OPINION: Students can't learn in uncomfortable classrooms

In 2025, New Mexico continues to rank among the lowest in the United States for education across multiple major national studies. The data is there and it does not lie: For the fifth consecutive year, New Mexico ranked 50th in the 2025 Kids Count Data Book for overall child wellbeing. WalletHub's July 2025 report ranked New Mexico 51st (including the District of Columbia) for its public school system. 

While academic performance scores for 2025 are terribly disturbing, New Mexico schools are showing small signs of improvement, especially in reading, with gains seen statewide and in large districts like Albuquerque Public Schools. But we certainly have a long way to go. (Fourth grade reading — 20% of students are proficient; fourth grade Math — 23% of students are proficient; eighth grade Reading — 19% of students are proficient; eighth grade Math — 14% of students are proficient.)

Why? There are a multitude of reasons given by pundits, educators and parents: low income, poor health care, lack of parent academic support, teacher turnover, low teacher salaries and more. Having three of my own children move through APS, I have a sense of one area of concern that is almost universally overlooked. For many years, at least since the 1980s, there has been a lack of adequate classroom space and essential maintenance of school buildings. I have seen kids suffer in portable classrooms that were 80-85 degrees inside in August, to kids complaining of needing to wear jackets in classrooms in February. Classroom environment is critical to learning. Kids do not achieve academic success when they are hungry, and we are fortunate for the school meal programs. But neither do they learn when they are bone cold or sweating from the heat in the classroom. While there are many legitimate reasons for low academic achievement, this particular concern is rarely mentioned, and I suspect rarely even considered. At least it has not been in the open and in the public eye. Shouldn’t it be?

To date, there is only one candidate for governor who I have heard mention this as a concern. Candidate Deb Haaland has expressed her support for improving school facilities by directing uncommitted funds from the Public School Capital Outlay Fund to improve school buildings such as modernizing HVAC systems and renovating facilities. That is the forward thinking our young learners need.

Jeffrey Paul has a Bachelors Degree in Education and has raised three children through APS. He is the author of the book "Inside Politics in America: A View from the Outside."