Turquoise Trail: An innovative charter school
Last week, the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education voted 4-0 against renewing the lease for the Turquoise Trail Charter Elementary School in Santa Fe.
We here at Turquoise Trail firmly believe that the New Mexico law governing facility use does not give Santa Fe Public Schools the right to take away the building of an operating charter school, that this issue will play out over a period of time and that our school will remain in its current location beyond 2021. We are confident about our position.
At this juncture, we think it is important to share more information about our school. In 1994, Turquoise Trail Charter School became one of New Mexico’s first charter schools, all funded by the state and federal government.
Since its inception, Turquoise Trail Charter School has followed innovative curriculum and programs developed and refined by the school’s teachers. The curriculum is focused on the interrelated theories of multiple intelligences, learning styles, the value of the arts and developmentally appropriate practices. Some 500 students each year attend prekindergarten through sixth grade at Turquoise Trail. As a charter school, our school exercises independent control of its curriculum development, hires its teachers and other staff, and manages its own money.
Our school is a free public charter school that offers busing from all parts of Santa Fe. Any elementary school student in the greater Santa Fe area can attend our school (and we currently have a few openings). In addition to an exemplary learning environment, we offer a drama club, a jazz band, a swim team, a girls and boys basketball team and much more. We have a popular aftercare program, and offer after-school enrichment programs and clubs like choir and drama each semester.
The educational program at Turquoise Trail was developed for students by staff with the following exit outcomes in mind: self-directed learners, collaborative workers, community participants-contributors, problemsolvers, quality producers and complex thinkers.
Our children come from families diverse in their educational experiences and economic situations. Of the approximately 500 students enrolled at Turquoise Trail, the population has a 72-28 ratio of Hispanic children to children of all other ethnicities. Approximately 17 percent of our student population speaks Spanish as a first language. Turquoise Trail qualifies for Title I federal funds, with 66 percent of the student population receiving free or reduced lunches.
Over the past four years, Turquoise Trail has achieved an average of a “B” grade on the New Mexico School Report Card measurement system. Additionally, in 2014, Turquoise Trail Charter School was named the 2014 School of the Year by the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools at its annual conference. This award is presented each year to a school that exemplifies the best in charter school education in the state. The following year, the Turquoise Trail Charter School Governing Board was named the coalition’s Governing Board of the Year.
Our number one priority is preparing students academically and socially for lifelong success. We believe we provide an excellent option for students on the south side of Santa Fe, as well as anywhere else in the city.
If you would like to learn more about Turquoise Trail Charter School, please join us for an open house and rally from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 15. All are welcome! If you want your child to enroll in our free public charter school, our 2018-19 enrollment lottery is open now at www. ttschool.org.
Our number one priority is preparing students academically and socially for lifelong success.