It’s still hard to say how much money shaped the outcome of New Mexico school board races.
The public won’t have a full picture about campaign spending in the five largest school districts until Dec. 7, when reports detailing donations and spending from mid-October until Election Day are due.
Only candidates running for seats in Albuquerque Public Schools, Rio Rancho Public Schools, Gallup-McKinley County Schools, Las Cruces Public Schools and Gadsden Independent School District are required by the state to file campaign finance reports.
For the 84 other school districts in New Mexico, the public is in the dark.
Candidates running for school boards governing fewer than 11,000 students don’t have to disclose any donors or spending at all. This year, that includes Santa Fe, which historically had to report, but lost students. Those running…
