For Lillian Torrez, the future began Friday evening.
The Taos Municipal Schools superintendent said District Judge Sarah Singleton’s landmark ruling that state leaders must find a way to “remedy” New Mexico’s public schools by April has given her and her colleagues a renewed sense of hope.
She acknowledged it may take some time to cure the ills in New Mexico’s schools. Maybe 10 years. Maybe even 20.
But Singleton’s decision, made public late Friday, will create undeniable momentum to finally — and fully — fix a system that many see as broken, Torrez said.
“This is the most important, significant breakthrough for New Mexico’s public education system,” she said. “It should open the minds of both the Legislature and the public to realize maybe school districts do need more funding.
“We’re 50th now,” she added, referring to national studies that year after year place the state at or near the bottom of public education metrics. “But with this decision, we can go to the top.”
