What if we could take two small schools that are doing important work for students, preserve what families value most about each one, and build something even stronger for the future?
That is the idea Las Cruces Public Schools is beginning to explore as we consider a 6-12 academy that could bring together the best parts of Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy and Rio Grande Preparatory Institute.
I want to be clear about something from the beginning: No decision has been made.
This is a conversation our community deserves to have because it involves two schools with proud identities, dedicated employees and families who chose them for a reason. Any path forward must respect that.
MVLA has created a small, close-knit environment where relationships, leadership and academic growth matter. RGPI has built its own culture around flexibility, personalized support, career exploration, and helping students find a path to graduation. RGPI also was recognized by the New Mexico Public Education Department for improved graduation outcomes among its 2024 cohort. This year, they have been accredited with merit.
Those are strengths worth protecting.
At the same time, part of my responsibility as superintendent is to look beyond the next semester or even the next school year. We have to ask what Las Cruces Public Schools will look like five, 10 and 20 years from now — and make responsible decisions today that keep our district strong for the children who will enter our classrooms tomorrow.
The numbers tell us our community is changing.
A recent New Mexico demographic assessment found that while Doña Ana County's overall population grew between 2017 and 2023, the number of children younger than 6 declined by more than 13%. Births in the county also declined nearly 7% during that period.
Those babies become our kindergarteners. Eventually, they become our middle and high school students.
We are already seeing the effects of smaller enrollment in some schools. Federal education data show that during the 2024-25 school year, MVLA enrolled 94 students and RGPI enrolled 46. Although those numbers have fluctuated over the last two years, the forecast across the district requires us to think differently – for all students.
Small schools can offer tremendous benefits. Students can be known well, relationships can be strong and learning can be highly personalized. But there also are costs that do not shrink at the same rate as enrollment. Schools still need teachers, administrators, counselors, technology, transportation, facilities and other support.
But the broader issue remains: We have a responsibility to make sure the resources entrusted to us are being used in ways that provide the greatest possible benefit to students.
Financial responsibility is not simply about balancing a budget. It means protecting classrooms. It means maintaining safe schools, paying competitive salaries, offering athletics, arts and career programs, supporting students who need additional help, and making sure LCPS remains financially healthy for the next generation to thrive.
That is why exploring a 6-12 academy makes sense.
Imagine a school where students could enter in sixth grade and grow within a smaller learning community through graduation. Imagine combining MVLA's emphasis on leadership and strong relationships with RGPI's flexibility, personalized learning and graduation-focused support. A 6-12 model also could reduce difficult transitions between middle and high school while creating more opportunities for students as they grow.
There are still many questions to answer. What would the academic model look like? Where would students learn? How would staffing, transportation and extracurricular activities work? How do we preserve the traditions and relationships families value?
Those questions should be answered with our community, not for our community. That work is being done right now as you read this. Our educators are leading discussions with a steering committee, we are hosting focus groups, and we have reported that data to our Board of Education.
Change is rarely easy, especially when schools are involved. But protecting the status quo simply because it is familiar would not be responsible either. Our job is to preserve what works, confront the realities ahead of us, and build something that gives students even greater opportunities to thrive.
I believe this conversation is worth having, because I believe in the future of our students. Our own future as a community depends on it.
