Rio Rancho Public Schools will host an informational livestream Wednesday about an $80 million bond measure that voters will decide in the Nov. 4 regular local election.
The virtual event will run from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 15 on the district’s YouTube channel. Community members can submit questions during the livestream about how the proposed bond would affect schools and families.
If approved by voters, the bond would fund critical infrastructure upgrades, safety and security improvements, and HVAC projects throughout the district. Major allocations include $20 million to complete previously approved 2023 bond projects affected by inflation, $18 million for the first phase of converting Rio Rancho Elementary into a STEAM magnet school, and $17 million for a new pre-K facility.
Rio Rancho has the highest percentage of three and four-year-old children in the state unserved by pre-K programs, according to district documents. The new facility would help address waiting lists at the district’s existing Shining Stars Preschool and prepare for state mandates requiring full-day pre-K services.
The district expects to leverage state matching funds from the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority, potentially turning the $17 million pre-K allocation into $41 million total funding.
Other significant projects include $7 million for turf installation and athletic improvements at Rio Rancho and Cleveland high schools, $5 million for roof, HVAC and drainage projects at multiple elementary schools, $5 million to relocate the Enchanted Mesa Day Care facility that serves district staff and student parents, and $2 million for intercom system upgrades at seven schools.
The bond would also allocate $3 million for a bus loop upgrade at Vista Grande Elementary to improve student safety by separating vehicle and pedestrian traffic, $2 million for land acquisition for a future middle school on Rio Rancho’s south side, and $1 million for marching band field repairs at both high schools.
“This is your chance to hear directly about what the bond means for our schools and community,” the district said in its announcement.
The livestream will be available at www.youtube.com/@RioRanchoPublicSchools-RRPS. Additional information about the bond measure can be found at www.rrps.net/page/capital-improvements-bond-sb9.
The regular local election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4.