Kelly Jameson, Director of Communication with Las Cruces Public Schools, recently spoke with Scott Brocato about the new Grades 6-12 concept school, the upcoming football season, a new app for parents to track their students’ school bus, and more news from LCPS.
Scott Brocato:
Let's start with the new 6-12 grade concept school. What is that and what does it consist of?
Kelly Jameson:
Hi, thanks for having me, Scott.
The new concept with Las Cruces Public Schools is to combine two of our campuses, the Rio Grande Preparatory Institute and Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy, into a new 6 through 12 school inside Las Cruces Public Schools that addresses a variety of important ideas for educators. One, it provides a stable campus for students that might have some hesitancy to go to high school. So as an incoming 6th grader, you can stay on the same campus all through your senior year. The new 6 through 12 school will also focus on career and technical education and post-graduation pathways.
So much like we do right now, really, it's real estate and combining those two schools. We are working through some of the instructional goals for that school right now. We did release a survey to our community and we got a lot of feedback on that from staff, students, and parents. So we'll share more of that information coming up as well as the new name for the school, which we will kick off in the 2027-2028 school year.
Scott Brocato:
Well, there was a new name given to the new Desert Bloom Elementary School. There was a ribbon cutting, what was it, last month?
Kelly Jameson:
No, it will be this month, in August. We did officially--you're right--last month we recognized the name officially on July 1st. The school formerly known as Cesar Chavez Elementary now has a new name, and it is Desert Bloom Elementary, which was voted on by the staff, students, and parents in that school community. And we'll have a grand opening/ribbon cutting here later in the month of August to celebrate that new school and its new name. They did keep their mascot, the Coyotito, which is a little coyote, which was the mascot of the former elementary. Same school, same location, great new name, and a lot of energy that's happening at that campus.
Scott Brocato:
We'll just bounce around different topics here. Las Cruces Public Schools is seeking volunteers for a budget survey committee?
Kelly Jameson:
Yes, this is something that we open to our community every school year. This is the upcoming budget survey, which the committee will have some oversight on. The committee is tasked with creating that survey. We then distribute it to the community and then when we collect responses, the committee will analyze that data. They use that information to shape budget priorities for the upcoming school year. So if you would like to be part of that you can go to our website, lcps.net, and put in your name. We will have a drawing on August 18th for those spots. You will be required to attend three meetings. But then the opportunity and the responsibility is tremendous when it comes to spending priorities in the district. So if that is important to you and you would like to help out with that effort, again, the applications are open through August 17th.
Scott Brocato:
Well, here's a cool new app: it's a new app for parents to track their students' school bus in real time, which is something I wish I had when I was a kid. I wish I would have had apps when I was a kid (laughs), but this one in particular, just to keep track when the school bus is arriving. Tell us about that.
Kelly Jameson:
Yeah, this is something that STS New Mexico rolled out last school year that we want to remind parents about this year. It's called the Beacon Connect Family App. I think when you find it on your app store, it's called BC. but it is a really great tool to track your bus route. You can also set up alerts so when it gets close to you, you'll get real-time information on when the bus will be arriving, which is particularly important if we have a delayed start to the day or if the bus is running a little late. You can be rest assured that it's on the way through that app.
Scott Brocato:
Very handy. And football season is upon us! It'll kick off September 4th at the Field of Dreams. Who's going to be playing?
Kelly Jameson:
Well, September 4th is the famous Cruces versus Mayfield game, which isn't really for a score anymore since they are no longer in the same division. But the football season will kick off mid-August at the Field of Dreams. It is the return of Friday Night Lights at the Field of Dreams. Always a fun time of year for students and staff and of course the players.
Don't forget, Field of Dreams is a cashless venue now, so to get in you will need a debit card. We also are a clear bag venue, so don't forget about that. The concessions are still there. It's always a great time. You can find the schedule at lcps.net. Just click on Athletics.
Scott Brocato:
All right, and is there anything else you'd like to discuss and talk about?
Kelly Jameson:
We are just excited to kick off the school year. Parents, if you haven't downloaded the Parent Square app, that is the official communication tool of Las Cruces Public Schools. It's how I send information to families to stay connected to LCPS and everything that's going on. We look forward to a very successful school year.
