Albuquerque Public Schools
APS Seeks West Side Special Needs School Through Bond Package
Proposed facility would shorten bus rides and enhance learning for students with severe needs.
While many APS students with special needs attend their neighborhood schools, some students benefit from highly specialized programs designed to meet more complex needs.
Some of those students are so medically fragile that Albuquerque Public Schools sends teachers to their homes. Others attend the Highland Complex or the Stephen Moody Complex, special schools designed to support students with autism and other needs that can’t be met at a typical school.
But there’s a problem.
Because both of those special schools are on Albuquerque’s east side, students who live on the west side have long bus rides to and from school every day. With traffic, a student can spend an hour and 10 minutes on a bus getting to school.
That’s too much for any kid, let alone students who are extremely sensitive to things like sound and light, said Teise Reiser, the assistant superintendent for special education at APS.
Recognizing the need to address this problem, APS leaders are seeking $15 million to build a special needs education facility on the west side. The facility would be similar to the Stephen Moody Complex in that it would be a school and a diagnostic center.
The project is included in a $350 million bond package the district will be asking voters to consider in the Nov. 4 general election. Approval of the bond would not increase the current tax rate.
If voters approve the package, the west side facility could open in the fall of 2027.
Educators like Jennifer Blythe, the principal at the Stephen Moody Complex, say building a school for special needs students on the west side is vital.
Blythe believes students will simply do better at school if they’re not stressed by a long bus ride. They will also likely have more time to sleep and eat breakfast, things that make a difference in a student’s mood.
The schools serve students from kindergarten through age 22 and are staffed by educators trained to work with students with special needs.
The Stephen Moody Complex has:
- 20 specialized classrooms
- A multipurpose room and gym
- A kitchen and cafeteria
- Occupational and physical therapy space
- 77 offices for diagnosticians, ancillary support and administration
- A nurse's clinic and suite
- Eight Individualized Education Plan meeting rooms
- Audiology space
During a recent tour of the Highland and Stephen Moody complexes, staff members pointed out the features that set their schools apart.
Fire alarms have been modified to eliminate the piercing sound that can trigger students. Bells and intercom systems aren’t used. Walls are lined with padding to keep students from injuring themselves.
Each classroom has a sensory corner where students can go to be alone. The lights are dimmable, and the colors can be adjusted. Each school has a life skills studio, where students learn to make meals, load a dishwasher and even do laundry.
Playgrounds are specifically designed for special needs students, with spongy surfaces and special equipment.
“They feel safe and loved when they come here,” former Highland Complex Principal Costa Pavlakos said.