The New Mexico Public Education Department made several announcements Friday that address questions families had following the state-mandated closure of all public schools. Las Cruces Public Schools is working with community resources to continue meal service and mental health resources, and employees have been assured that they will be paid as if there were no shutdown. Students and staff were also reassured that the state requirements for instructional hours will be waived, so classroom days missed because of the shutdown will not have to be made up later.
From March 16 through April 6, LCPS will provide grab-and-go breakfast and lunch to all students at the following locations:
Picacho Middle School | 1040 N. Motel Blvd. |
Meerscheidt Recreation Center | 1600 E. Hadley |
Frank O’Brien Papen Center | 304 Bell Ave. |
East Mesa Recreation Center | 5589 Porter Dr. |
Metro Verde Splash Pad/Park | 7125 Metro Park Dr. |
Doña Ana Community Resource Center | 5745 Ledesma Dr. |
Desert Hills Elementary | 280 Roadrunner Pkwy |
Breakfast can be picked up between 8 and 9 a.m., and lunch can be picked up between noon and 1 p.m. Again, all meals are grab-and-go to minimize contact.
Several school events have had to be canceled or postponed in an effort to reduce the potential for viral spread. Kindergarten Registration, originally scheduled for Thursday, April 2, will be rescheduled. The LCPS Teacher Job Fair scheduled for April 3 has been rescheduled on Tuesday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LCPS Administrative Offices. A scheduled SAT exam for Saturday, March 14 has also been canceled.
Teachers were encouraged to send materials and resources home with students who were in class on Friday. Those tasks were for enrichment only.
School-based health services reassured students on Friday that clinicians would be reaching out to them to maintain services via telephone, video conferencing and in person at Ben Archer Health Clinics if possible.
Roadrunner Food Bank will continue its regular services at each of its distribution centers:
March 18 | Mesa Middle School | 7225 N. Jornada Rd. |
March 27 | Alameda Elementary School | 1325 N. Alameda Dr. |
March 30 | Columbia Elementary School | 1950 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. |
April 1 | Lynn Middle School | 950 S. Walnut Dr. |
Additional resources available to students and families:
· For updated information related to COVID-19, visit www.cv.nmhealth.org.
· To contact the New Mexico Department of Health for any health-related questions or concerns, call the Coronavirus Hotline, 1-855-600-3453.
· During the crisis, families without internet service might be eligible for free or reduced internet service for the next 60 days. For more information on how to apply, call (855) 954-6546, (888) 833-9522 or (888) 234-4272.
· The New Mexico Crisis Line is available for anyone experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis. For resources, visit www.nmcrisisline.com or call 1-855-662-7474. In an emergency, please call 911.
· Additional links that families might find helpful can be found at www.lcps.net.