8-01-2024 3:02pm

Charter- Sacramento School of Engineering and Science Huge Public Feedback Response

Chris Edwards Editor

A Charter School application in Alamogordo sparked significant public discussion and shows a divided Alamogordo. The process for awarding a charter via the New Mexico Department of Education for the Sacramento School of Engineering and Science in Alamogordo is ongoing.

The public hearing was last month and a transcript of that hearing is now posted as public record. The NMPED sent followup questions to the founding board and their response is in.

Now the public and the founding board awaits a response from the NMPED. The NMPED board of education will meet in formal public session on August 25th and announce rather the charter is granted as submitted or if the group will need to resubmit the next cycle with modifications in January of 2025.

Regardless, if approved or not, the proposal demonstrated a clear concern by the community with the existing public education systems in Alamogordo.

The arguments pro and con against the charter was heated at times, and several of the founding board members took being challenged by our coverage and questions by the community personal.

The engagement is certainly not personal, but is to challenge individuals wanting to use public money to be: open, transparent, accountable and to open conversations and communication to a broader group of the Alamogordo community, rather than just a focused elite group and Chamber of Commerce participants.

Public education impacts the whole community, thus whole community outreach is expected, especially when taxpayer dollars are in the equation.

Noteable in this process is the level of community engagement via public comments that occurred from the small town of Alamogordo.

The NMPED has before it 4 applications for consideration for new public charter schools...

Equip Academy of New Mexico (grades K-5) – Albuquerque

Sacramento School of Engineering and Science (grades 9-12) – Alamogordo

Sun Mountain Community School (grades K-8) – Santa Fe

The Multilingual International School (grades K-12) – Bernalillo

Of the 4 schools under consideration for charter; no school received the level of interest, debate nor public comments and letters as did the charter under consideration in Alamogordo.

The Equip Academy of New Mexico (grades K-5) – Albuquerque. The public hearing had significant engagement and yet written comments 2 were submitted in favor and one shows on record as opposed.

The Sun Mountain Community School (grades K-8) – Santa Fe. The public hearing for this charter in Santa Fe had significant participation in the public discussion and 30 letters submitted as public comment. Of those submitted only a handful were against this charter concept.

The Multilingual International School (grades K-12) – Bernalillo another large city had significant public interest at the public hearing. Of the written comments submitted 24 were in favor of the school with 1 letter of opposition.

Then finally there is the local debate over the Sacramento School of Engineering and Science (grades 9-12) in Alamogordo. This charter of the 4 applications pending is the only one from a small rural community and that fact and the potential financial impact on the local school system has sparked significant debate.

While there has been much social media discussion around this proposed charter school there was little coverage in the mainstream Alamogordo press excepting for our news outlets of KALHRadio.org and AlamogordoTownNews.org.

Via that extensive coverage Alamogordo taxpayers came out in force in written public comments. The advocates for the charter school used their influence within the Chamber of Commerce and the Republican Party to send out official emails asking members to engage in emails to the NMPED and via a template.

Opponents of the Charter to include LULAC Chapter 8105, and others attempted grass roots opposition via letters to the editor, radio interviews and a petition drive at the grassroots level. That call to action verses the machine of the local Republican Party of Otero County and the Chamber of Commerce resulted in a large outpouring of written letters in opposition of the proposed charter school as proposed.

A New Mexico PED representative said to us that several staff members were "shocked at the level of engagement and the level of division in Alamogordo around the charter application."

A total of 126 written letters were submitted to NMPED concerning the pending application. Many in the form of form letters in support, however unlike the other 3 applications referred to above: a huge number of grassroots written letters of opposition, were submitted against the charter, to a point that about 50% opposed the proposal as submitted. Over 60 letters in opposition were submitted along with a petition that was signed by 59 individuals opposed to the charter as proposed.

What is the lesson of such an outpouring of opposition to the proposed charter in Alamogordo?

The leason to be learned is for any initiative in Alamogordo that is going to use taxpayer money; it is critical to be transparent, open and to engage a diverse audience of multiple stakeholders.

From the comments submitted; citizens were worried that the financial plan as proposed was not well enough established, that diversity and inclusion was an afterthought, and that innovation was lacking, due to similar approaches by APS already implemented or in process, no real innovation.

Most citizens agreed APS needs work, but most comments questioned is this charter as proposed was the answer. The grassroots comments say no.

Several suggested a charter similar to the old "Aces" program would better serve the community and target "at risk youth" rather than focusing on just the "highest achieving youth."

If the charter is granted under the existing proposal, then the founders have a lot of work ahead of them to mend fences and build diverse support for the new school.

If the charter is denied, it is our hope the founding board will self evaluate and implement a plan for outreach and work within APS to launch their lofty goals of excellence, or try again but with a much more inclusive approach to community engagement.

Stay tuned as August 25th the NM PED board will announce whst they heard from the people of Alamogordo with their decision.