Plan will balance student populations, coincide with the opening of Columbia Elementary.
Source: Las Cruces Public Schools
Written by: Kelly Jameson
August 14, 2024
Las Cruces Public Schools will begin outlining new school attendance boundaries for consideration by the LCPS Board of Education. The effort coincides with the opening of the new Columbia Elementary School and is designed to balance school populations and overcrowding in the district’s East Mesa schools. According to district administration, redistricting will also help to bolster the student population at Mayfield High School, which has become a focus of the district.
Under the plan, there will be a Redistricting Advisory Committee that includes LCPS staff, parents, students and two Board of Education members. The Redistricting Advisory Committee will help to solicit feedback from community stakeholders and work with a consultant to identify possible new attendance zones. Those options will then be presented to the LCPS Board of Education for discussion and possible approval later this year.
The process of redistricting is outlined in Policy JCAA, which gives the Board of Education authority to alter geographic attendance zones based on the opening of new schools or shifts in population.
In addition to LCPS staff, students and Board of Education members, a total of 16 parents will be selected to serve on the Redistricting Advisory Committee, including three from each of the four high school feeder patterns (one each from the high school, middle school and elementary levels) that will be chosen in a lottery-style drawing and four at-large appointments representing special programs. To be considered for one of the 12 feeder pattern parent representatives, parents can submit their information using this link. Spanish-speaking parents may use this link. The deadline to apply is Friday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. Parents will need to commit to all three meetings which have been scheduled on the following dates and times:
- Thursday Sept. 5, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Tuesday Oct. 15, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday Oct. 30, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The drawing will be livestreamed on the LCPS YouTube channel on Monday, Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. Alternate names will be drawn if a selected committee member cannot commit to the meeting schedule.
All three meetings of the RAC will be recorded and available for viewing at www.lcps.net.
