A Message From Our Superintendent

October 2025

Dear Bears,

With cooler weather on the horizon, we will soon be gathering for the Fall Festival, watching the leaves turn, and wearing an extra layer to the athletics field while we cheer on our Bear athletes! We are proud to share the great news that Cloudcroft High School earned high national and state rankings in the 2025–2026 Best High Schools, ranked by US News and World Report. We ranked as the number one rural school in the state and 8th overall – which includes all public, charter, and magnet schools/academies. Our school is ranked based on a number of factors which includes our high graduation rate, low absenteeism, and high SAT and PSAT test scores.

Since my last message, our buildings have continued buzzing with a diverse array of opportunities to support student learning, growth, and a sense of belonging for all. The elementary/middle school had their RCA House Sorting Day on August 20 – a highly anticipated and very noisy schoolwide event! From fall athletics to blood drives, ASVAB testing, and BINGO night, our fall community calendar has been wonderfully packed!

September kicked off with a spirit-filled Homecoming week including daily dress-up themes, a parade, royalty, a dance, and an outstanding football game that went into triple overtime! In addition, we practiced our evacuation procedures, hosted the Mountain Top Volleyball Tournament, and put on a fantastic Constitution Day program. On the academic front, we have completed our first formative exams, students are learning essential skills every hour of the day, and we are delighted to have 35 students enrolled in 44 dual-credit classes this semester.

The month of October has many exciting things in store for CMS as our first quarter comes to an end on October 10. On October 3, Counselor Adkins is hosting a college fair, providing students with an opportunity to carefully review and engage with the institutions of their choice. On October 8, we are hosting an FSA ID night at the high school, followed by a “Meet the School Board Candidates” event. Join us for our second Bear Facts meeting on October 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the commons for a continued discussion on school safety, Cloudcroft’s Graduate Profile, IDEA-B, attendance for success, and our upcoming bond election. We really hope you can attend.

This year, voters will see the GO bond on their November ballot. This bond is commonly used to fund school renovations, reconstruction, building improvements, and equipment upgrades. Among many exciting projects, bond funds have already provided our liability to upgrade our weight room, construct our much needed bus barn, and provide significant upgrades at our elementary/middle school including new windows, doors, locker rooms, and bathrooms. With future bond funds, CMS will continue to upgrade our facilities, create more classroom space, focusing on school safety and creating modern, welcoming learning environments that support student success for years to come. These projects protect the taxpayers’ investment in our buildings and assure school facilities are safe, functional places for teaching and learning. Cloudcroft students need your support! Vote by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

As a reminder, the Cloudcroft Board of Education will hold their October regular meeting on October 21, 2025, in the newly renovated boardroom. Please join us.

Go, Bears!

Jocelyne Driscoll-Gillespie

Jocelyne Driscoll-Gillespie
Superintendent
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools