Las Cruces Public Schools begins process to re-draw school boundaries ahead of Columbia Elementary re-opening

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Las Cruces Public Schools will soon start re-drawing school boundaries, and it coincides with the future opening of an elementary school that’s been closed for six years.

Columbia Elementary School was knocked down two years ago, after being closed since 2018 when dangerous mold was discovered in its walls.

LCPS says its reconstruction and planned fall 2025 opening is the perfect opportunity to address the district’s boundaries.

The district says re-drawing school boundaries will address multiple issues that include getting students back into Columbia Elementary, and out of the temporary campus ten miles away at Centennial High School, as well as solving overpopulation issues at schools on the rapidly growing East Mesa.

“We have Organ Mountain High School, we have Camino Real Middle School, Sonoma Elementary, Highland Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary, Mesa Middle School," said LCPS spokeswoman Kelly Jameson to ABC-7 Wednesday.

"Those are just a few of the schools where we’re seeing large student demographics, large student populations, and we need to balance those out across the district," she added.

Another issue that the district hopes to solve by re-districting is getting funding for the aging Mayfield High School campus.

“We are hoping that redistricting will push more students back to mayfield high school, so it can then be eligible for state funds to get the school back to the condition that it deserves to be," said Jameson.

She adds parents will play a large role in the re-drawing process, and a redistricting advisory committee of parents across the district is being assembled.

Some parents ABC-7 spoke to say re-districting will be great to help Mayfield get renovations, while others were concerned about their kids potentially moving schools.

George Contreras, the grandfather of a Monte Vista Elementary School student, which is located on the East Mesa, shared those concerns.

“He’s got one more year left here, and for him to be shipped out to another school, that wouldn’t be fair," said Contreras.

If you’d like to be one of the 12 parents on the redistricting committee, you have until August 23rd to apply.

The link to apply can be found here.

Meetings for the committee, for which all members must commit to attending, have been scheduled for the following dates:

• Thursday Sept. 5, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
• Tuesday Oct. 15, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
• Wednesday Oct. 30, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.