School Board OKs a second campus for Montessori of the Rio Grande
The short version
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The School Board approved a second campus for Montessori of the Rio Grande, a charter school, and raised its enrollment cap.
The cap goes from 216 to 450 students, and the new campus would be near Kirtland Air Force Base. The approval depends on the school finding a building and money, and neither change starts before 2028.
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Third-grade reading beat its yearly target. Middle school math rose but is still behind its goal.
Third-grade reading proficiency for the groups the goal tracks reached 35%, above the 31.3% target. Math proficiency is at 14.1%, below its target, but staff called the 3.3% rise the biggest they have seen.
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In one vote without discussion, the School Board approved budget changes for grant funds and four large purchases.
The largest grant change was $22,053,543 in state legislative money, and another was $1,259,298 for school buses. Each of the purchases (fresh fruit and vegetables, New Mexico-grown food, books and restorative justice training) is $500,000 or more.
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The School Board backed the Purple Star program for military families, district-wide and at Sandia Base Elementary.
One resolution lets other schools in the district apply for the Purple Star recognition. The second supports Sandia Base Elementary's application; its principal said 80% of the school is military-connected.
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Residents can give input on the school budget at two meetings on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14.
The Oct. 13 meeting is in the boardroom and will be livestreamed. The Oct. 14 meeting is in the Truman Middle School cafeteria.
What people said
- 23 people spoke in public comment.
- Many speakers asked the board to approve the Montessori of the Rio Grande expansion. They included parents, former students, staff, the head of a statewide charter school group and an elected state public education commissioner.
- Some speakers thanked the district for its policies for transgender students, such as letting students use their chosen names, and asked it to keep them.
- A custodians' representative said 30 to 40 schools are either overstaffed or understaffed. A maintenance worker described leaks and supply shortages.
- A food services driver asked the district to hire faster, post driver jobs outside its own job site and raise starting pay above less than $20 an hour.
- One speaker said child abuse claims brought to staff and the school police were not properly investigated. Another asked for data on how many Black students are placed in special education.
- Speakers on religion took opposite sides. One asked the board to counter anti-Muslim rhetoric and offered training. Two others raised concerns about radicalization.
Whatâs next
- Public meetings on the budget: Oct. 13 in the boardroom (livestreamed) and Oct. 14 at Truman Middle School.
- Tribal consultation on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The board, the superintendent and senior staff meet with tribal leaders, and the board president asked members to attend from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- Next regular School Board meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Alice and Bruce King Education Complex.
- School Board work session: Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m., online on the board's YouTube channel.
- A session for families on speaking up for their child at parent-teacher conferences: Monday, Nov. 16.
Everything on the agenda (16 items)
Decided by vote 5
The School Board adopted its yearly review of itself. Board Member Jackson reported broad agreement that the board has strengthened community engagement. Members split on how authority should be divided between the board and the superintendent. The results were not in the meeting packet.
A resolution that supports military-connected students and families and lets more of the district's schools apply for New Mexico's Purple Star recognition. Staff said any school can earn it, even one without military families.
For you: Military-connected families, and any school that wants to apply.
Supports Sandia Base Elementary's application for the Purple Star recognition. The principal said the school holds meetings on transferring students' special education plans within 30 days and pairs new students with buddies.
For you: Sandia Base Elementary families.
Contract changes let the charter school open a second campus near Kirtland Air Force Base and raise its cap from 216 to 450 students, starting no earlier than 2028. The approval depends on a building, money and other conditions. The school plans to start the new campus with 88 students and grow in steps through 2031. Board Member Betzen asked how this would affect nearby district schools. The superintendent said students who move would leave district schools, and the district receives 2% of a charter's funding.
For you: Families who want a Montessori seat, especially near Kirtland, and nearby district schools that could lose students.
The School Board moved to meet in private about a donation of land to the district in Bernalillo County.
Passed together without discussion 6
Changes to grant funds for the school year 2026-2027. They include $22,053,543 in state legislative money, $1,259,298 for school buses and $1,210,017 for community schools.
For you: Students and families served by these grant programs.
Transfers in August 2026 within and between budget categories for operating, grant and building funds.
Lets the superintendent sign an agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The packet ties it to Montezuma Elementary School, but the record doesn't say what the work is.
For you: Montezuma Elementary families.
A list of equipment taken out of service in August 2026.
Purchases for restorative justice training for staff, delivered fresh fruit and vegetables, New Mexico-grown food and books. Each is $500,000 or more, and the record doesn't give the exact amounts. The superintendent pointed to the fresh fruit purchase as support for students' health.
For you: Students who eat school meals and use school books.
Approval of the district's cash payments for August 2026.
Reports, presentations and discussion 5
The La Cueva High School String Quartet was honored. So were elementary schools on track for the third-grade reading goal and middle schools that have raised math scores over the past three years.
For you: Families at the recognized schools.
Third-grade reading proficiency for the groups the goal tracks reached 35%, above the 31.3% target, and staff said the district is on track for its 2028 goal of 37.3%. English learners rose 0.1 percentage point and students in special education rose 0.3 percentage point. Board members asked whether falling enrollment explains the gain. Staff said the number of proficient students also went up, to 1,899.
For you: Families of children in kindergarten through third grade.
Math proficiency is at 14.1%, below the goal, but staff called the 3.3% rise the biggest they have seen. The district runs small-group tutoring at 18 schools, and staff expect early results in January or February. Staff said math teaching materials are up for adoption this year and that state money won't cover the full cost.
For you: Families of middle school students.
Board Member Astorga reported that the State of the District event had more than 100 people in person and over 300 live viewers. She described the budget meetings on Oct. 13 and 14 and proposed renaming listening sessions "listen, inform, and connect" sessions.
For you: Residents who want to give input to the board.
The superintendent praised student arts programs and the fresh fruit purchase, and said a staff member designed the district's new logo. The board president spoke about the tribal consultation on Oct. 13 with tribal leaders.
What the record doesnât say
- This summary was written from the meeting video's automatic captions before the official minutes were out.
- The captions don't give the actual start or end time.
- The chair never announced vote counts, so the counts are not given.
- The record gives no exact dollar amounts for the four purchases of $500,000 or more.
- The exact site of the new Montessori campus is not settled in the record.
- The record doesn't say whether the board came out of its closed session on the land donation or took any action.
- The legislative open house date in the captions ("Thursday, November 7th") may be misheard, so it is left out.
- The record doesn't say what the agreement with the state Department of Transportation for Montezuma Elementary covers.
Meeting details
- Meeting
- Regular meeting
- Where
- John Milne Community Board Room, Alice and Bruce King Education Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE, Albuquerque
- Presiding
- Board President Ronalda Tome-Warito
- Attendance
- All seven members answered the first roll call. Board Member Martinez took part online from Washington, D.C.
- Written from
- From the meeting videoâs automatic captions and the agenda. The official minutes are not out yet.
Written by AI from the official record and checked by code against it: every dollar figure, vote, number, date and memberâs name must appear in the recordâs own words, or the summary is held. Not reviewed by a person. Residents are not named. How these are made · All Albuquerque meetings