This week, Las Cruces Public Schools held their annual State of the District address to highlight district progress, challenges and priorities for the future.
Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz led the address, and attendees heard stories from students, as well as award-winning educators and district leaders.
“Every single day, over 21,000 students walk through our doors," said Pamela Cort,
District 2 LCPS Board of Education Member and President. "They bring curious minds, big dreams and endless potential. But our job isn’t to shape them, it is to give them the tools and resources and space they need to shape their own futures.”
Cort helped kick off the address which, this year, was themed “The Future is Taking Shape.”
In 2024, LCPS created a 5-year strategic plan largely in response to the Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit. According to their website, this case highlighted New Mexico’s "failure to provide adequate education to its students, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, Native American students, emergent bilingual students and students with disabilities.”
This year’s address analyzed the progress of this plan with these students in mind.
Successes celebrated include overall growth and proficiency in literacy and math across all grade levels.
Areas of improvement include graduation and attendance rates. Currently student attendance is at 73% and LCPS wants to raise that to 82% by 2029.
A survey sent out to students also revealed many of them feel a lack of respect from peers, lack of support from adults and worries of violence at school, Ruiz said.
He said this information from students helps with future adjustments in the district’s 5-year plan.
As LCPS prepares for the 2027-2028 academic year, Ruiz also asked the community for feedback on what should be prioritized in their budget. This survey can be found on the LCPS website.
“We want to understand where the greatest needs exist, and how we can make the most meaningful investments in our students' future,” Ruiz said.
A budget town hall will be held on March 4 and May 6, 2027. The LCPS 2026 State of the District Address was livestreamed on the LCPSTV YouTube channel.
Serena Johnson is a fellow with the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships Program, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across New Mexico. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
