Welcome to Cloudcroft Municipal Schools

POPs Concert

POPs Concert flyer

Cloudcroft High School (CHS) presents their POPs concert, A Night Under The Stars, on May 4, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the CHS gym. Join us for dinner and a show. The cost is $20 per ticket. RSVP with a music student or via email.

Cloudcroft Schools Spotlight

Happy April to All!

This month I am dedicating my article to providing information regarding the new Public Education Department’s (PED) Rule - 6.10.5 NMAC, School Instructional Time Requirements. The rule will take effect on July 1, 2024.

I am sad to report that New Mexico’s Governor line-item vetoed the special provision added by legislators forbidding the PED from using state educational funds to implement the new rule forcing School Calendars to follow a minimum of 180 instructional days. The PED and Governor Lujan Grisham believe that the rule changes are necessary despite the many speakers (at the public hearing) that were clear in their disdain for the proposal, arguing the 180-day requirement would drive teachers out of the workforce, greatly increase operational costs, and whittle away at local control of school boards.

The final rule will include:

  • Four-day school week calendars. The revisions to the proposed rule allow for four-day school week calendars. (But only if your district qualifies for an exemption, please read on…)
  • Exemptions for early college high schools. Early college high schools will be exempt from the minimum 180 instructional day requirement.
  • Exemptions for school districts and charter schools with growth in reading, language arts. Schools will be eligible for exemptions from the minimum 180 instructional-day requirement under the revised rule based on reading, language arts proficiency and growth as determined by the Secretary. (Note: What the Secretary of Education, Arsenio Romero, has proposed has only been attained by two School districts out of 125 in the past year. Please see our website for the complete memo with the details of this exemption.)
  • Minimum daily attendance for high school students. High school students will be required to attend at least 3.5 instructional hours (not class periods) daily, unless they provide evidence of participating for an equivalent amount of time in an apprenticeship, a work study program, a dual-credit program, employment, community service, or similar activities.

This proposal was immediately unpopular among educators as hundreds of teachers and school administrators (including myself and School Board President, Lance Wright) showed up in Santa Fe to speak at a public hearing. We all agreed the plan is an overreach of the Public Education Department’s powers and we asked that the state allow local governing boards to create their district calendars. Mr. Wright and I both spoke against PED taking the control away from Cloudcroft Municipal Schools to plan a school calendar that is best for our students, families and staff. More is not better; better is better!

At the March 19 Cloudcroft School Board meeting, Cloudcroft Municipal Schools Board of Education did declare its full and unequivocal support for the Superintendent’s involvement with the New Mexico Schools Superintendents Association Legal Defense Fund in their efforts to challenge the PED’s changes to the school calendar and instructional hours/days, along with other rules and regulations that may conflict with the best interests of our community and students. At the very least, we hope to get the courts to approve to suspend this rule for the upcoming school year. This signed Resolution is also on our website.

Cloudcroft Schools have had proven success for the past thirteen years with our four-day week calendar. Our students have outperformed five-day districts year after year. Our schools currently meet the designation criteria for ‘Spotlight Schools’ and ‘Schools of Excellence’ and are in the top ten percent in our state! In addition, our current school schedule has saved the district thousands of dollars, which goes right back into students and programs. Let us continue to do what we do!

In summary, because we are seeking an exemption, Cloudcroft will be required to submit two calendars for PED approval for the 2024–2025 school year: one that meets all new calendar requirements, and one with the desired calendar days. When proficiency rates and proficiency growth are finalized in the summer, PED will notify us if we have been approved for the 180 instructional day exemption. I will keep our community updated as things are decided.

We have had a lot of activities again for the month of March and lots of upcoming events for April but I wanted to focus this month on what NMPED, our Governor and Secretary of Education are trying to take away from our small, rural school districts.

Thank you.

Go Bears!

Tana Daugherty

Tana Daugherty
Superintendent
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools

Welcome to the Cloudcroft Municipal Schools Website

We are located in the Village of Cloudcroft, approximately 16 miles east of Alamogordo, New Mexico. We are proud to be the kindergarten through 12th grade education center for a large portion of the Southern Sacramento Mountains. Our schools serve Cloudcroft and the outlying communities of Mayhill, Weed, Piñon, Sacramento, and Timberon—an area covering roughly 850 square miles. 

It is our honor to live in a region of great beauty within the boundaries of the Lincoln National Forest. We are also proud of the dedication our student-focused staff members display each day as they educate our students. Our teachers encourage opportunities for growth and believe in teaching from a holistic approach to nurture our students’ minds, bodies, and spirits. While we embrace our rural small town lifestyle, we also prepare our students to be well-equipped to thrive in the 21st century.

We invite you to explore our website and learn more about our schools and our people. If you have any questions, we welcome you to stop by or give us a call.