SW New Mexico News

Parent representatives have been selected as part of Las Cruces Public Schools’ Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC). The RAC will assist in identifying potential new school attendance boundaries for consideration by the LCPS Board of Education.

On Aug. 26, a total of 12 parent representatives were randomly selected during a livestream in the boardroom of the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex. The parent representatives for each feeder pattern are:

Centennial

Las Cruces

Mayfield

Organ Mountain

Elementary:

- Elena Martinez

- Wendy Burk

- Cullen Maher

- Brendan Griffith

Middle:

- Hannah Robinson

- Tara Binns

- Veronica Escapita

- Tanya Maynes

High:

- Anthony Rivera

- Manny Guardiola

- Adrinne Espinoza

- Lonna Pierce

In the event a parent representative cannot fulfill the meeting requirements, alternate names were drawn. The meetings kick off this week and are scheduled as follows:

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.

As previously announced, the redistricting effort aims to balance school populations and address overcrowding in the district’s East Mesa schools and will coincide with the opening of the new Columbia Elementary School on Elks Drive. According to district administration, redistricting will also help bolster the student population at Mayfield High School, which has become a focus of the district.

Along with the 12 parents selected, the RAC will include four at-large parents representing special programs (special education, bilingual education, gifted and early childhood education), LCPS staff, students and two Board of Education members. The RAC is tasked with soliciting feedback from community stakeholders and will 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.

All three meetings of the RAC will be recorded and available for viewing at www.lcps.net.