Setting an optimistic tone in pessimistic times, Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Bobbie J. Gutierrez emphasized various achievements made by school administrators, teachers, students, volunteers and others in her state of the schools address Wednesday. Roughly 75 people, mostly educators, attended the hour-long speech at the Capitol Rotunda.

That the address — which traditionally occurs this time of year — came on the heels of news that the district would cut more than $1.5 million from the roughly $78 million school budget because of the state's severe economic situation didn't deter Gutierrez from accentuating the positive.

While acknowledging that only five of the districts' 31 schools made Adequate Yearly Progress standards this year, Gutierrez said AYP — which measures student achievement success required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act — is "but one measure, a snapshot in time, and only part of the overall picture." She went on to note that local high-school dropout rates have declined, and that several schools significantly increased student proficiency in language arts and mathematics.

For the most part, Gutierrez read from a prepared text, rattling off names, awards, statistics and partnerships that reinforced the sense of community within the school district. As in last year's state of the schools talk, she urged the public to act as ambassadors for the district, emphasizing the positive strides made despite serious financial challenges.

She also called on community members to voice their support for education. "The state is in the midst of an economic crisis, and our funding continues to decline," she said. "We need to insist that revenue generators be enacted during the regular (legislative) session. We must continue to be protective of the classrooms and programs that support our students."

As she's done in several recent school board meetings and public forums, Gutierrez warned that further cuts to the educational budget would result in larger class sizes, closure and consolidation of smaller schools, a cutback in athletics and transportation funds, and a depletion of emergency funds.

"I do not have all the answers to all of the challenges, but I will stay the course and continue working with you, our community, to find answers," she said.

Deviating slightly from the script, Gutierrez garnered a laugh when she said sometimes she feels like a punching bag — "You know, those smiling clowns that you hit and they pop back up and ask for more."

"There's not a single day I don't want to come to work," she added. "There's some days I want to run away, but never a day I don't want to come back."

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.