By Todd G. Dickson

State Higher Education Secretary Jose Garcia and Public Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera say they intend to make the public schools and higher education work together to provide a better trained work force.

Speaking before the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) Tuesday, Jan. 3, Garcia and Skandera said they also will make the educational system more accountable. Their appearance in Las Cruces was followed up by Gov. Susana Martinez meeting with a large group of regents, governing board members and post-secondary institution presidents in Socorro to discuss the state’s new higher education funding formula.

The new formula will reward New Mexico’s higher learning institutions based on outcome measures that reflect student achievement and preparedness for New Mexico’s work force, as opposed to basing the allocation of funding on measurements like the size (square footage) of each institution. Also, the current formula funds colleges and universities based on courses and degree programs started. The new formula would be based on courses and degree programs completed.

Garcia said this is about more than making better use of the state’s support of higher education. The idea is to put the money into where there are gaps, especially in skill sets needed in high-tech professions.

At the MVEDA luncheon, Garcia noted that Intel decided to expand its Arizona operations, but not its plant in Rio Rancho. Yet, New Mexico spends more per graduate than Arizona, he said. Garcia said he took it as signal that New Mexico is not producing the kind of work force that is needed for the United States to be competitive globally.

“The central goal of New Mexico’s higher education institutions should be to graduate the students New Mexico’s economy will depend on for decades,” Martinez said. “In an increasingly competitive global economy, this formula will help us deliver the graduates we need for the jobs of tomorrow, and it serves to intently focus our attention on the achievement of our students.”

Under the formula, institutions would receive funding for graduating students in “STEHM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Health Care and Mathematics) fields. A recent study disclosed that New Mexico’s economy will require nearly 50,000 employees with STEHM degrees by 2018 and nearly 95 percent of those jobs will require post-secondary education. “For the first time in the history of New Mexico, the younger generation is less educated than the generations before,” Garcia said. “This new formula is our opportunity to make sure today’s students are tomorrow’s successful employees.”

Meanwhile, Skandera said the schools will be changing, too, with a focus on making graduates better prepared for the work force or higher education once they complete school. Skandera said the schools will be more realistically assessed than the guaranteed failure rates offered by No Child Left Behind standards, which she said has only resulted in schools putting resources into helping borderline students rather than helping struggling students.

“Education is about setting up our kids for success,” Skandera said. “Let’s honor the successes we see and work on the areas we need to.”

At the MVEDA luncheon, a local success story was also highlighted. The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus will get a boost from a $345,090 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant for the public-private workforce development advocate. The school, created by a school-business partnership called the Bridge of Southern New Mexico gives students the chance to learn in a higher education environment and earn college credits.

APECHS can tout that none of its students have dropped out, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge. She said the cooperative efforts between the public schools, higher education and the business community is what spurred Kellogg to give the significant grant.

Distribution of the grant money includes $45,000 to NMSU’s Enlace Program that helps minority students succeed in higher education, $45,000 to NMSU and the University of New Mexico education research centers, $37,090 to the Arrowhead Center where the school is housed and $10,000 to the Service Learning Program at the NMSU College of Education. But the bulk of the Kellogg grant will be used to increase the student capacity at APECHS and to begin work on setting up four more early college high schools in Doña Ana County, according to the grant announcement.

Bryan said the Kellogg grant is a significant award, but The Bridge also has been getting grants from other private foundations and local businesses to help the APECHS effort. Through APECHS and other efforts, Las Cruces Public Schools is seeing good progress on reducing its dropout rate overall, Bryan said, “and the sky’s the limit” for future progress.

Skandera touted APECHS as an example of how to improve schools. “We didn’t point fingers in Las Cruces,” she said. “We sat down and said how do we get there, and we partnered.”

By Reyes Mata III

LAS CRUCES – Arrowhead Park Early College High School – an ambitious venture to slash dropout rates – heralded a major accomplishment during its ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at its new campus.

“One hundred percent of the sophomore class progressed from ninth grade to 10th grade on time,” Principal Jennifer Amis told the crowd of about 450 people who gathered at the New Mexico State University-based high-school campus.

Some of the parents in the crowd who were cheering that announcement say they support the strong academic curriculum and zealous advancement of students that the new high school emphasizes.

Francisco Silva, a parent of a freshman, said the Arrowhead experience is keeping his son on track for a stable future. “He has all these options at Arrowhead High School that he would not have had somewhere else. The education is very intense.”  His wife, Rosa Maria Silva, said she was very pleased with her son’s experience so far, adding that “he will be ahead of the game if he stays here.”

Jose Garcia, secretary of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, took the podium and said the dismal dropout rate of the state’s children is unprecedented. “For the first time in New Mexico’s history, the older generation is better educated than the younger generation,” he said, citing census figures that show fewer New Mexicans are achieving degrees in higher education. “That’s not good and we need to do something about it.”

The state has traditionally “not done a good job of improving the dropout rates of high school and college,” he said, and added: “But this school has proven they can reduce dropout rates to zero.”

Using a public-private funding hybrid, Arrowhead Park Early College High School – which officials stated cost $82 million less than a comparable school construction project – is the future that some state officials want New Mexico schools to look like.

“Thank you for creating the picture of what this state needs,” said state Education Secretary Hanna Skandera. “We now have a perfect model, a literal model,” she said, adding that her advice to the state regarding reducing dropout rates would be: “Go down and take a look at Las Cruces – they delivered.”

Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Stan Rounds echoed the same sentiment: “This is a zero-dropout place,” he told the crowd. “More than 60 percent of these students are the first in their families to go to college. And, to date, not a single one has dropped out,” Rounds said in a statement prepared earlier.

A high-school degree at Arrowhead will also entail a college-level associate’s degree, clearing the way for a four-year degree from a university, said Barbara Couture, NMSU president. “That is progress, a seamless transition of a college education,” she said of the school.

The school – part of the LCPS system – opened in July 2010 at Dona Ana Community College. Last August it moved to NMSU’s eight-acre site. The school currently has 115 freshmen and 115 sophomores, administrators said. Next year, the school will accept an additional 125 students, then an extra 125 students will be accepted the following year to reach the 500-student capacity, said Gabriela Alaniz, dean of students, and Yolanda Juarez, office manager of the school.

Officials at the event credited the Bridge of Southern New Mexico with bringing the private and public sectors of the area together to create the innovative school.

Reyes Mata III can be reached at (575) 541-5405.

Las Cruces Bulletin photo by Chris Mortensen

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Las Cruces Public Schools is reporting that all 112 freshmen in its early college high school will be returning to begin classes in its new building on the New Mexico State University campus.

A community group of educators and business leaders called The Bridge pushed for the creation of an early college high school as a national best practice for academically focused students to take classes at a university or college campus environment. Early college high schools enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate, nationally.

LCPS opened the new school last July before construction began on its building at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Dona Ana Community College provided classroom space for the first group of students.

The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) prepares students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two year college degree in four years. APECHS students completed their first college-level dual credit course, ninth- and 10th-grade honors English classes and posted district-leading attendance rates. “I like that we’re a small community and we all know each other,” said student Marina Calderon. “We’re like a big family. Here we all communicate with each other, and we’re all under four teachers. Our school motto is ‘We are the Trailblazers.’ So without the teachers taking that risk for the first-year students, we wouldn’t be anything.”

Four of its initial 116 students left the school because of moves or transfers. Most APECHS students are the first in their family to attend a college class and those “at risk” for not completing high school nor pursuing a college degree. Their average grade point average is 3.167. Almost one-third of the students had higher than a 3.5 GPA, and almost two-thirds held higher than a 3.0.

In a comprehensive high school, the freshman year is when almost half of the total dropouts in a class occur. Based on the most recent countywide dropout rate of 49 percent, statistically 27 of these students should have dropped out in a traditional environment.

The new $18 million APECHS campus reflects a 16 percent savings on cost per student, or $42 million in savings to the district. The cost per square foot of the 64,260-square-foot campus is half that of the new $100 million Centennial High School, which is also under construction.

“This is the way we need to think about education for the future of our city, our county, and our state,” said LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds. “The early college high school model is extremely effective in other parts of the country. In fact, 10 percent of incoming juniors at UTEP are graduates from El Paso’s five early college high schools.”

APECHS is the first early college high school in New Mexico. “We are so proud of the students and staff of this school,” said Kari Mitchell, one of the founders of The Bridge and its current board vice president. “They’ve done an incredible job this year, and we are looking forward to having these well prepared, highly motivated students become part of our county’s future workforce.”

APECHS is a collaborative effort between LCPS, DACC and NMSU.

“These students really rose to the challenge of excelling in their first college-level course this year,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “They are going to lead the way for the rest of the state. They are proving how important it is that we continue to offer dual credit courses for high school students to give them a real jump start into their college education.”

Discussions are currently under way for more early college high schools in the Las Cruces, Gadsden, and Hatch districts. There could be as many as four countywide opened over the next five years.

The Public Hearings will be conducted on:

• June 2, 2011, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: FARMINGTON – McGee Park Convention Center, #41 Road 5568, Bloomfield Hwy

• June 2, 2011, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: ROSWELL, NM – City Council Chambers, 421 N. Richardson

• June 2, 2011, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: LAS CRUCES, NM – Las Cruces Public Schools Administrative Offices, 505 South Main Street, Suite 249, Conference Room A

• June 2, 2011, 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm: ALBUQUERQUE, NM – RLD/CID Main Conference Room: 5200 Oakland Avenue, NE

Copies of the proposed rules are currently available on the Construction Industries Division’s website: http://www.rld.state.nm.us/cid/and at the CID office in Santa Fe.

You are invited to attend and express your opinion on these proposed rules changes. If you cannot attend the meeting, you may send your written comments to the Construction Industries Division, 2550 Cerrillos Road, P.O. Box 25101, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504, Attention: Public Comments. FAX (505) 476-4685. All comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., June 2, 2011.

If you are able to attend and voice your concerns, please do so. The rollback may be voted on as early as the June 10th at the Construction Industries Commission meeting.

For example, currently this fiscal year MVEDA has been involved in efforts that have assisted in the creation of 216 new jobs as well as the retention of 42 jobs within the City of Las Cruces with the total capital investment estimated in new construction and equipment estimated at $40mm.  Utilizing IMPLAN economic impact analysis, a 3^rd party statistical software that measures direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts, new tax revenue to the City of Las Cruces would exceed $700,000 during the construction phase and over $226,000 per year in subsequent years should employment levels be maintained.  Likewise, the increased tax revenue to the State of New Mexico as a result of these projects is estimated at over $2.3mm during the construction phase and over $347,000 in subsequent years.  Our educational institutions also benefit as a result of these economic based projects.  Las Cruces Public Schools property tax revenues could grow by as much as $200,000 per year.

Also, MVEDA is working closely with a handful of projects that have considerable impact to Dona Ana County; primarily with Union Pacific’s $400mm refueling station and intermodal ramp which would create over 3,000 construction jobs and eventually over 500 permanent, high wage jobs in Santa Teresa.  The impact of this project would create $19.9mm to the State of New Mexico and $3.5mm to Dona Ana County in new gross receipts and compensating tax paid on construction services alone.   As the State of New Mexico is currently faced with large budget deficits, the identification and creation of a new tax base becomes even that much more critical.  As evident from the above discussion, the attraction of economic based industry to the State and County is the solution.

Economic development practitioners and leaders around the United States value economic based industry growth and it is for this reason that competition continues to grow.  And even during these challenging economic times, and even with budget deficits, we see that States and regions across the country are investing more in their economic development efforts.  For example, just to the south of Dona Ana County in Horizon City (a suburb of El Paso), the city has adopted a new tax to build an economic development fund.  This is in addition to the State of Texas’ Enterprise Fund which provides the State with deal-closing dollars to attract industry.  Recently, Arizona legislators began a special legislative session to begin consideration of business tax cuts and the creation of a $25mm closing fund to attract new business to their State.   On a recent trip to Atlanta, MVEDA met with several national site selectors and two messages became clear.  First, that there would be an exodus of companies from California, and second, that Arizona and Texas had firmly placed their flag in the ground as the business friendly destination.   With less than a month left in New Mexico’s 60-day legislative session, we are hopeful that the State of New Mexico remains aggressive in the pursuit of economic development.  For this reason the Dona Ana County Legislative Coalition has been supporting the following economic development issues:

1.    Support of a State economic development recruitment budget by expanding the New Mexico Partnership beyond present funding levels, with the purpose of creating new private sector employment opportunities, creating new jobs for New Mexicans and expanding business in the State.  Currently, past year funding has been at $1.1mm.  This is a significant decrease in funding from when the program began in 2003. It is also a small budget in comparison to neighboring cities, much less other State recruitment budgets.  The Partnership also provides lead generation flow to smaller communities that do not have their own marketing budget to work with.  Rural communities that have benefited from the Partnership’s involvement have included Clovis, Roswell, Gallup, and Dona Ana County to name just a few.   To compare this funding level against some of our neighbors;

o    El Paso, TX has a recruitment program funded at about $1.5mm, and

o    The Greater Phoenix Economic Development Council has a recruitment program funded at about $4mm.

2.    Support of retaining existing economic development incentives to include:

o    Funding the State’s Job Training Incentive Program,

o    Maintaining the Technology Jobs Tax Credit, the Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, and Rural Jobs Tax Credits.

3.    Support of regional border issues which comprise New Mexico’s second largest existing industrial base:

o    Reinstatement of the Locomotive Diesel Refuel Tax Exemption to make southern New Mexico more competitive against Texas as a bi-modal, transportation and logistics hub.

o    Creation of an Commercial Overweight Zone which will assist in attracting new logistics and distribution companies to New Mexico, &

o    Creation of a border infrastructure fund to plan, design and construct border infrastructure to allow for pro-active economic development planning.

Regardless of the outcome at the State level, we still have tremendous economic growth opportunities here in Dona Ana County.  This stems from a direct industry focused marketing approach that leverages the unique assets of the region.  They include our border logistics and port of entry with Mexico, our proximity to White Sands Missile Range, our natural assets in solar, a strong agricultural region, and the continued development of an aerospace industry with Spaceport America as its anchor.  As illustrated in the Lead Generation chart, MVEDA continues to receive diversified industry interest lead first by manufacturing and logistics, followed by renewable energy, and increased growth in the aerospace and food processing sectors.  We have also recently seen a renewed interest in high tech companies looking at the area.

In terms of performance output versus past years, MVEDA has assisted in the creation of 237 new jobs in Dona Ana County as of March 1 of this fiscal year which places us well ahead of job creation numbers in each of the past previous two years, only overshadowed by the positive economic climate of 2007-’08.  However, there remains a strong potential that we will see a handful of projects close before the end of the current fiscal year which would then create a record year for MVEDA.

As also illustrated in the Completed Projects chart, as of March 1^st we have already surpassed past years’ results in the industrial square footage taken off the marketplace and in the total capital investment that these projects have brought to Dona Ana County.

In addition to economic based industry attraction, MVEDA is working on solutions to connect local businesses to the opportunities that economic based industry brings to the region.   Therefore we were pleased to announce our first “Business Connection Series” on Monday, March 7, 2011 where SunEdison provided local vendors, suppliers, and sub-contractors with a pre-bid briefing on their 12 MW solar project at the West Mesa Industrial Park.  We are hopeful that this will be the first in a series of localized economic-based business building opportunities.

Additionally, in conjunction with the Border Industrial Association (BIA), MVEDA hosted a Business Incentives Workshop for the southern New Mexico industrial base and the CPA firms that service them.   The workshop which also counted towards CEP credit was provided by Moss Adams, a MVEDA Partner and covered, not only the details of applying for state incentives, but federal incentives as well.

As evident, even with the budget challenges at the State level, we are optimistic about the future of economic development in Dona Ana County and appreciate the continued support of all of our partners and stakeholders.

Photo courtesy of Fred Shepherd

Bill Connor (pictured right), Chair of the DACLC, began the briefing with background on the Coalition. The Coalition was formed in the fall of 2007 to identify and promote significant legislative initiatives to benefit Las Cruces and the surrounding communities’ economic and developmental needs. Members include: City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico State University,  Las Cruces Public Schools,  Gadsden Independent School District, Hatch Valley Public Schools, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico,  Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, and the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA).

Connor discussed three legislative appropriations requests which include: $850,000 for planning of a new Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority facility; $2,100,000 for construction of a Crisis Triage Center; and $6,000,000 for access roads and infrastructure for new Las Cruces schools under construction on the East Mesa.

The DACLC economic development priorities include the support of existing incentives, support of funding for the New Mexico Partnership, passage of the Locomotive Diesel Refuel Tax Exemption, creation of an overweight border commercial zone, and creation of a permanent Border Infrastructure Fund.  The passage of the Locomotive Diesel Refuel Tax Exemption is critical for the announced expansion by Union Pacific in the Santa Teresa area.

The Coalition’s presentation included a number of legislative actions for education restructuring and policy changes. They included: reducing bureaucracy in the public and higher education departments; more efficient reimbursements to the public schools systems; reassessing tuition credit funding formulas; and support of expansion of dual credit courses.

In the final presentation, Clay Doyle, Vice President of New Mexico Affairs for El Paso Electric, discussed the forecasts of future electricity usage in the region.  He noted that during the next 5-7 years the company will invest approximately $600 million in new generation and between 2015 and 2020, EPE will need to add 150-175MW of generation annually.

In his closing remarks, Carruthers reminded the audience of the upcoming Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe, which is hosted each year by the Chamber’s Conquistadores. This year’s event will be held January 29-31^st at the La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza.

Artist's Rendering courtesy of Studio D Architects

By Gabriel Vasquez

Higher learning means higher earning, and The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is hoping to drive that message home to students already attending the Arrowhead Park Early College High School (ECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus.

The Bridge, a local nonprofit that has brought together teachers, students, parents, the education community and private industry, was the catalyst for the new high school – the first of its kind in the state – that opened July 2010 to 117 Las Cruces freshmen. For now, the school is operating out of Doña Ana Community College, but will begin operations from its new Arrowhead Park campus once construction is finished in August, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge.

“To compete in the 21st century workforce, you need at least a two-year degree or industry certification to really have a shot to succeed,” said Bryan, speaking at a Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance business forum Tuesday, Jan. 4. “The Early College High School exists for the purpose of building a stronger workforce for the ultimate goal of creating a stronger economic future for Doña Ana County.”

To achieve the feat, The Bridge, born out of what was then the Regional Education Initiative, began seeking partnerships and board members from different areas of industry and education around the county. With partners such as Barbara Couture, president of NMSU; Margie Huerta, president of DACC; Stan Rounds, superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools; Cynthia Nava, superintendent of the Gadsden Independent School District; and Robert Garza, Las Cruces city manager, The Bridge has secured the human capital and money needed to move forward with the project.

“We have the top leaders in this county from all these different sectors,” Bryan said. “The reason The Bridge will and is already having an impact is because these people have the authority to make the decisions that need to be made.”

The curriculum for the new high school, which centers on an industry- and career-specific learning environment, was designed around “the best educational practices” in the nation, Bryan said.

“Nationally, (early college high schools) have a 90-percent graduation rate,” she said. “They (use) the best practices in education, such as small classes and applied learning, and the teachers can really work with students not just as teachers, but as mentors.”

If the Doña Ana County dropout rate was reduced by half in one year, those students who graduate high school would have a cumulative earning power of $3.3 million, and if those same students got a four-year degree, they’d earn about$12 million, according to a recent Arrowhead Center study Bryan cited. Additionally, the county’s home values would increase by $66 million if those students stayed in Doña Ana County and the state would stand to gain $212,000 in added tax revenue.

Getting students to understand the connection between education and future earnings is critical, Bryan said.

“We’re turning to the private sector for that,” she said. “Mentors, internships and building a strongpathway. We’re going to do it together.”

Students who attend the ECHS for four years will graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, thanks in part to dual-credit classes offered at the school.

“The ECHS model is incredible,” Bryan said. “In our ECHS, we specifically sought students who were at risk of dropping out. They understand that they are trailblazers in their family and in the state.”

Bryan said so far, no ECHS students have dropped out since classes began. About 35 percent have perfect attendance, 14 percent have straight A’s and all students have passed their first dual-credit college course, computer literacy.

But to graduate on time with both a diploma and an associate’s degree requires intense academic focus, the main reason why the ECHS won’t offer the typical high school extracurricular activities.

“It won’t have a football field, it won’t have a band, none of those things,” Bryan said. “These kids will graduate with a two-year (college) degree and be ready to move on.”

Now that classes are up and running, The Bridge is seeking the participation of local business owners and industry leaders who want to donate their expertise or offer internships to students attending the new high school.

Kevin Boberg, CEO of the Arrowhead Center, said the new high school is on the Arrowhead campus because in the future, students will be able to secure internships and work study programs with employers within the Arrowhead Park, a business incubator currently being developed that’s already home to several high-tech companies.

For now, however, Bryan said The Bridge is encouraging any local business people who may be able to invest or offer mentorships or internships to ECHS students to contact the organization.

“Students need an adult to get the bigger vision of why they should stay in school,” Bryan said.

After its first four years, the ECHS will house up to 500 students in grades 9-12.

For more information or to contact The Bridge, call 528-7092 or visit www.thebridgeofsnm.com.

Calling it an historic day, local education officials and students of Las Cruces Public Schools’ Early College High School broke ground Friday, Sept. 17, for the new high school at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Research Park.

The academic-oriented school designed to give high school students a college experience began in July with 166 freshmen attending classes at Dona Ana Community College.

The ECHS effort is a partnership between LCPS, NMSU and DACC, as well as the Gadsden and Hatch school systems.

“I believe this school will go down as one of the most signifi­cant accomplishments of these institutions,” said Connie Phillips, president of the Las Cruces School Board.

Isaac Pino, NMSU regents’ president, said the new school marks a new relationship between higher education and the public schools to meet the needs of the business community.

LCPS’ Early College High School (ECHS) is the first of its kind in New Mexico, but follows the national model of providing academically focused instruction on a university campus. Students at an early college high school earn college course credits while also meeting require­ments to graduate high school.

In the case of LCPS, students at ECHS can potentially graduate with not only a high school diploma, but also an associate’s degree through dual-credit courses.

Nationally, the approach has seen great success in keeping kids in school – with only a 5-percent dropout rate – and nearly all who graduate go on to college studies.

Creating an ECHS was championed by members of The Bridge, a regional education improvement effort that promotes regular conversations between the public schools, higher education and the business community.

Margie Huerta, DACC president, praised individuals in The Bridge for bringing everyone together to make ECHS happen. Huerta told students from ECHS at the ceremony that this shows how people can make a differ­ence for many others.

“We’ve come together because we believe in you,” Huerta said.

Suzanne Quillen, who chairs The Bridge, said the new school is critical to launching careers in fields important to the community – especially in aerospace and health care.

Superintendent Stan Rounds praised his school board for being willing to take a “leap of faith” to support creating the innovative and non-traditional high school.

At the entrance of Arrowhead Research Park, the new 65,000-square-foot high school on 8 acres will be able to house up to 500 students.

Because of the rigorous academic focus, the school’s location on a university campus and smaller school size, early college high schools don’t offer the kind of extracurricular activities found in regular high schools, such as band. ECHS will have some arts programs, Rounds said, but the school will have a strong focus on technology.

“This school is going to be so high-tech it will make you dizzy,” Rounds said.

Principal Jennifer Amis said she expects to have 250 students attending by next July.

Amis interviewed students and their families to select the first students for ECHS. They had to apply to attend the school, which Amis said makes them more self-selected and focused. While the students come from a wide range of backgrounds and interests, Amis said the characteristic she was looking for in the students and families was their “total commitment.”

Two ECHS students spoke at the ground breaking.

Freshman Joel Macias said he plans to study engineering and ECHS provides the serious classroom environment he needs to pursue his studies. He described being part of ECHS’s first class as “an opportunity and an honor.”

ECHS student Alexus Zapien said she plans to study child psychology and that the school’s students see themselves as trailblazers. “There is a zero tolerance policy for failure” at ECHS, she said. That non-acceptance of failure isn’t daunting, she said, but “challenging and exciting.”

By Christine Rogel

LAS CRUCES – “It’s not just a school; it’s an opportunity,” said Early College High School student Joel Macias during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony at New Mexico State University, which drew more than 100 guests.

Artist's Rendering courtesy of Studio D Architects

The Early College High School (ECHS) opened in July to 117 Las Cruces freshmen at its temporary location at Dona Ana Community College. The first phase of construction will be complete by the summer of 2011, according to Las Cruces school district Superintendent Stan Rounds. Within four years, the school can boast a maximum of 500 students.

The school will be located within the Arrowhead Research Park at NMSU under a lease agreement with Las Cruces Public Schools. The 65,000-square-foot facility is designed by Studio D Architect of Las Cruces and will be constructed by GenCon Corp. of Las Cruces. It will feature classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, a cafeteria/multipurpose center, a student commons area, and administrative and counseling offices.

“It’s so high tech it will make your head spin if you are my age,” Rounds said.

Students also will continue to utilize facilities and labs at both NMSU and DACC, Principal Jennifer Amis said.

Advocates say that the school reflects best practices in education resulting in a national graduation rate of 90 percent. The school aims to reduce the dropout rate by engaging students in the college process early, offering small class sizes and real-world applications in coursework, officials said. Students graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree.

Rounds said that the ECHS will not only provide students with more individual attention, but is also more affordable to run and build as costs were reduced through partnerships with NMSU and DACC. For example, the district doesn’t have the additional expense of building a gym or library because students will use university facilities instead.

ECHS will cost around $18 million and serve 500 students, compared to the new high school under construction on Dripping Springs, which will have between 1,500 and 2,000 students, and cost around $110 million, resulting in a total cost per savings of 16 percent per ECHS student, officials said.

The Early College High School is the first in New Mexico to take advantage of New Mexico House Bill 33. Instead of spending $18 million to build the school, Las Cruces Public Schools will lease the building for six years, paying 4 percent interest on the certificate of participation bonds, and make no lease payments until the campus opens in August 2011. In the sixth year, the school will buy out the lease for the principal amount of $18 million, paying off the loan with future bonds.

Rounds also credited The Bridge of Southern New Mexico for helping to launch the project. The Bridge was created through an education committee initiative of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce that formed the Regional Education Initiative, which led to community discussions regarding school attendance and graduation rates.

Christine Rogel can be reached at (575) 541-5424.

The first early college high school (ECHS) in New Mexico opened its doors to students on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, when approximately 116 LCPS freshmen began classes. The new high school, the fifth within Las Cruces Public Schools, will temporarily be housed within the Dona Ana Community College (DACC) for the 2010/2011 school year.

LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds said, “This school is the direct result of community and educational partners coming together to address the future of our local students,” said Rounds. “It began with a dream, molded itself through the Bridge initiative, and now I’m proud to announce we have our first class of students.”

The Bridge (formerly known as the REI – Regional Education Initiative) brought together private business, public and higher education, government, and economic development, to find solutions on reducing the dropout rate and better preparing graduates for the workforce.

“This is a really great day for our community and it shows the impact of people coming together to seek solutions together,” said Suzanne Quillen, chairwoman of The Bridge of Southern New Mexico. “The early college high school is nationally a best practice for reducing the dropout rate and preparing young people to successfully enter the work force.”

Rounds said the LCPS ECHS will offer students the chance to earn not only a high school diploma, but also to graduate from high school with an associate’s degree and credits toward a bachelor’s degree. The ECHS will emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes, entrepreneurship, along with career and technical education (CTE) courses.

Students were selected by completing an application and participating in a lottery drawing. The first class of ECHS freshmen (the class of 2014) will begin their high school careers with “a ninth-grade experience that will ignite their interest in education by providing relevance to their academics through high quality career and technical education (CTE) studies,” said Jennifer Amis, principal. “More than half our students will be the first in their families to attend a college or university.”

“This collaborative project has opened up a new avenue to higher education, one that affords greater access for many of our community’s youth who otherwise might have seen college as just a distant dream. Early College High School is about turning those dreams into reality while, at the same time, strengthening our workforce,” said Dr. Margie Huerta, DACC president. “The opening of this innovative school is proof that DACC, LCPS and NMSU can work together effectively to improve educational opportunities.”

“Nationally, early college high schools have a 90% graduation rate,” said Tracey Bryan, executive director of The Bridge. “They offer smaller learning environments and real-world applications in the coursework. This will give students a firm foundation on which to build a strong future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

By the summer of 2011, construction will be complete on a permanent eight-acre ECHS campus on Arrowhead Research Park on the western edge of NMSU. The state-of-the-art classrooms facilities are currently being designed by Studio D Architects of Las Cruces in collaboration with GenCon Corporation, LCPS, and the Arrowhead Development Corporation.