Educators strive to create welcoming environments, keep campuses safe as Albuquerque kids return

Schools across Albuquerque welcomed back students Thursday morning as the largest district in the state opened its classrooms after summer vacation.

First graders to seniors returned to Albuquerque Public Schools campuses, while the district projects an enrollment of just over 64,000 — a decrease of around 1,000 students from the end of the previous school year — and operates with its largest budget ever at $2.25 billion.

In Barelas, Dolores Gonzales Elementary School welcomed kids back with teachers banging on bass drums, shaking maracas and ringing cowbells to upbeat songs by the likes of Bill Withers and Selena in a courtyard at the school’s entrance.

“I think there’s a really good balance of community, as you can see the staff take the extra steps to make sure that the kids are feeling like they belong to this place,” Dahveed Torres said as he dropped off his fifth grade son. “They have a sense of stewardship towards the community, towards their future, towards each other.”

Welcoming parents and students onto the campus, second-year principal of the bilingual school Parisa Asgharzadeh radioed on her walkie-talkie to her staff that there were just a few minutes until the gate closed as the clock inched closer to 7:30 — when class began.

“We want to see the children feel like they belong here. We want them to be excited, energized, to make it memorable on the first day, so it’s a core memory, and they have the energy to take them through the school,” Asgharzadeh said.

Around three miles away in the North Valley, just before 8 a.m., middle schoolers flocked to the cafeteria to receive their schedules at Garfield Middle School as APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey, joined by her chief of staff, walked the campus hallways.

“In the North Valley is where we have declining enrollment, so some of the students, their elementary school was closed … in previous years,” Blakey said. “So they’re pretty excited, I think, to be able to have an opportunity to go to a more robust experience here at Garfield, their numbers look really good.”

Garfield, a magnet school focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, had around 290 students at the end of last school year, and has nearly 350 students this year, partially due to the closure of Taft Middle School announced last year as part of the district’s right-sizing plan in response to declining enrollment.

“Let’s have a great first day at Garfield Magnet and Community School, let’s make sure we are treating each other well with respect and kindness, because here we build scholars and compassionate citizens,” school Principal Joshua LaClair said over the intercom just after students had made their way into classrooms. “If no one has told you ‘I love you’ today, Mr. LaClair is telling you officially, right here, right now, first day of school, that I love you all. I’m glad that you’re here.”

The district closed Taft as part of its ongoing right-sizing plan, however there aren’t any plans for the district to close any schools this year, according to Antonio Gonzales, deputy superintendent of operations. In a Tuesday interview with the Journal, he added that “plans change” but “we will not have any schools closing this year.”

In the Northeast Heights, around 9:30 a.m., over 1,000 students roamed between buildings at Sandia High School during their passing period as the school juggled a higher-than-anticipated enrollment. One of those students was Julian Archuleta, a freshman left tackle for the school’s football team.

Among the things he said he’s most excited about are being in a “new school, new environment” and being able to “play the games, and represent Sandia.”

Despite the district’s enrollment woes, Sandia’s higher-than-expected student registration leading to cramped classrooms is one of the main concerns for Principal Camille Gonzales as she begins her 26th school year with APS, 10th at Sandia and fifth heading the school. However, she called it a “good problem” to have.

The other issue she sees as a challenge is the safety of students on campus.

Last year, APS found 15 firearms on its campuses, including charter schools — which it doesn’t oversee day-to-day operations at. However, none of those firearms were found at Sandia.

“The other problem is what we’re seeing citywide, nationwide, and that is, the threat of school violence and the fear of weapons seen on campus,” Gonzales said. “That’s something that I think is always in the back of everybody’s mind, and so we do our best to put safety protocols in place and to adhere to those, but I think that fear is always there.”