Kirtland Central Students Lobby Roundhouse for Expanded Career and Technical Education

Students from Kirtland Central High School traveled to the New Mexico Roundhouse to press state lawmakers for continued and expanded funding for Career and Technical Student Organizations, saying more support would broaden career pathways and travel opportunities for largely Native American students in San Juan County.

District materials describe the event as a two-day CTSO Day at the Roundhouse on Jan. 23–24 that brought together 500 CTSO members from across New Mexico. A separate account lists Jan. 30 for a related visit; those date discrepancies remain in public reports. While at the Roundhouse, Kirtland Central students met directly with state legislators, received an educational overview of the Legislature from Sen. Nathan P. Small, and participated in a scavenger hunt designed to familiarize students with the capitol.

Students spoke with Representatives Joshua N. Hernandez and Alan T. Martinez and Senators Mark Duncan, Nathan P. Small, Pat Woods and William Sharer. Sen. Pat Woods shared copies of a bill he was working on and walked students through the steps involved in getting legislation passed. The district framed the visit as hands-on civic education that let students "become the teachers at the Roundhouse" by sharing the real-world impact of CTSO programs.

Student leaders placed funding equity at the center of their advocacy. Madison Medley, vice president of the Kirtland Central Business Professionals of America chapter, said, "Our BPA program went to the Roundhouse in order to advocate for more funding for all CTSO [career and technical student organization] programs as a whole. That way, that type of funding makes its way to our school." Medley added, "They consider giving us more funding, that way our students can get that sort of funding at our own school to go on these trips and learn new experiences." Fellow BPA member Emily Roanhorse noted local disparities, saying, "As we went to the Roundhouse to advocate, we noticed that Kirtland Central is not getting any of the money. A majority of our members are Native American. The CTSO funding is important because most of our students usually don’t get the opportunity to travel out of state. And it opens a lot of doors for us because we get to meet new people from out of state and out of the country."

Kirtland Central business teacher Lynn Foster emphasized the civic training element: "This was a great opportunity for our students to voice their concerns and their importance to CTSO – Students need to learn and speak up for their interest." The district also quoted a representative encouraging students: "Even though you are a high school student you still have a voice, make sure that you are heard and make it known that you have a voice."

The policy stakes extend beyond travel. District materials cite a 2024 Association for Career and Technical Education finding that roughly half of New Mexico jobs require postsecondary training short of a four-year degree, a skills gap CTE programs aim to fill. Locally, Kirtland Central runs Junior Career Seminar and Shadow Experience as graduation requirements, an Entrepreneurship In Our Society course, and 11th/12th grade programming focused on college and job readiness; students said many CTSO trips and competitions are funded largely through student fundraising.

For San Juan County residents, the visit highlights two interconnected issues: how the state allocates CTSO and CTE funding across districts, and how access to out-of-district and out-of-state experiences shapes career readiness for students who may lack other opportunities. The next step will be whether lawmakers translate the conversations and student testimonies into portfolio or budget action during the legislative session, and whether Central Consolidated provides more detailed accounting of local CTSO funding and needs.