Dear Canutillo Community,
Starting on Monday, July 3, our offices will be closed for a week so that our year-long employees can have a chance to rest and re-energize in anticipation of the upcoming 2023-24 school year, which starts on July 31. This week-long break could not come at a better time. Our staff has worked diligently to close off the school year and begin preparations for the next. And we have done so in record-setting heat.
When we return we will have our work cut out for us. We have a great deal of challenges facing us, including a deficit of about $3 million that will place some limitations in how we approach the innovative services we have developed over the last 10 years. The decisions we have made are tough, and they will continue to be tough as the year starts. But I know that the commitment and dedication of our employees toward the children of Canutillo is boundless.
I say this to mean that despite the roadblocks ahead of us, I expect the upcoming year to be one of triumphs, goal-achievement and success.
My administration, in partnership with the Board of Trustees, will be looking for efficiencies in our systems to offset the deficit. We will do so making sure that we don’t impact the high-quality teaching and learning for which we have become known throughout the state. However, I will ask our parents and our community to be a little patient with us as we work through a difficult time. We are working with a diminished staff and fewer resources to do the same job we have been tasked to do for years.
To learn more about our budgeting process, listen to the Canutillo Convos Podcast here.
On a different topic, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the use of race as a consideration for college admission, putting an end to affirmative action. This is a sad state of affairs for students throughout the country, but very specifically to our students here in Canutillo.
For decades, our students have relied on affirmative action to offset some of the social and economic disadvantages they have as students living in communities like ours. While we strive to close the gap that exists between high-income districts and districts like ours, the truth is that our graduates face disadvantages that make it harder for them to access elite universities.
As educators, we must strive to work harder to find equitable opportunities for our students. Now, with the end of affirmative action, that call to action is more important than ever.
Have a great summer break, Canutillo. Stay cool, safe and hydrated this Fourth of July!
Pedro Galaviz
Superintendent of Schools