Bernalillo Board Seeks K-8 Expansion to Retain Placitas, Algodones Students

Bernalillo Public Schools officials moved this month to broaden grade offerings at two small, rural campuses in hopes of stemming enrollment losses and strengthening community ties. On Dec. 22 the school board passed two resolutions asking the New Mexico Public Education Department to approve the reorganization of Algodones Elementary and Placitas Elementary — a step taken after a Dec. 9 town hall in Placitas and parent surveys that largely endorsed the plan.

Algodones, currently a K-5 school, would operate as a pre-K-6 site if approved; Placitas, now K-6, would expand to K-8. The Algodones request passed unanimously among the five-member board. The Placitas resolution passed despite a dissenting vote from Board Secretary Christine Suina, who did not elaborate on her reasons during the meeting.

Superintendent Matt Montaño framed the strategy as an attempt to reverse a long-running trend of families moving their children out of the district for middle school. "My thinking is, rolling back programs hasn't helped student retention, so maybe expanding programs will help," he said in an interview prior to the December meeting. He added that some families had left Placitas despite prior expansions, and that choice has become broader than it was decades ago. "Placitas families may or may not consider Bernalillo to be part of their community," Montaño said. "People have more choices; it's not like 30 years ago, where you go to your local public school. So we're thinking of different ways to keep our kids in our school district."

Timing for construction and grade changes varies. Placitas, located at 5 Calle del Carbon, could expand as early as fall 2026. Algodones' expansion depends on completion of an annex near the school off New Mexico Highway 313. The district has previously received approval from the public school capital outlay council for a new Algodones school, but updated adequacy standards have prompted BPS to seek additional building expansion from the council.

Voters approved a bond in November 2025 that will help fund both projects, but Superintendent Montaño said the bond will not cover all costs and the district is seeking state support for Algodones. He urged creative approaches to enrollment and facilities as a path to different outcomes. "We could do the same thing we've always done and get the same results ... or we could think about doing things differently and being a little bit more aggressive in what we're doing to retain our kids," Montaño said.

Beyond enrollment, the proposed reorganizations carry public health and equity implications. Expanding grade-span options could reduce student travel, increase continuity of learning and school-based services, and ease burdens on working families who face transportation and childcare challenges. For Sandoval County communities that straddle city and rural identities, keeping children in neighborhood schools may also bolster local social networks that support mental health and access to services.

The board's resolutions now await review by the state Public Education Department. If approved, district leaders will proceed with administrative and construction plans tied to facility funding and the annex timeline.