Rio Rancho Public Schools
Introduction
Rio Rancho Public Schools (RRPS) is a school district located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Rio Rancho Public Schools serves the municipality of Rio Rancho. The school district has a total of 18 schools. The district has two high schools, two alternative high schools, four middle schools, 10 elementary schools and 1 preschool.
Vision
Student Excellence
Mission
Rio Rancho Public schools is dedicated to graduating each student with and educational foundation for success as a responsible, ethical contributor to society.
History
Founding
Rio Rancho Public Schools was created as a K-8 system because no high school existed in Rio Rancho at the time the district was founded in July 1994. At the time the children of Rio Rancho attended schools which were part of two different school districts. Students living south of Northern Blvd. were a part of the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) with high school students attended Cibola High School. Students living north of Northern Blvd were part of the Jemez Valley Public Schools district, though most high school students attended classes at Del Norte High School in Albuquerque, the only APS high school that had room for them at the time. Small numbers of high school students were scattered through nine additional Albuquerque metro area schools.
In 1986 the Rio Rancho city council presented a referendum on the ballot calling for the creation of a new school district which was soundly defeated at the polls. In December 1992 as steering committee known as Rio Rancho 2000 was created based on a September feasibility study which revealed that the community could support a school district. The committee sent a request to Dr. Alan Morgan, the New Mexico State Superintendent of Education at the time, and petitioned APS and Jemez Valley to sign a joint resolution calling for the new school district. The State Board of Education approved the creation of the Rio Rancho Public School district on July 9, 1993.[1]
Growth
Since the start of Rio Rancho Public Schools in 1994 the district has grown from 5,900 students to over 17,000,[2] and from seven campuses to nineteen. Through historic partnership with Intel Corporation, Sandoval County, the City of Rio Rancho, and the school district the first high school, Rio Rancho High School was established and opened in 1997. Due to the rapid growth of the area and overcrowding at Rio Rancho High School, a second high school, V. Sue Cleveland High School, was opened in 2009.
Schools
High Schools
- Rio Rancho High School
- V. Sue Cleveland High School
- Independence High School
- Rio Rancho Cyber Academy
Middle Schools
- Eagle Ridge Middle School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Mountain View Middle School
- Rio Rancho Middle School
- Rio Rancho Cyber Academy
Elementary Schools
- Cielo Azul Elementary School
- Colinas del Norte Elementary
- Enchanted Hills Elementary
- E. Stapleton Elementary
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary
- Maggie Cordova Elementary
- Puesta del Sol Elementary
- Rio Rancho Elementary
- Sandia Vista Elementary
- Vista Grande Elementary