Новое здание Independence High School откроется в сентябре 2027 года

EDUCATION New Independence High building moves toward 2027 opening RRPS facilities director provides update on district's bond projects RIO RANCHO — The new Independence High School is on track for completion in the spring. During a bond project update during Monday’s Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education meeting, Patrick Martinez, executive director of facilities, noted that the $36 million project is also on the budget. “The goal is to have this open for the fall of 2027 school year,” he said. In an overview of current bond projects being undertaken by the district, Martinez noted 24 projects for a total budget of $106.45 million. Eight of those are currently in design with five in construction, he added. Three are also in closeout, including the new Puesta del Sol Pre-K, which opened to students Monday. Martinez gave a brief rundown of the projects for the board: • New Independence High School building: $36 million from the 2023 bond vote, currently under construction, expected completion in spring 2027. “We have steel starting to become a building now, which is exciting,” Martinez said. “There’s a lot of earthwork involved in that, but it is exciting to see it in this phase. … The goal is to have it opened up for the fall of 2027 school year.” • Rio Rancho High School system, security and fine arts upgrade: $22 million from the 2023 bond, currently in planning and design with completion date to be determined. Additionally, he said, the RRHS classroom addition ($7 million, 2023) is pending final approval from the New Mexico Public School Facility Authority. “This one, by scope, is very large,” Martinez said. “The systems portion of this consists of HVAC, electrical, fire alarm and roof, and with that comes some drainage.” The drainage, he said, isn PSFA funded, and following their protocols has taken some time. “The next part of this project were security upgrades. These security upgrades consisted of perimeter fencing and the the Evolv pavilions,” Martinez said. “We’re still early in the project to see what that’s going to look like, but the goal is that we’ll have two Evolv systems at both of the key points the school.” The fine arts portion, he said, includes a scene productions space. • Cleveland High School classroom addition and security upgrades: $8.5 million from the 2023 bond. The project is currently 50% through construction documents with a completion date slated for spring 2028. The design phase is projected to be completed in September, according to Martinez. “Once we get design, we’ll work diligently to get a contractor on board and get this built. There is a lot of site work for this project that we’ll be having to deal with once we get into it,” he said. • Puesta Del Sol Pre-K: $4 million from the 2025 bond. This project is in the closeout phase with playgrounds scheduled to be completed in October. The project included a portable refresh, building renovation, playground upgrades, a kitchen renovation, parking lot upgrades, bus lane upgrades and a turf play field installation. “It was a large project, and the scope was pretty extensive,” Martinez told the board. “Not only did we renovate the Freedom wing of Puesta del Sol to be pre-K, but we did a lot of other upgrades. … I think the school looks great. … It really looks like a whole different campus.” “I had the good fortune of being in a new pre-K classroom at Puesta del Sol Elementary this morning, and we got to see some of the other work that’s been done. Huge improvements,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Dodd. “The pre-K wing for our community will provide our 4-year-olds a state-of the art space to begin to learn in our schools.” • Athletic field upgrades: At CHS, this includes a baseball turf replacement ($1 million, closeout, 2025 bond); softball outfield turf replacement ($200,000, construction, 2025 bond); track replacement ($1 million, construction, 2025 bond); and soccer field turf install ($1.25 million, design, 2025 bond). At RRHS, upgrades include track and field turf replacement ($2 million, construction, 2025 bond); softball turf replacement ($300,000, pre-construction, 2025 bond); and soccer field turf install ($1.25 million, design, 2025 bond). • IT intercom projects at various locations: Summer 2026 saw completion at Cielo Azul Elementary, Ernest Stapleton Elementary and Enchanted Hills Elementary for a total of $682,000. Summer of 2027 will see upgrades at Sandia Vista Elementary and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary for a total of $659,000. In 2028, Joe Harris Elementary and Shining Stars Preschool will be upgraded for $659,000. These are all from the 2025 bond vote. Other projects included on the project list are in varying stages of completion: • Pending PSFA approval: Eagle Ridge structural and electrical upgrade, $2.8 million from the 2025 bond; Enchanted Hills Elementary drainage and electrical, $2 million from the 2025 bond. • Design: Lincoln Middle School classroom creation, $4.5 million from the 2023 bond; Vista Grande parent loop, $3 million from the 2025 bond; Enchanted Mesa Day Care facility, $5 million, 2025 bond. • Pre-construction: CHS and RRHS marching band field repairs, $300,000 and $700,000 respectively from the 2025 bond. Martinez said these are ready to go but the district is holding off on because of timing concerns. Construction: RioTECH solar, $1.2 million from the 2019 bond. “I would just say thank you, Patrick, for all your hard work in balancing all the projects,” Dodd said. “These projects represent a significant commitment to providing safe, modern and supportive learning environments for all of our students and staff. … I appreciate the work of our facilities team in managing these projects and ensuring that we are good stewards of the resources approved by our community.”