Las Cruces Public Schools is set to move forward with plans to renovate Mayfield High School. Scott Brocato spoke with Kelly Jameson, LCPS's Director of Communication, about the estimated timeline and costs of the renovation, and the $65 million general obligation bond question on the November ballot.
Scott Brocato:
Las Cruces Public Schools is set to move forward with plans to renovate Mayfield High School, the 61-year-old Mayfield High School.
Kelly Jameson:
Correct.
Scott Brocato:
First, what will be some of the renovation highlights?
Kelly Jameson:
Well, we hope to just bring the entire campus up to modern educational spaces. Before Las Cruces High School was renovated, it was the oldest campus in Las Cruces Public Schools, and now Mayfield occupies that spot. So while we've kept it running as efficiently as possible over the last 61 years, it's just time that we really look at the campus and identify areas that probably need to be torn down and completely built over or which spaces can be renovated. We're really excited that we are finally getting to this point, and we know the Mayfield community is also.
Scott Brocato:
And what will be the estimated cost of renovating Mayfield, and how will it be split?
Kelly Jameson:
Well, the cost of construction is estimated right now at $200 million. To put that into context, Las Cruces High School was about half that to renovate back in 2010 when we first started that. That took nine years. Centennial High School, in comparison, was also about half that, and it was a new build. But the price of construction, materials, labor, and just being in the year 2025 has made that estimate balloon up to double what it was. So we're looking at $200 million.
The legislature says that we now have to absorb 57% of that cost, so Las Cruces Public Schools is looking at an estimated $114 million price tag at Mayfield High School. What that means for us is we're going to have to get really creative. We're going to have to lean into state assistance. The Public Schools Finance Authority is the entity that will secure funding for us at that 43%. We're at a critical point right now because we are coming up against a bond election, a school bond election. If that is successful, then we can secure the $40 million needed to start phase one. And that is the design, the conceptualizing of the school, and starting the first phase of construction.
Scott Brocato:
Recently, Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz gave a community update in the Mayfield cafeteria. What issues and concerns from parents were addressed as far as the renovations or anything else?
Kelly Jameson:
That was such a productive use of time, and I'm so grateful for those people that spent an hour or so with us in Mayfield. They had some very valid concerns. The first concern was, we've been talking about this for a very long time, and why all of a sudden are we at this critical phase to believe that we are moving forward? Well, the rankings with PSFA were really what the catalyst to get us to where we are today. They rank all of the school facilities in the state on a list of 1 to 100, and Mayfield was somewhere around the bottom, meaning that we wouldn't have qualified for any state assistance. Mayfield is now officially ranked 7th. That means we are in a great position to qualify for additional state funding, which would make it possible for us to build it. Without that, there is no way Las Cruces Public Schools could absorb that entire $200 million price tag.
Scott Brocato:
And what are we talking about as far as the projected phases of the construction?
Kelly Jameson:
We are right now what I would call phase one, and we are very confident that this school bond election will pass. So in fall of 2025, we have already completed the master plan and educational specifications. In the industry, we call those ed specs. What ed specs do is outline what we need on that campus to facilitate general education, special education, fine arts, and athletics. All of the space within the current footprint of Mayfield, we have to specify what we need. How many classrooms? What is the projected enrollment? So we've completed that.
Moving forward, we can begin the design a year from now if the bond election is successful. Important to note that is at no tax rate increase to voters. We can begin that design phase in fall of 2026. If you followed along with us at Columbia, you know that involves a lot of community input. We get the Mayfield community in. They tell us what they would like to see, what they would like to save as far as the original profile of Mayfield, if you will.
By spring of 2028, we will have officially completed the final documents for design. That means architects have been selected. They've already drawn the plans. We have a blueprint go off of. That will mean in fall of 2028 to summer 2030, we can have the first phase of construction estimated, of course. This is all contingent upon the school bond election.
And then the estimated completion of phase two, which means opening the doors, is somewhere around spring of 2033. So students in Mayfield right now likely will not see any movement with construction. Middle school students probably will not see any movement at Mayfield. But our elementary school students who are in this feeder pattern will likely see the benefits of the planning that we're doing right now for Mayfield.
Scott Brocato:
Talk about anything else new at Las Cruces Public Schools.
Kelly Jameson:
October 6th through the 10th is when we celebrate fall break. If you are needing nutritional assistance, our friends at Casa de Peregrino's have helped us out with some supplemental nutrition. So if you're listening and you would like some help with breakfast or lunch for your students, you can head on over to Casa de Peregrino's. Their information is on our website under the live feed. Also important to note that if you need help with a flu vaccine going into the winter months, we are also in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Health and their Boo to the Flu Initiative. That information is also on our website. Boo to the Flu is happening October 11th at area hospitals.
Scott Brocato:
Kelly Jameson, always a pleasure. Thanks for stopping by.
Kelly Jameson:
Thanks for having me, Scott.
