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Aliyah Chavez
ICT

The Board of Education for Albuquerque Public Schools has a Native American member for the first time since its founding.

Ronalda Tome-Warito, Diné, was elected to represent the board’s District 2 seat in November 2023. She officially took office on Jan. 3 and was internally elected as the board’s vice president.

APS is the largest of New Mexico’s school districts, serving around a fourth of the state’s public school students. According to APS data, American Indian and Alaska Native students make up 5.4 percent of total students across all schools in the district. Part of the board’s duties are to approve the district’s budget, set policy items and employ the superintendent.

Ronalda Tome-Warito, Diné, was elected to the Board of Education for Albuquerque Public Schools in November 2023 and is the first Native person to hold such a seat. (Photo courtesy: Aliyah Chavez, ICT) Credit: Ronalda Tome-Warito, Diné, was elected to the Board of Education for Albuquerque Public Schools in November 2023 and is the first Native person to hold such a seat. (Photo courtesy: Aliyah Chavez, ICT)

Tome-Warito, who is an educational consultant, sat down with ICT Newscast Anchor Aliyah Chavez for an interview to discuss the campaign trail, her advocacy for special education and her family’s own history with education.

WATCH:

Tome-Warito’s term is set to expire in 2027.

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