Doña Ana Communities United

Lynn Community Middle School Participatory Budgeting Project

Empowering Voices, Strengthening Democracy

In the 2024-2025 school year, we launched our first school participatory budgeting project in partnership with Lynn Community Middle School, marking a significant milestone in our work to bring democratic decision-making to Doña Ana County schools.

The Process

The participatory budgeting process at Lynn Community Middle School was led by the student government class and their teacher. Students took leadership roles in organizing and running the entire process, from initial community education through final implementation. DACU provided support in the background and meals for students and staff as they navigated the process throughout the school year.

The Decision

After a thorough democratic process that included idea generation, students vetted the proposed ideas, researched them, and presented them to administration. Following this comprehensive process and school-wide voting, students chose to prioritize safety and security in their learning environment. The winning project was installing lockdown window coverings for all 120 classrooms throughout the school.

Recognition and Impact

The success of Lynn Community Middle School’s participatory budgeting process caught national attention. Anita Dos Santos, Director of Advocacy at the Participatory Budgeting Project, wrote to recognize the students’ exceptional leadership:

“Through your thoughtful planning, outreach, and dedication, you successfully engaged your fellow students in a democratic process that empowered them to make a meaningful decision about how to improve their school… Your ability to listen to your peers, guide discussions, and manage this process from start to finish is inspiring.”

Anita Dos Santos, Director of Advocacy at the Participatory Budgeting Project

The project will be featured on the national PB map on the Participatory Budgeting Project’s website, where other communities can learn from our students’ example. Most importantly, the lockdown window coverings were delivered and installed in August 2025, creating a tangible improvement that students can see and experience every day.

What This Means

This first project demonstrates several key outcomes:

• Student voice matters: Young people can make thoughtful, responsible decisions about their learning environment
• Safety is a priority: Students understand and prioritize their collective well-being
• Democracy works: When given real power and responsibility, students rise to the occasion
• Change is possible: Participatory budgeting creates real improvements that benefit the entire school community

Lynn Community Middle School’s success has paved the way for expanding participatory budgeting to additional schools throughout Doña Ana County, showing what’s possible when we trust young people with meaningful decision-making power.