las cruces public schools

Step into a tantalizing world of heated debates, spicy aromas, and fifth graders taking on legislative powerhouses in an exciting episode of New Mex Podcast. We're serving up a dose of New Mexico's beloved green chile, not on your plate, but as a potential state symbol - its aroma. You'll get a whiff of the recent legislative proposal by a zealous fifth-grade class from Monte Vista Elementary, who pushed to make the smell of roasting green chile the official state aroma, overpowering other strong stenches such as oil and dairy farms. Join us as we unravel the intricate debate between Senators Bill Soles and Daniel Ivy Soto, who spar over the merits of this piquant suggestion. Get ready to feast your ears on the tale of two state vegetables, one being the star of this controversy and the other, the humble pinto bean, who didn't come looking for trouble. 

In the second half of our show, we're thrilled to share some big news - we're taking the spirit of New Mexico online with the launch of our new website, Enchantment Chronicles! This is your go-to portal for keeping up with all our latest episodes, and your direct line to us. We dish out details on how to connect with our team, and even throw in some mouth-watering musings on the possibility of a green chile beer. Don't forget to follow us on our social platforms for more extraordinary tales from the Land of Enchantment. As always, remember to keep the spice alive!

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On this week’s episode of The Reporter’s Notebook Podcast, we’re talking to New Mexico Senator Bill Soules, a Democrat from Las Cruces. We’ll be talking about how he has approached this year’s 60-day session of the New Mexico Legislature. We’ll take a look at many of the big-ticket items lawmakers are discussing as lawmakers set about crafting an historically large budget.

We’ll talk to Sen. Soules about many of the state’s most pressing issues — education, public safety, early childhood development, bail reform, water conservation and energy, just to name a few.

Soules, who has served in the Senate since 2013, is a retired educator and currently serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee and is a member of the Senate Conservation Committee.

We also talk about Soules’ bill to make the smell of “green chile roasting in the fall” the official state aroma — a bill Soules sponsored, with expert testimony from some Las Cruces elementary students. Senate Bill 188 passed the Senate on a 31-4 vote on Saturday, Feb. 25. It now must make it through a couple of committees in the House and a full House vote in order to reach the governor’s desk. If passed, New Mexico would become the first state in the nation to have an official state aroma.

This week, we're grateful to have Senator Soules joining us.

On this week's episode of The Reporter's Notebook Podcast, we’re talking to Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ralph Ramos. We’ll be talking about the school district’s priorities during this year’s 60-day session of the New Mexico Legislature. We’ll take a look at the impact proposed legislation might impact LCPS.

As New Mexico’s state legislature began work Tuesday, Jan. 17, to allocate an historically large budget — totaling $9.4 billion in recurring spending, an 11.9% increase from the last fiscal year — school districts around the state will be asking for a piece of that pie.

Some have suggested things like fully funding and implementing the Hispanic, Indian, Black, and Bilingual Multicultural Education Acts, significantly increasing school employee salaries, increasing instructional hours, and continuing to increase targeted funding through the “at-risk” index.

Teachers are asking for more planning time, reduced class size, adequate staffing, an expansion of community schools and a greater voice in the allocation of federal COVID relief funds.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll ask Superintendent Ramos if those things align with the district’s goals and, if so, how?

In the interest of full disclosure, I want to mention that I was once the district’s Director of Communications, though it was under a previous superintendent.

This week, we're glad to have Superintendent Ramos joining us.