Education

Debate and Town Hall Meeting on UNM-LA Mil Levy Aug. 29

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LWV News:

The League of Women Voters invites the public to attend a Los Alamos High School Hilltalker debate and Town Hall meeting 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29 at UNM-LA Lecture Hall in Building 2.

The LAHS Hilltalkers will debate the pros and cons of the mil levy election question followed by a presentation by Dr. Cindy Rooney, who recently was appointed as the new Dean of Instruction for UNM-LA, replacing Dr. Kate Massengale who recently retired. 

The meeting will end with a town hall question and answer session, moderated by the League of Women Voters.

Refreshments are being provided at 6:30 Read More

Letter to the Editor: On the Question of Small Class Size – An Open Letter to the Los Alamos Community

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On the Question of Small Class Size – An Open Letter to the Los Alamos Community
Dr. Eugene (Gene) Schmidt
Superintendent, Los Alamos Public Schools

Small class sizes are a quality and hallmark that Los Alamos has long valued. Community conversations and strategic plan surveys continually reinforce the importance of maintaining small class sizes. Over the past several years budget constraints have made it increasingly more difficult to honor our community’s desire for small class size. Significant reductions in state funding this past spring created a two million dollar shortfall in our Read More

Letter to the Editor: Los Alamos School Funding Requires Action

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Los Alamos School Funding Requires Action
By Tim and Susan O’Leary
Los Alamos

Long-time Los Alamos School Board member Kevin Honnell was recently quoted as saying: “This (school) district, financially, is headed toward an iceberg like the Titanic.” The observation was made in connection with a discussion about class size, but Dr. Honnell correctly pointed out that the issue is much broader, and it is pressing. 

Because of the way in which New Mexico funds K-12 education, our Los Alamos schools don’t have the funding profile, moving forward, to support the quality schools we have come Read More

Back to School Tax Tips

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IRS News:

Going to college can be a stressful time for students and parents. The IRS offers these tips about education tax benefits that can help offset some college costs and maybe relieve some of that stress.

  • American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). This credit can be up to $2,500 per eligible student. The AOTC is available for the first four years of post-secondary education. Forty percent of the credit is refundable. That means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000 of the credit as a refund, even if you don’t owe any taxes. Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, course related
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UNM-LA Community Education Classes Will Explore Language, Culture and Literature

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UNM-LA Community Education Classes Will Explore Language, Culture and Literature

By Eva Artschwager

This fall, UNM-Los Alamos Community Education is offering two new classes that have a lot in common. Although one is a language class in Basic Portuguese and the other a literature class in the Latin American Short Story, both use language as a starting point for a deeper exploration of culture and history.

The Basic Portuguese class, taught by Cynthia Bell-Santos, introduces students to the elements of the Portuguese language and discusses language as a tool for exploring Brazilian culture. Read More

Nearly 100 Retired LAPS Employees Attend Breakfast

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At the annual Not Back to School Breakfast Wednesday for retired LAPS employees, the group renewed old friendships and shared exciting adventures and plans for the future. The event began years ago with just three people and has grown to close to 100. It is always held on the day the students go back to school … and the retirees do not! Trinity on the Hill graciously allowed the retirees to use their facilities. Courtesy Photo Read More

Janali Gustafson Recieves Kiwanis Scholarship

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The Los Alamos Kiwanis Club presented Janali Gustafson with a scholarship recently. Janali will be attending Quest University in Canada and will study exercise science and psychology. From left, Morrie Pongratz (Key Club Advisory), Janali Gustafson, Don Casperson, Kiwanis President, John Gustafson, (dad), and Sarah Gustafson (mom). Janali was selected because of her active service in Key Club, as well as the Captain’s Table, Environmental Club, and in particular Los Alamos Youth Leadership for the past four years and spearheading the Los Alamos Wild Day in 2013. Kiwanis meets

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