Alamogordo Public Schools

Alamogordo Public Schools
Alamogordo Public Schools
Address
	1211 Hawaii Avenue Alamogordo , New Mexico, 88310; United States
Coordinates	32°54′9″N105°57′2″W / 32.90250°N 105.95056°W
District information
Type	Public school district
Grades	P–12
Superintendent	Kenneth Moore
Schools	15
NCES District ID	3500030
Students and staff
Students	5,572 (2020–2021)
Teachers	322.42 (on an FTE basis)
Student–teacher ratio	17.28 (on an FTE basis)
Other information
Website	www.alamogordoschools.org

Last updated February 02, 2024

The Alamagordo Municipal School District No. 1, also the Alamogordo Public School District or Alamogordo Public Schools (APS), is a school district that serves the communities of Alamogordo, High Rolls, Holloman Air Force Base, Mountain Park, and La Luz and portions of unincorporated Otero County in the state of New Mexico.

History

The first school in the city opened in 1898, originally using a tent, although the school district itself was organized in 1914.^[3] The district considers 1898 as its year of establishment.^[4]

Enrollment around World War II increased with the opening of Alamogordo Army Air Field (now Holloman Air Force Base), causing a previously stable student population to increase. In 1947 it had 1,500 students and 53 teachers. In 1949 Alamogordo High School began admitting African-American students, and by 1951 the school district was racially integrated.^[3] When the personnel at the base asked for the school district to completely desegregate for the benefit of its black employees, the school system did so.^[5]

On July 1, 1959 the following school areas consolidated into Alamogordo schools: Cienega, High Rolls, La Luz, Orogrande, Piñon, and Weed. 325 total students were in these schools.^[6] Previously Weed schools were under the Otero County Board of Education. Weed residents believed the Alamogordo district would be more likely to keep their schools open if there was an enrollment decrease, so in 1958 they decided to join Alamogordo schools instead of Cloudcroft Municipal Schools. The Cloudcroft school board disliked the decision and in 1958 passed a motion stating that the district should not accept Weed or Pinon students even if their respective areas offered to pay tuition to Cloudcroft schools.^[7] Upon obtaining the areas, the Alamogordo school board closed the elementary schools in Orogrande and Piñon.^[8] The Piñon community appealed, but in December 1959 the board upheld its decision.^[9]

In 1967 it had 8,900 students and 415 teachers. In May 1970 it had 9,947 students.^[3]

In November 1992 the Cloudcroft district's board passed a resolution to annex portions of the Alamogordo district, including Piñon, Timberon, and Weed, as well as several ranches. By that time all Alamogordo district facilities in Weed had closed.^[10]

Attendance area

In addition to Alamogordo it serves Boles Acres, High Rolls, Holloman Air Force Base, La Luz, and Orogrande.^[11] It also includes the Mountain Park area.

The area around the former Cienega School is about 100 miles (160 km) from Alamogordo and 20 miles (32 km) from Dell City, Texas; while it is in the Alamogordo district boundaries, due to the respective distances,^[3] the Alamogordo district has an agreement with Dell City Independent School District,^[12] so that district could educate students from the Cienega area. Dell City ISD served grades 9-12 from that area after the opening of Alamogordo district's grade 1-8 Cienega School in 1965. In 1967 the eighth grade was moved to Dell City ISD. In 1970, all grades K-12 were and are sent to Dell City ISD as Cienega School closed.^[3]

Schools

There are fifteen schools in Alamogordo Public Schools, including one standalone preschool program, nine elementary schools, three middle schools, one regular high school, and one alternative high school.

School name	Grades	Enrollment (2020–2021)
Academy Del Sol	10–12	84
Alamogordo High School	9–12	1,516
Buena Vista Elementary	K–5	189
Chaparral Middle School	6–8	600
Desert Star Elementary	K–5	499
High Rolls Mountain Park Elementary	K–5	21
Holloman Elementary	P–5	429
Holloman Middle School	6–8	176
La Luz Elementary	K–5	211
Mountain View Middle School	6–8	533
North Elementary	K–5	233
Sierra Elementary	K–5	295
Stepping Stone Preschool	Preschool	128
Sunset Hills Elementary	K–5	394
Yucca Elementary	K–5	264

Former schools

Alamogordo Mid-High School - Established in 1969 in the former Central Junior High^[3]
Central Junior High School - In 1968 the school district sold its campus to the city government, so it moved into the former Alamogordo High, which moved into another building. It changed into Alamogordo Mid-High School in 1969^[3]
Central Building - It had eight classrooms on two stories and opened in 1910. In 1953 it was demolished.^[3]
Cienega School - Initially having grades 1-8, it opened in 1965. It became a grade 1-7 school in 1967, and it closed in 1971.^[3] In 1970 there was a closing review as Cienega area residents stated that bus rides to/from Dell City would take 2 1/2 hours per direction.^[13] In 1970 the Cienega area had 14 elementary students at Cienega School and 24 junior and senior high school students attending Dell City schools. The cost of sending one student to Dell City was $450 while the Cienega School had a per student cost of $1,400.^[14]
Delaware School for Negro Students^[3]
Dudley School - It had four classrooms and opened in 1914, with the school housing first graders. Circa the 1950s/1960s it became a special education facility.^[3]
East Building - It had six classrooms on two stories and opened in 1900. In 1954 it was demolished.^[3]
Heights Elementary School - It opened in 1957. In 1960 an addition opened.^[3]
Indiana Elementary School - It opened in 1947 with the first grade in a former mortuary purchased by the school district. It became the district headquarters in 1958.^[3]
Little Red School House (Timberon) - It was a winter-only elementary school facility that opened in December 1980.^[15] By 1992 it became a year-round school. The projected enrollment for the 1992-1993 school year was around 9, but because multiple Weed parents decided to send their children to Timberon instead, the actual enrolled student count that year was 18.^[16] The school was acquired by the Cloudcroft district in 1992 and continued operating until May 26, 2002.^[15]
South Elementary School - It opened in 1956. In 1965 it became a special education school.^[3] In 1972 it became the Alamogordo Center for Exceptional Students.^[6]
Weed High School (Weed)^[3] Weed High School opened circa 1885.^[17] The school served Piñon secondary students even before it joined to Alamogordo district,^[8] which the school did in 1959.^[6] In 1970 the State of New Mexico funded the Weed School with $69,000 for one year, arguing that the school's continued operation was a necessity.^[14] Weed High School had grades 7-12. In 1991 the Weed schools had 50 students, with 25 each in elementary and secondary levels, and five secondary teachers. On April 15 of that year Alamogordo board voted 4-0 to close Weed High, citing operating expenses as the annual Weed High expenses were $247,000 while it collected $147,000 that year from Weed residents. It made a deal with Cloudcroft schools to have the children sent there. Some Weed residents did not like the deal as they perceived Cloudcroft schools to be too large and because the Cloudcroft area catered to tourists. The Weed secondary teachers had the option of taking jobs in Alamogordo schools.^[17] Because Weed Elementary remained as a part of the Alamogordo district, it meant that the elementary and high school students had different scheduling. Weed residents did not believe the Alamogordo operation figures, but felt they had no recourse as they believed they could not afford to hire adequate legal representation. The Cloudcroft district did not begin charging tuition to Alamogordo schools and relied on increased funding from its higher enrollment.^[7]
Weed Elementary School (Weed)^[3] - It joined Alamogordo Schools in 1959.^[6] That year the Alamogordo board began sending Piñon students to Weed Elementary.^[8] In the 1991-1992 school year Weed Elementary had 18 students,^[10] and two teachers. In 1991-1992 various Weed parents told the Alamogordo district that a teacher they disliked should be moved from the school or they would not move their children to other schools. The district chose not to remove the teacher.^[18] For the 1992-1993 school year the projected enrollment was 24.^[16] By August 1992 the teacher criticized by Weed parents remained while the other teacher did not go back to Weed Elementary. The parents opposed to the remaining teacher withdrew 20 of the children.^[18] By August 29, 1992 no students showed up to Weed Elementary. Area parents sent them to the Timberon school or to Cloudcroft Schools.^[16] The Cloudcroft district chose to accept the Weed students.^[18] Under New Mexico law a school with less than eight students should not operate, so the Alamogordo district decided to close Weed Elementary. The Alamogordo district offered jobs in Alamogordo schools to the Weed elementary employees, including the only remaining teacher.^[16] The district still chose to employ the teacher instead of keeping the school open.^[18] At that point all grade levels K-12 were officially designated to Cloudcroft schools.^[10] By October 1992 Weed area parents were campaigning to have the elementary school reopened.^[18] In November 1992 the Cloudcroft district's board passed a resolution to annex portions of the Alamogordo district, including Weed. In a separate motion the district drew new electoral boundaries with the annexed area effective the approval of said annexation.^[10]

Other facilities

The district headquarters, the former Indiana Elementary School, became used for the purpose in 1958.^[3]

The lighted athletic field, which had 4,500-seat bleacher facilities, a .25 miles (0.40 km) cinder running track, opened in 1957, with a concession stand/field house opening in 1965.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,839. Its county seat is Alamogordo. Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. It is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, the territorial governor when the county was created.

Alamogordo is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 31,384 as of the 2020 census. Alamogordo is widely known for its connection with the 1945 Trinity test, which was the first ever explosion of an atomic bomb.

La Luz is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,615 at the 2000 census. It is located immediately north of Alamogordo and lies in the eastern edge of the Tularosa Basin and on the western flank of the Sacramento Mountains. Until 1848, La Luz was a part of Mexico. The CDP gets its name from the Spanish word for "light."

Timberon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, and is within the Sacramento Mountains at the southern edge of the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 309 at the 2000 census.

Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research. It is the home of the 49th Wing of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

Spring Independent School District is a school district based in the Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. It is located in north Harris County.

Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest covers an extensive 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Lincoln Forest Reserve, the 1,103,897 acres (4,467.31 km²) forest begins near the Texas border and contains lands in parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero counties. The Lincoln National Forest is home to three major mountain ranges: Sacramento, Guadalupe and Capitan. The three Ranger Districts within the forest contain all or part of a total of four mountain ranges, and include a variety of different environmental areas, from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. Clean air, water, and soil are necessary elements that the National Forests contribute to the environment. Established to balance conservation, resource management, and recreation, the lands of the Lincoln National Forest include important local timber resources, protected wilderness areas, and popular recreation and winter sports areas. The forest headquarters is located in Alamogordo, N.M. with local offices in Carlsbad, Cloudcroft, and Ruidoso.

Dell City Independent School District (DCISD) is a public school district based in Dell City, Texas (USA). The district operates Dell City School, which covers grades Kindergarten through 12 and serves students in northern Hudspeth County. Dell City School is classified as a 1A school by the UIL. In 2016, the school was rated "Improvement Required" by the Texas Education Agency. In addition to northern Hudspeth County, it also serves areas of southeast Otero County, New Mexico as part of an inter-district agreement with Alamogordo Public Schools due to the area's lack of proximity to the Alamogordo district's schools.

Sierra Blanca Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Sierra Blanca, Texas (USA).

High Rolls is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It is nestled within the Lincoln National Forest at the southernmost tip of the Sacramento Mountains.

Orogrande is an unincorporated community in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, located at a latitude of 32.37111 and a longitude of -106.08389 in the Jarilla Mountains of the Tularosa Basin on U.S. 54 between El Paso, Texas and Alamogordo. Originally a mining town named Jarilla Junction due to its proximity to the Jarilla Mountains, established in 1905, the town was renamed Orogrande in 1906 and is not far from similar mining towns named Brice and Ohaysi. The population soared to approximately 2000 as the result of a gold rush that occurred in 1905, but quickly collapsed almost to the point of depopulation when the gold deposits proved much less abundant than expected. There are still numerous abandoned mines in the area which fall under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. Other land around Orogrande is part of a military reservation under the control of Fort Bliss.

Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) is a school district based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Public Schools serves the city of Santa Fe, the communities of Tesuque and Eldorado, and the historic neighborhood of Agua Fria, and other communities with a total area of 1,016 square miles (2,630 km²). The school district has a total of 31 schools: three high schools, three combined high/middle schools, three middle schools, and 21 elementary schools.

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a state special education school with a residential campus in Alamogordo, New Mexico and a preschool in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It operates outreach programs throughout the state.

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), headquartered in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C., and formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. It is responsible for the line direction and management of all BIE education functions, including the formation of policies and procedures, the supervision of all program activities, and the approval of the expenditure of funds appropriated for BIE education functions.

Weed is a hamlet and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It lies alongside New Mexico State Road 24 on the southeastern slopes of the Sacramento Mountains at an elevation of 7,215 ft. It has had a Post Office since 1885. As of the 2010 census, its population was 63.

Piñon is an unincorporated ranching community in Otero County in southern New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The town is in the pinon-juniper shrublands habitat with an altitude of 6,060 feet. It is located at the intersection of NM Route 24 and NM Route 506. The postoffice in Piñon opened in 1907. In 2014, Piñon was ranked as the most politically conservative town in New Mexico.

Alamogordo High School is a public high school in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It is a part of Alamogordo Public Schools.

Deutsche Schule Alamogordo was a German international school in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was operated by the German government and was the largest such school not operated within Germany. Most of the students had parents in the German Air Force stationed at Holloman Air Force Base. It had multiple educational tracks seen in education in Germany.

Cloudcroft Municipal Schools is a school district headquartered in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. It includes Cloudcroft Elementary/Middle School and Cloudcroft High School.

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved December 13, 2022.
↑ "Superintendent's Office". Alamagordo Public Schools. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "It all began here in a tent school in 1898". Alamogordo Daily News . Alamogordo, New Mexico. August 15, 1975. p. 4. - Clipping from Newspapers.com. Text detail A, text detail B, and text detail C
↑ "History of Alamogordo Public Schools". Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
↑ Maxwell, Nicole (July 29, 2019). "An Executive Order and a teen who just wanted to play football: How APS integrated schools". Alamogordo Daily News . Retrieved July 28, 2021.
1 2 3 4 "History of Alamogordo Public Schools". Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
1 2 Thompson, Fritz (May 26, 1991). "Weed High's Long Goodbye". Albuquerque Journal . pp. F1, F3. - Clipping of first and of second page at Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 "Schools At Pinon, Orogrande Closed". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 64, no. 174. Alamogordo, New Mexico. July 24, 1959. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
↑ "Board's Pinon Stand Unchanged". Alamogordo Daily News . Alamogordo, New Mexico. December 9, 1959. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 4 "Cloudcroft School Board Acts To Expand District". Albuquerque Journal . Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press. November 20, 1992. p. D3. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Otero County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved July 27, 2021.
↑ "AGENDA Regular Board Meeting (Virtual Meeting) Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 6:00 pm" (PDF). Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 28, 2021. Dell City Purchase Requisition 20210058 - $34,063.12 for out of state tuition for students residing in the southeast corner of Otero County, NM that attend Dell City, TX ISD
↑ "Cienega Closing Review Slated". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 76, no. 115. Alamogordo, New Mexico. May 14, 1970. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
1 2 "Schools Study Effect on Holloman Cutback". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 76, no. 96. Alamogordo, New Mexico. April 22, 1970. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
1 2 "History of Timberon". Timberon Development Council. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013.
1 2 3 4 "What? No students? No school". Associated Press. August 29, 1992. p. 1A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
1 2 "Bye-bye, Weed High: NM school graduates last class". El Paso Times . Associated Press. May 27, 1991. pp. 1B, 2B. - Clipping of first and of second page by Newspapers.com
1 2 3 4 5 Haddrill, Marilyn (October 2, 1992). "Loud protest silences tiny NM school". El Paso Times . pp. 1A, 2A. - Clipping of first page and of second page at Newspapers.com.

External links

Official website for Alamogordo Public School District

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[NCES-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for ALAMOGORDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved December 13, 2022.

[2] "Superintendent's Office". Alamagordo Public Schools. Retrieved December 13, 2022.

[Allbegan-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "It all began here in a tent school in 1898". Alamogordo Daily News . Alamogordo, New Mexico. August 15, 1975. p. 4. - Clipping from Newspapers.com. Text detail A, text detail B, and text detail C

[4] "History of Alamogordo Public Schools". Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 28, 2021.

[5] Maxwell, Nicole (July 29, 2019). "An Executive Order and a teen who just wanted to play football: How APS integrated schools". Alamogordo Daily News . Retrieved July 28, 2021.

[Disthistpage-6] 1 2 3 4 "History of Alamogordo Public Schools". Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 30, 2021.

[ThompsonWeedHighGoodbye-7] 1 2 Thompson, Fritz (May 26, 1991). "Weed High's Long Goodbye". Albuquerque Journal . pp. F1, F3. - Clipping of first and of second page at Newspapers.com.

[SchoolsPinonOrograndeclosed-8] 1 2 3 "Schools At Pinon, Orogrande Closed". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 64, no. 174. Alamogordo, New Mexico. July 24, 1959. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[9] "Board's Pinon Stand Unchanged". Alamogordo Daily News . Alamogordo, New Mexico. December 9, 1959. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[Actstoexpand-10] 1 2 3 4 "Cloudcroft School Board Acts To Expand District". Albuquerque Journal . Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press. November 20, 1992. p. D3. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[11] "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Otero County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved July 27, 2021.

[12] "AGENDA Regular Board Meeting (Virtual Meeting) Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 6:00 pm" (PDF). Alamogordo Public Schools. Retrieved July 28, 2021. Dell City Purchase Requisition 20210058 - $34,063.12 for out of state tuition for students residing in the southeast corner of Otero County, NM that attend Dell City, TX ISD

[13] "Cienega Closing Review Slated". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 76, no. 115. Alamogordo, New Mexico. May 14, 1970. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[SchoolsStudy1970-14] 1 2 "Schools Study Effect on Holloman Cutback". Alamogordo Daily News . Vol. 76, no. 96. Alamogordo, New Mexico. April 22, 1970. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[TDC-History-15] 1 2 "History of Timberon". Timberon Development Council. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013.

[Whatnostudents-16] 1 2 3 4 "What? No students? No school". Associated Press. August 29, 1992. p. 1A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

[CloseWeedHS-17] 1 2 "Bye-bye, Weed High: NM school graduates last class". El Paso Times . Associated Press. May 27, 1991. pp. 1B, 2B. - Clipping of first and of second page by Newspapers.com

[Haddrillloudprot-18] 1 2 3 4 5 Haddrill, Marilyn (October 2, 1992). "Loud protest silences tiny NM school". El Paso Times . pp. 1A, 2A. - Clipping of first page and of second page at Newspapers.com.

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