Friday, November 14, 2008

Las Cruces Sun News Criticizes Nava, State Government

The Las Cruces Sun News, in a strongly worded editorial, criticized GISD Superintendent (and State Senator) Cynthia Nava, State Auditor Hector Balderas, and Education Secretary Veronica Garcia for neglecting the financial situation at GISD for four years until a $3.9 million shortfall threatened "a disruption to and lessening of the educational experience."

Dismissing Nava's claim that the shortfall developed before she took over as superintendent, the Sun News states: "it's not like she is new to the district. She held a high-level administrative position during each year that the books went unattended."

Expressing doubts about the announced solution to the shortfall (taking funds from capital outlay monies left over from the building of Chaparral High School), the editorial points out that Chaparral High was opened in the fall of 2007. "They've had almost $4 million left over all this time, with no plans for how to use that money?"

The editorial goes on to ask, "how can Auditor Hector Balderas let a district go for so long without completing an audit? And where was Education Secretary Veronica Garcia when the district was spending four years digging itself in the hole?"

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