APS Welcomes Students Back to School on Aug. 7

Here's what to expect in the new school year.

Do all students return to class on Aug. 7?

The first day of school for first through 12th-grade students is Aug. 7. Pre-K and kindergarten students start on Aug. 9.

When do teachers return to school? 

The first day back for teachers is Aug. 1.

What are the big changes for APS this school year?

We’re starting the new year with a new superintendent. Dr. Gabriella Blakey officially began as superintendent on July 1.

Our new superintendent will visit several schools on Aug. 7. Members of the APS leadership team will visit every APS school on the first two days of school to ensure that everything is running smoothly and address any problems that arise.

Last year, APS unveiled new goals and a new strategic plan. Is APS still working toward those goals?

Yes. APS is still focused on the four goals the board set in early 2023: improving reading and math proficiency rates, preparing students for life after graduation, and equipping them with the life skills they need to be successful. Dr. Blakey launched an administrative reorganization to better position APS to meet those goals. The leadership team has also been fine-tuning the strategic plan to better align it with our goals.

What can parents do to help their students succeed?

We’re urging parents to commit to having their children in school every day. APS and school districts across the country have been dealing with high chronic absenteeism. Our students can’t succeed if they don’t come to school. 

Are there other big changes families should be aware of?

Twenty-six APS schools will have new principals when school begins. Fourteen elementary schools, eight middle schools, and four high schools have new leaders this school year. For more information on the new principals, go to APS.edu.

What about bell schedules?

There will be new bell schedules for our middle schools and some of our elementary schools. The changes are mostly minor and are being instituted to address concerns we heard from our middle school families and duty time for teachers. Specifically, we received feedback from families who said the 9:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m. school day often hindered after-school athletics and activities. This school year, most APS middle school students will begin class at 8:05 a.m. and be dismissed at 2:50 p.m. We recognize that families at some of our elementary schools aren’t happy about later start times at their schools. Our transportation team tried to accommodate requests for earlier start times, but it wasn’t able to accommodate all requests due to staffing considerations.

The instructional day will also be shortened by 15 minutes at most of our schools. This is necessary to address a problem we encountered last school year when teachers began and ended their work days at the same time students started and ended class. That led to issues with before-and-after school supervision of students. This school year, K-12 teachers will have 15 minutes built into their paid hours to cover morning or afternoon duties.

What should families know about school meals?

All APS students can get free breakfast and lunch at school, thanks to legislation adopted by state lawmakers last year. Families no longer need to fill out a meal application to get the free meals. APS Food & Nutrition Services served over 6 million school lunches and over 4 million breakfasts last year. 

What about buses?

APS Student Transportation Services safely transports 32,949 students to and from school, averaging 22,405 miles daily, with an annual mileage exceeding 4.8 million. That is almost equal to going around the circumference of the earth daily. APS provides bus transportation to high school students who live more than 2 miles from their school of residence, middle school students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school, and elementary school students who live more than 1 mile from their school.

Any advice for motorists as school starts back up?

The start of the school year is a good time for all of us to reexamine our driving habits. We ask motorists to slow down in school zones, drive safely, and be on the lookout for students walking to school or their bus stop.

Are there any new safety measures at APS schools?

The new Centegix CrisisAlert system is now available in all of our schools. The system allows APS staff to summon help from anywhere on campus. APS employees at schools have CrisisAlert badges that can be used to alert campus officials to an emergency or, in the event of a serious safety threat, to notify APS Police and activate ALICE protocols. It relays the exact location of the person who activated the badge to school officials or even APS police, depending on the situation. It does not replace current systems but adds an additional way for staff to call for help.

Are there any other new initiatives families should be aware of?

We’ve launched Let’s Talk, a new communications platform to improve our responsiveness to students, families, the community, and staff. The customer service tool makes it easier to ask questions, request information, or share feedback about district operations. Our goal is to respond within 48 hours.

What about air conditioning at schools?

APS has spent millions in recent years to upgrade school HVAC systems. The district manages 19 million square feet of property with 25,000 air conditioners and limited HVAC technicians. Maintaining a safe and comfortable room temperature is the expectation, but some circumstances can't always be controlled.

Most APS schools were built 50 or more years ago, which means they’re likely to have evaporative coolers. Humidity can handicap evaporative coolers, so you can’t bring the heat down more than 20 degrees. If it’s 105 degrees out and the evaporative coolers are blowing on high with humidity, you still can’t achieve a temperature below 85 degrees.

APS technicians have been working through the summer testing HVAC units to pre-empt problems for the new school year. They strive to resolve AC issues quickly, but response times vary with the demand for services and availability of parts. APS has temporary cooling units for spaces without adequate air conditioning and has equipped classrooms with portable fans.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, is there anything families should know?

As with other communicable diseases, APS will refer to the New Mexico School Health Manual for COVID-19 guidance and response procedures. The manual serves as a resource for schools and the school district, providing information on preventing, identifying, managing, and reporting outbreaks of communicable diseases in schools, including COVID-19.  Specific to individuals who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, confirmed COVID-19 positive, or exposed to COVID-19, the New Mexico School Health Manual recommends following CDC guidance on isolation and precautions, and that is what APS recommends for students and employees.