More than 60 districts across New Mexico will share $35 million in state funding aimed at boosting campus security through facility upgrades and new safety technology.

Leah Romero, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

New Mexico public school districts have begun receiving portions of $35 million appropriated during the regular legislative session earlier this year for school security and safety improvements during the 2026 fiscal year.

The funds were appropriated through House Bill 450, which set aside funds for myriad capital outlay projects across the state. That includes include $50 million for school security, continuing technical education equipment, school maintenance and repair, of which $35 million will benefit security upgrades. Majority Whip Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Albuquerque) advocated for including the security and safety fund appropriation in the bill.

“The objective here is to make sure that the school grounds are safe, warm, inviting. That they’re a place of learning, not a place that you need to be worried about going to,” Padilla told Source NM. 

He added that school districts have made large investments in recent years to improve security measures through various technologies. The $35 million is a way to supplement the previous investments and further improve districts’ security approach.

“We’ve seen the proliferation of cameras all around schools, all around our community,” he said. “This [money] actually really helps to tie all that together with an innovative approach to gun detection…you know, what’s coming into the school grounds and in bags and this and that.”

The funds will be distributed by the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority among all 89 New Mexico public school districts, in proportion to the district’s proposed projects. Gallup and Gadsden schools districts will receive the largest amount of funds —approximately $5.9 and $4.1 million respectively. 

“Even if you’re a smaller district than, say, Las Cruces or Albuquerque or Santa Fe or whatever, you might have greater needs from a technology implementation standpoint than some of these larger districts, because they’ve had more money already on hand to implement this stuff,” Padilla said. “We want to make sure that every district is eligible, including the smallest schools in the state.”

Padilla added that this is a one-time appropriation, as lawmakers cannot guarantee that these funds will be included in the appropriation budget each year. He emphasized that New Mexico is undergoing changes due to federal funding cuts and the natural variability in the oil and gas industry.

However, he said the appropriation is one small way to help districts be proactive in improving school security and stop dangerous scenarios from playing out before they occur.

“This is one way for us to do that,” he said. “Our children deserve the absolute best, safest, warmest, inviting environment… Take that noise out of their way so that when they’re in the public school, all they’re worried about is learning rather than, ‘Am I safe here?’”

Leah Romero is a freelance writer based in southern New Mexico. She can be reached at www.LeahRRomero.com.