data Backup for core server disaster recovery

• Anti-virus, anti-spam, and cyber security platform for decreasing phishing, cyber threats, and increasing staff awareness and safety

• JAMF mobile device management for all (~10,000) Apple devices

• iiQ Ticketing system for tracking tech work orders, device asset and fees tracking

• Funding support for PowerSchool to help maintain student & staff information system

• Cloud-based, certificate-based WiFi device authentication for improved Wi-Fi network security

• Destiny hosted library application

• E-Rate consultants to ensure E-Rate funding is properly managed and that the district is receiving maximum available funding

• Student and staff account provisioning to optimize our ability to manage student and staff accounts, technology equipment, and services

• Cloud-based printing services

Risks without 3 Mill?

Already impacted:

• T-Mobile student hotspot program terminated, December 2023 due to our desire to eliminate any excess spending

• Delayed multiple network cabling and electronics upgrades

• Cutbacks on any non-critical IT equipment expenses

Long-term potential risks:

• Longer device lifecycles for staff & students, resulting in staff and students having to use old or outdated devices

• Potential increases for 1-1 device fees annually to students & families

• Potential increases for student device repair fees

• Inability to maintain current and robust network, WiFi, devices, and systems technologies as these components may not be refreshed as frequently as needed

Will my taxes increase?

No! Your taxes will NOT increase. The 3 Mill Levy maintains current taxes.

How do I vote?

The 3 Mill Levy Special Election is mail-in only. Your ballot will be in the mail this summer! All you have to do is postmark your ballot by August 13, 2024.

Ballot Question:

Shall the Los Lunas School District No. 1 continue to impose a property tax levy of $3.00 per each $1,000.00 of net taxable value of property allocated to the Los Lunas School District No. 1 for the property tax years 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 for the purposes of:

A. erecting, remodeling, making additions to, providing equipment for or furnishing public school buildings;

B. payments made pursuant to a financing agreement entered into by a school district or a charter school for the leasing of a building or other real property with an option to purchase for a price that is reduced according to payments made;

C. purchasing or improving public grounds;

D. purchasing activity vehicles for transporting students to and from extracurricular school activities;

E. administering the projects undertaken pursuant to Subjections A and C of this section, including expenditures for facility maintenance software, project management software, project oversight and district personnel specifically related to administration of projects funded by the Public School Buildings Act; provided that expenditures pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed five percent of the total projects cost; and

F. purchasing and installing education technology improvements, excluding salary expenses of school district employees, but including tools used in the educational process that constitute learning and administrative-resources, and that may also include:

(1) satellite, copper and fiber-optic transmission; computer and network connection devices; digital communication equipment, including voice, audio, video and data equipment; servers; switches; portable media devices, such as discs and drives to contain data for electronic storage and playback; and purchase or lease of software licenses or other technologies and services, maintenance, equipment and computer infrastructure information, techniques and tools used to implement technology in schools and related facilities; and

(2) improvements, alterations and modifications to, or expansions of, existing buildings or tangible personal property necessary or advisable to house or otherwise accommodate any of the tools listed in this subsection.

Valencia County announces Phase II to bring broadband access to underserved local communities. Residents in Meadow Lake and El Cerro Mission may apply for FREE, reliable broadband internet.

The program is provided by Valencia County, Resound Networks and Meta (Los Lunas Data Center). Only 150 Households will be able to take advantage of the free 2-year Internet subscription.

Discounted rates are still available.

Program Details:

• Eligibility based on need with qualifying factors such as current government assistance e.g. SNAP.
• Valencia County determines eligibility.
• This program is mainly first come, first served with a priority placed on homes with school age children.

If you are interested in applying, please complete this online form.

Family School Digital Academy:

Tardy Bell: 8:20am
Dismissal: 2:35pm

In our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible education and support for our students, Los Lunas Family School is transitioning to a hybrid model. This continued approach is designed to maximize in-person learning opportunities while maintaining the flexibility that you have chosen our school for.

Hybrid Model Schedule:

• 6th Grade: In-person on Mondays
• 7th Grade: In-person on Wednesdays
• 8th Grade: In-person on Fridays

We expect students to attend on their designated in-person day as listed above. However, we understand that some students may benefit from additional in-person support, and we are pleased to offer the flexibility for students to attend on additional days as needed.

During these in-person days, students will benefit from:

• Small Group Support: Tailored instruction and personalized attention from their teachers.
• Hands-On Science Lessons: Engaging activities that allow students to explore scientific concepts in a practical, interactive way.
• Handwritten Essays: Writing sessions to develop and enhance their writing skills.

Our goal with this model is to ensure that each student receives the support they need to thrive academically, while also benefiting from the structure and interaction that in-person learning provides. We believe that this approach will not only bolster our students' academic progress but also nurture their overall growth and development.

We understand that this is a significant change, and we are committed to working closely with you to ensure a smooth transition. Your partnership is invaluable as we embark on this new chapter, and we are confident that together, we can create a supportive and enriching environment for all our students. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your child’s education.

Warm regards,

Clair Toledo

Principal Los Lunas Family School

Los Lunas Digital Academy is offering flexible learning options to meet the learning needs of every student. Our students engage in a high caliber curriculum with personalized support from highly qualified teachers. Los Lunas Digital Academy is a hybrid program in which students receive all content, instruction, and support online and report to campus 1-3 days a week.

• Independent learning opportunities plus real-time teacher-directed lessons and activities.
• Whole group and small group learning support.