APS Opens First Dedicated Early Childhood Center

The new Duranes facility repurposes historic site into a community-focused hub for early learners.

Albuquerque Public Schools has opened its first-ever early childhood center, marking a significant milestone in the district's ongoing right-sizing initiative. Located at the site of the former Duranes Elementary School, the new facility repurposes underutilized space to better serve the evolving needs of local families.

“This new center demonstrates how we are strategically repurposing facilities to better align with student and community needs,” said Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey. “It’s an example of how we can thoughtfully adapt to changing enrollment patterns while continuing to invest in programs that have a meaningful impact on student outcomes.”

The Duranes Early Childhood Center launched as a full-inclusion campus, fostering a balanced learning environment for all students. It began operations with nine classrooms — four dedicated to New Mexico Pre-K and five to special education preschool — with the capacity to expand to 12 as enrollment grows.

“Three- and four-year-olds can truly benefit from being in a classroom,” said Allison Gabaldon, executive director of Early Childhood programs at APS. “Early exposure to social, emotional and academic learning is vital. It’s where they build the foundational skills — like patience and collaboration — that are essential for success in kindergarten and their long-term development.”

Duranes still has spaces available for students. Families interested in enrolling a child at the school should go to the APS registration page.

The center is intended to function as more than a school; it’s designed to be a comprehensive hub for the community. The campus will operate as a lab school in collaboration with the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College, with one classroom specifically reserved for UNM’s use. The center will also house a full-time community school impact coordinator and a dedicated Child Find team, ensuring families have direct access to support services and early intervention resources.

"This center is a model for future early childhood facilities throughout APS," said Deputy Superintendent of Operations Antonio Gonzales. "It is a direct response to the needs of our local families and an efficient use of district resources."

To provide the specialized environment necessary for this mission, the district undertook a $36 million renovation and construction project. The site, originally opened in 1947, underwent a significant retrofit managed by architect SMPC and general contractor Bradbury Stamm.

The project utilized the APS "kit of parts" design to maximize utility, replacing the aging main building with a new 36,463-square-foot facility. The modern campus features 12 classrooms organized into three clusters, each with its own playgrounds and common areas, as well as new administrative, wellness and cafeteria wings. The renovation also preserved and updated 10,051 square feet of existing space to provide a teacher resource wing, multipurpose space for before-and-after school programming, and a suite of offices for specialized support staff, including speech-language pathologists, social workers and psychologists.

Operational funding for the center is split between special education and New Mexico Pre-K resources. Families interested in enrollment may register through the district’s ParentVue portal.