Report: Not a single Las Cruces charter school earned higher than a ‘C’ rating

New grades released by the Public Education Department show charter schools in Las Cruces didn’t do too well.

None of Las Cruces’ 5 charter schools earned higher than a “C” rating in 2015-2016. The ratings take student growth, graduation rates and college readiness into account and are compared to the statewide average.

The state oversees four Las Cruces charter schools. Only one school, La Academia Dolores Huerta, is overseen by the Las Cruces Public School District.

An LCPS spokeswoman said the district’s only role is budgetary oversight. She says it is solely up to the school when it comes to oversight in the classroom and curriculum.

NMPED ratings show in 2015-2016 Alma D’Arte slipped from a C to a D.

La Academia Dolores Huerta slipped two letter grades, from a C to an F. Las Montañas Charter High School also received an F.

John Paul Taylor Academy received a C.

New America School received also received a C.

ABC-7 stopped by one of the failing schools, Alma D’Arte.

Piano playing and building sculptures constitutes a typical day for students. Visual arts, drawing, and music is also among the hands-on learning students do every day.

“I was pretty saddened by it because we work pretty hard, and it’s pretty demoralzing”, said Ramon Padilla, a teacher at the school.

The school’s principal said the letter grade is not an accurate representation. “It’s an incomplete, shallow representation of the entire school and it’s people and its operations”, said Mark Hartshorne.

Hartshorne said he’s appealing the state’s report card.

“There is nothing in there that shows we have no violence in this school. There is nothing in there that shows we have essentially no bullying in this school.”

Hartshorne said he will have to go before the Public Education Commission within the next three years, and explain the school’s letter grade.

He added the commission is in charge of renewing the school’s charter.