Albuquerque Public Schools
Sandia Base Elementary Opens Rebuilt School
The $53.5 million facility on Kirtland Air Force Base replaces the 1950 building, bringing modern learning spaces, including a STEM lab, to students.
The students wore white plastic construction hats and joyfully tapped on the oversized xylophone as musical notes spilled out of it and filled the new school’s music room. Nearby, kids explored the new library with their families.
“To have something like this for our military families and Sandia, it’s great,” said Erica Montoya, one of several hundred people who showed up Thursday evening to celebrate the official grand opening of Sandia Base Elementary School. The APS school, located on Kirtland Air Force Base, has undergone a complete rebuild.
During the open house, families met with teachers and explored all that the rebuilt school has to offer. Montoya and her daughter Mari were taking in the school’s impressive STEM lab. Inside the school’s gymnasium, students raced on tricycles while others tossed basketballs at the hoops above with varying degrees of success.
Fourth-grade teacher Pamela Prior proudly showed off her classroom, saying students and staff love the new facility. Prior, who grew up in a military family, said the new school means a lot to Kirtland families.
“I think it shows a deep appreciation for them, and it shows that we’re listening, we hear you, and we’re here for you.”
The new two-story facility is 88,645 square feet, with classrooms for kindergarten through fifth-grade students, dedicated music and art rooms, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and a new administrative suite. Roughly 85% of its students have family who work at Kirtland, and the remaining 15% come from surrounding neighborhoods.
The original school was constructed in 1950, and the rebuild was funded through a combination of Congressional appropriations and voter-approved capital election money. Congress appropriated $42.8 million for the project, with an additional $10.7 million coming from APS funds approved in the November 2021 capital election.
“I would like to thank the parents and especially to thank the taxpayers for Albuquerque Public Schools that made this possible with a match from the Department of Defense,” said Kizito Wijenje, executive director of Capital Master Plan at APS.
The community open house brought together APS and school leaders, Sandia Base Elementary School staff, students, and families, as well as Kirtland Air Force Base leaders.
Superintendent Gabriella Blakey, who attended elementary school at Sandia Base, called it a bittersweet moment for her, noting that the old school where she made so many memories would be demolished. But she said seeing the great new learning spaces for students and all of the families who showed up “is just really a sign of us building up the next generation of leaders.”
“I’m really proud to be able to see all of our students here and know what’s in store for them in this new building,” she said, thanking Congress, local taxpayers, the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, and Kirtland Air Force Base for making it possible.
Board member Heather Benavidez, who represents the area, praised the new school, noting that she would have loved to have attended a beautiful school like Sandia Base. She also recognized board member Josefina Dominguez for the role she played in making the project happen.
Staff moved into the school during fall break, and Principal Mary Salazar said she was grateful to her staff, families and community members for helping to pack up the old school and move into the new one.
“Everybody put their hearts into this,” she said. “This is a privilege not every principal gets.”