RRPS considers redistricting at Stapleton

Proposal would move more than 200 students to two different schools

Overcrowding at Ernest Stapleton Elementary is forcing district administrators to consider a redistricting option that would send several hundred students to other schools.

Under the proposal, nearby Colinas del Norte Elementary would gain 121 students in August, while Puesta del Sol Elementary would gain 99.

The change would drop Stapleton Elementary’s enrollment from around 1,000 to 788, improving safety and working conditions, according to Gary Tripp, Rio Rancho Public Schools Chief of Staff and Engagement.

Tripp explained that Stapleton Elementary’s building at 3100 Stapleton Ave. NE is designed to accommodate up to 800 students, but the neighborhood has grown rapidly. As a result, hallways and playgrounds are packed, which can cause safety problems. In addition, educational quality declines when teachers are trying to manage large classes, Tripp said.

“Everything has been running smoothly, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to run smoothly from year to year, especially if we get up to 1,050 or even closer to 1,100 (students),” Tripp said.

RRPS has planned to build an additional school — Joe Harris Elementary — for years, but the date has been pushed back repeatedly due to budget concerns. Now the opening is “a minimum of four to five years away and could be longer, especially given the state’s fiscal crisis,” according to the district website.

Tripp said administrators felt they couldn’t wait that long to address Stapleton Elementary’s overcrowding.

“There is a need to see if there is a possibility of movement and balancing the schools a little bit more until we are able to open Joe Harris Elementary,” Tripp added.

During the past two weeks, RRPS held three “sharing and listening sessions” to discuss the proposed changes and gather feedback from parents.

The meetings — held at Stapleton, Colinas del Norte and Puesta del Sol — also introduced families to the new programs, bell schedules and campuses their children could be navigating during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Alanna Cellan, mother of a Stapleton Elementary kindergartner, attended the session at Colinas del Norte Elementary on Tuesday.

She said her son has been happy at Stapleton and she wishes he could stay there with familiar teachers and students.

“It is disruptive when kids are put in a new school,” Cellan

said. “I am not a strategic analyst, but I can’t think this is the only option.”

Cellan was particularly concerned that her child will have to switch schools again when Joe Harris Elementary opens and school boundaries are reexamined across the district.

Bethany Pendergrass, RRPS spokeswoman, said administrators are working to come up with a redistricting plan for Stapleton students that will not be changed in a few years.

The district recognizes that many families are attached to their neighborhood schools, and it is often emotional to consider moving, Pendergrass said.

“The best thing that we can do is listen and provide information as we move forward,” Pendergrass said. “The bottom line is the safety of the students and the schools and ensuring that we are doing everything we can to provide that safety. Sometimes it requires making difficult decisions.”

The board of education will hear an update on the Stapleton proposal during Monday’s meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the district office, 500 Laser Road NE. The plan will be voted on within the month.