SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Education Department is moving forward with plans to ensure that all schools in the state operate on a minimum of 180 instructional days beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.  Revisions reflect feedback received during the public comment period that best supports students, families, educators, and communities. The final rule will include:

Four-day school week calendars: The revisions to the proposed rule allow for four-day school week calendars.Exemptions for early college high schools: Early college high schools will be exempt from the minimum 180 instructional day requirement.Exemptions for school districts and charter schools with growth in...

For any woman who’s ever had to wait in a long line to use the restroom at a local rodeo event, some relief is on the way.

The first part of a project to replace the 1970s restrooms at Red Rock Park is under way. The “main” restroom on the west side of the arena is expected to be finished in time for most summer events.

Besides being shiny, modern and new, a major component of the renovations is changing the balance of stalls, which has favored men, so there are more stalls available for women.

The west arena men’s room had seven urinals, four standard stalls and one stall with disabled access; the women’s room had six standard stalls and one accessible stall. In the new...

The ceremonial is still rebounding from two years of sharing control of the event with the state tourism department. Former Ceremonial Director Dudley Byerley, who worked hard to reclaim the Ceremonial’s independence, resigned at the beginning of January having accomplished that goal. He said he’ll still help from the sidelines as a volunteer but won’t have an official role.

Other board members have been serving month-to-month since last year’s event to keep the ball rolling, and nonprofit president Kyle Tom is angling for the director job.

The same bill from last year’s state legislative session that returned the Ceremonial to local control also gave the McKinley County...

Artists and other participants eager to get their entries in for the 102nd Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial this year will have to wait a little longer as the new process for appointing the GITIC association board plays out.

Although board members who have been serving in recent years are eager to get premium books and entry schedules out, the board is in a holding pattern until mid-March because there are more candidates than seats and a new selection process.

By Holly J. Wagner
Sun Correspondent