CCHS, CNM & NACA: A Great Collaboration

We recently broke ground on an educational facility that will serve as home to APS' College & Career High School, the Native American Community Academy and CNM teaching programs.

Albuquerque Public Schools’ College and Career High School joined Central New Mexico Community College and the Native American Community Academy on Valentine's Day to bless and celebrate the groundbreaking of their new collaborative educational facility.

Hundreds of students of all ages, board members and administrators and staff from all three schools joined the community in celebrating the new building that will soon be home to CCHS, NACA (an APS charter school) and CNM’s Teacher Education and Early Childhood Multicultural Education programs.

Students spoke emphatically about how this building will support their education choices.

CNM President Katharine Winograd and APS Chief Operations Officer Scott Elder spoke of the historical connection of APS and CNM (previously APS’ Technical Vocational Institute), and the continued partnership to prepare students for higher education. CCHS, currently located in an old building on the CNM campus, is an APS high school where students spend half their day taking college classes. 

“We are very excited to continue our partnership with CNM. Over the years we’ve collaborated on new learning models that have expanded learning choices for students and dramatically changed the course of thousands of futures,” said APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy. “Of course, better educational outcomes like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community and we are very grateful.”

Kara Bobroff, Native American Community Academy (NACA)’s executive director, spoke with gratitude for finding a home for NACA's K-12 students exploring indigenous, languages, innovations and leadership studies.

The $35 million, four-story, 80,000-square-foot building will be located on the CNM main campus and will house 32 classrooms, a large commons area and a multi-purpose room for large events. Large outdoor terraces will be accessible to every floor, including the roof.

The cost of the project derives from Albuquerque voter-approved bonds and mill levy funds. Jon Anderson Architecture is the project's design firm and the contractor is Bradbury Stamm Construction.