Virtual & Spanish Town Hall Meetings Added for Community Input

Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) has announced an additional town hall-style meeting as part of its redistricting effort, which aims to better balance school populations with the opening of a new elementary school. The redistricting plan, launched in August, has already included several public input sessions to gather feedback from the community.

On Tuesday, Nov. 26, the district added another virtual meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, to provide more opportunities for parents and staff to participate. Those interested in joining can access the meeting through a provided link.

The proposed changes are linked to the opening of the new Columbia Elementary School and are designed to address overcrowding and balance enrollment across the district’s East Mesa schools. Additionally, the changes could help increase enrollment at Mayfield High School. Any alterations to attendance zones must be approved by the LCPS Board of Education.

Last week, LCPS also launched a survey to gather input on the proposed changes. The survey is available in both English and Spanish and will remain open through Dec. 10.

To ensure all stakeholders have ample opportunities to provide feedback before completing the survey, the district scheduled an extra meeting. The first two town halls took place on Nov. 14 at Organ Mountain High School and Nov. 20 at Mayfield High School. LCPS Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz will also host a third meeting in Spanish at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex in Las Cruces.

The redistricting plan is led by Sherley O’Brien, LCPS’s Chief of Student Services and Community Relations. In August, O’Brien formed the Redistricting Advisory Committee, consisting of community volunteers, parents, teachers, school board members, and district administrators, to guide the process.

The district has been updating the community on the redistricting efforts via the advisory committee’s website, accessible on the LCPS homepage.

If approved, any permanent changes to school zones could be voted on at the LCPS Board of Education meeting scheduled for Dec. 17. At that meeting, the Board will receive a final presentation on the proposed changes, along with feedback from the advisory committee, town halls, and the survey.

The redistricting process follows Policy JCAA, which grants the Board of Education the authority to modify geographic attendance zones based on the opening of new schools or shifts in population.

Key Dates for the LCPS Redistricting Plan:

• Nov. 21 – Dec. 10: Stakeholder survey open
• Dec. 4: Virtual Town Hall meeting at 6:30 p.m.
• Dec. 5: Spanish-speaking Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. at the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex
• Dec. 17: LCPS Board of Education meeting to potentially vote on new school attendance zones

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