The evolution of Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) over the past decade has been marked by significant changes in response to budgetary constraints and shifting student populations. Starting in Spring 2010, the school board faced a substantial budget shortfall exceeding $7 million, prompting contentious decisions such as the consolidation of Larragoite, Alvord, and Kaune elementary schools into a single K-8 campus at a former middle school. This decision faced strong opposition from affected families. In a move to accommodate the students from these schools, Aspen Community Magnet School was established in Fall 2010, although efforts to consolidate Acequia Madre and Atalaya elementary schools were halted due to backlash from parents. A few years later, in February 2012, the board prematurely terminated then-Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez’s contract after a payout of $168,000, marking the beginning of a series of leadership changes.
With the intention of addressing overcrowding, two new K-8 schools opened in August 2014: El Camino Real Academy and Nina Otero Community School. However, as Superintendent Joel Boyd proposed a consolidation between Capshaw and De Vargas middle schools in January 2016, resistance from the community once again proved significant. This trend continued into April 2017, with another plan to consolidate E.J. Martinez and Nava elementary schools meeting similar opposition and ultimately being abandoned. By August of that year, the completion of Milagro Middle School marked a turning point, transitioning from the former De Vargas middle school and incorporating a phased-in consolidation approach, although earlier plans for extensive remodeling were revised to retain existing structures.
In the spring of 2018, discussions surrounding potential closures for E.J. Martinez and Nava elementary schools resurfaced. The board faced intense lobbying from parents urging them to reconsider, resulting in no action taken against the schools. As board member Maureen Cashmon’s term came to a close in September 2019, she advocated for proactive measures to adjust to a declining student population and age-old facilities. In October 2019, a proposal to close several small schools, including Acequia Madre, E.J. Martinez, and Nava, met pushback and ultimately failed in a close board vote. The discourse shifted away from closures and towards improving educational offerings, with then-board president Kate Noble asserting the importance of enhancing education for all students instead.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 disrupted planned initiatives, leading to statewide school closures and a shift to remote learning for the remainder of the school year. These adjustments delayed potential reforms within SFPS, including the pressing need to rethink and reimagine educational delivery. Superintendent Veronica García announced her retirement in March 2021, citing pandemic-related pressures. By August of that year, Noble reintroduced the idea of reimagining schools, calling for a community-led effort aimed at improving equity and academic performance within the district.
The Public Education Department reported a continuing downward trend in student enrollment numbers, exacerbated by the pandemic; the district lost nearly 1,000 students between 2019 and 2021, prompting the school board to explore alternative strategies to adjust for declining populations. In September 2022, SFPS’s official reimagining efforts commenced. Noble framed these efforts—estimated to last 12 to 18 months and costing approximately $210,000—as alternatives to school closures. The steering committee for the reimagining initiative held its first meeting the following month to engage community input from various stakeholders, including educators and families.
In August 2023, the school board took decisive steps by approving new procedures for closing or repurposing school campuses based on enrollment trends and economic factors tied to the reimagining initiative. The board reaffirmed its commitment to include student voices in decision-making processes. These reforms paved the way for further advancements in January 2024 with a resolution that marked a “renaissance” in bilingual education aimed at strengthening transitions between primary and secondary grades. By October 2024, an establishing of a Mid-Level Education Council was set to analyze best practices in middle school education. Furthermore, the board planned to discuss innovation schools in January 2025, allowing schools to focus on specialized themes, indicating a shift towards enhanced educational opportunities for students in Santa Fe.
