What is the potential walk zone?
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Several of the scenarios depict a fuchsia colored outline surrounding the new northwest high school. The area within this boundary reflects the potential walk zone, not necessarily the actual walk zone. The fuchsia colored boundary contains areas that are within 2 miles of the new high school based on existing roads. However, this potential walk zone has not discounted hazardous walk zones. The State of New Mexico Public Education Department and APS Transportation policies state that students outside of a walk zone or in a hazardous walk zone will be provided with bus transportation. Hazardous walk zones include such areas as those that have no sidewalk facilities, require crossing a major arterial, or have roads with high traffic volumes. APS Transportation Department will be developing a walk zone according to state statutes for the new high school in the future and it will likely be smaller than the area demarcated by the fuchsia colored boundary. |
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Again, the potential walk zone displayed on several of the boundary scenarios will not necessarily be the final walk zone for the new northwest high school. |
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For additional information regarding hazardous walking conditions for public schools in the state of New Mexico, please refer to the New Mexico Public Education Department website at: http://www.ped.state.nm.us/div/fin/trans/dl/hzw.survey.pdf |
Why can't we have pure feeders
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Out of the current 23 middle schools in the district, 9 middle schools are split feeders to the high schools. A split feeder means that a middle school feeds into two or more high schools. |
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Pure feeders are only possible when the elementary/middle school population will not overwhelm the middle/high schools. For example, there are 902 eighth graders projected in LBJ and Monroe middle schools for 2006-07. The capacity for the 9th grade academy at new northwest high school will be around 600 students. Therefore, not all of the 902 eighth graders can go to one high school, but must be split between two high schools. |
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School attendance areas are determined by geographical location of student residences, and not by the elementary/middle school that they currently attend. For example, a student residing at 9812 Academy NE would attend Eisenhower Middle School and La Cueva High School. Another student residing at 10,700 Academy Rd NE would attend Eisenhower Middle School and Eldorado High School. While only half a mile apart, both students would attend the same middle school but different high schools. |
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Again, the geographical distribution and density of student populations determine school attendance area boundaries and not the school the student is currently attending. |
Why is Proposed Scenario A (which places the Ventana Ranch neighborhood into Cibola High School) considered a viable scenario?
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Proposed Scenario A is considered a viable scenario because it is one of the few boundary scenarios that balances enrollment between Cibola High School and the new high school. The projected enrollments for Cibola High School and the new high school are 2,121 and 2,194 students respectively in 2012-13 under Proposed Scenario A (a.k.a. Scenario 1B). You can refer to the projected enrollment figures for all discussed scenarios at nwhsgraphs.php |
Why can't West Mesa and the new southwest high school help relieve some of the overcrowding issues in the northwest area?
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The new northwest high school was planned and funded to relieve overcrowding issues at Cibola High School and the northwest area. The new southwest high school was planned and funded to relieve overcrowding issues at West Mesa High School and the southwest area. These are two distinct areas with two distinct problems and solutions. |
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Both of these areas will continue to grow. West Mesa High School cannot help relieve growth occurring in the northwest because rapid growth is also occurring in the southwest. |
Why does APS have to provide schools for the area that has been annexed by the City of Rio Rancho?
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In the state of New Mexico, city municipalities and public school districts are separate jurisdictions. APS encompasses multiple jurisdictions such as Bernalillo County, parts of Sandoval County, village of Corrales, village of Tijeras, Sandia Pueblo, Isleta Pueblo, Tohajilee (Canoncito) and other unincorporated jurisdictions. If you live in Quail Ranch (in the future), you will pay city taxes to the city of Rio Rancho and property taxes to the Albuquerque Public School District and the County of Bernalillo. |
Why can't the Rio Rancho Public Schools assume responsibility for providing schools in the area recently annexed by Rio Rancho, but still in the APS district?
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School district jurisdictions in the state of New Mexico are ratified by the New Mexico State Legislature through the following process. |
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Two school boards mutually agree to transfer an area from one district to the other. |
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The New Mexico Public Education Department and the Secretary of Education conduct an analysis to ensure that the changing of areas will not have an adverse impact, financially and educationally, to either of the districts and the rest of the state. |
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The State legislature ratifies the change. |
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If an area within the district wishes to break away, the residents of that area must petition the State Legislature. If supported by the State Legislature, the Legislature will sponsor a referendum which the residents of the entire APS attendance area will vote upon. |
When will these new boundaries go into effect? Who will be allowed to remain at Cibola after the new school opens?
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The new boundaries will be effective at the start of the 2007/08 school year for 9th graders. The new boundaries will be effective for all grades in 2008/09. |
| School Year |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
| Grades at New High School |
9th |
School ready for all grades* |
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*Some upper classmen may opt to stay and finish at Cibola High School. Those students who live within the new high school attendance area but choose to stay at Cibola High School will have to provide their own transportation and may have to apply for transfers. |
Will the 9th grade academy have athletic facilities?
Can the opening of the new high school be delayed one year so that the entire school can be opened at once rather than in phases?
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The opening of the new high school cannot be delayed one year because: |
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Overcrowding at Cibola is at a critical level and has to be relieved |
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High schools are usually opened in phases because 11th and 12th graders at the existing school usually want to stay at their current schools, thereby minimizing disruption to their education |
Why was my neighborhood not represented on the boundary committee?
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The Boundary Committee consists of parent/community representatives, teacher and principal representatives and APS support staff. Parents and community members on the Volcano Vista High School Boundary Committee represent all neighborhoods within the Cibola Cluster, as much as possible. If each neighborhood or neighborhood association had a representative on the boundary committee, the committee would be too large to be effective. Therefore, one parent is selected from each of the affected schools and represents the interests of those parents who attend that school. In addition, neighborhood associations such as the Westside Coalition have representatives on the boundary committee in order to help represent collective interest groups. The City of Albuquerque Office of Neighborhood Coordination, City of Albuquerque Planning Department, & the County of Bernalillo Planning Department were also represented. It is important that parents communicate with these parent and community representatives to ensure that your concerns have been shared with the boundary committee. |
What happens next? When will these boundaries be approved?
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The boundary committee has narrowed down the 10 scenarios to two (Proposed Scenario A and B). These two scenarios have been posted to the webpage in order to allow community members to further discuss these two scenarios. The boundary committee will reconvene in early fall of 2006 to share community feedback with the committee. |
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During the fall of 2006, APS will host two public meetings to share with community members the recommended boundary scenario(s) for the new northwest high school. Public comments will be heard at this time. After these public meetings, the boundary committee will reconvene to discuss feedback shared at the public meetings. Based on this feedback and other analysis, the committee will recommend one boundary scenario to the Superintendent. The Superintendent in turn will review this recommendation and send her recommendation onto the Board of Education for approval. Approval will be enacted by the full Board of Education after a full board public debate and vote at which public comment will also be taken. Once approved by the Board of Education, the new boundaries will become effective after the new school opens. |
If you have additional questions or feedback, please send them to Betty King at king_b@aps.edu. Thank you.
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