Dear RRPS Community,
Welcome to the new school year! We are so excited to welcome our students and staff back to school. It was a fast-paced summer and staff worked diligently to get projects completed in time to “open our doors” for the new year. The shorter summer break has accelerated the amount of work that must be accomplished in just a couple months. I suspect that your family may have also felt that it was a very short summer.
We are grateful that your family has made and continues to make the decision to entrust your children to Rio Rancho Public Schools (RRPS). We believe that you have high expectations for your child’s overall educational experience and academic performance, and it is our goal to continue to meet those expectations. We need your ongoing involvement to make that a reality. Parental support and a desire for a strong education system for the children in Rio Rancho has been a key factor in the district’s success since its inception.
For the last two years, our district, like others across the country, has been dealing with the ongoing aftermath of the Covid Pandemic. We learned much from that experience, and now as a school district and a community, it is important that we move forward and bring back the high level of rigor and quality education we expect in our schools. We want to ensure our students are prepared for college or career when they graduate from high school.
This past school year, a district-level team visited all schools listening to and collecting feedback from staff. All school sites stressed that the greatest challenges to learning were absenteeism and disruptive behavior. These will be areas of focus for RRPS this year. In addition, the Public Education Department is also putting greater emphasis on attendance. Students who miss 19 days or more will be designated as a “chronically absent student,” regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Attendance matters and missing even two days of school a month can have negative effects on a student’s academic outcomes.
Last night, the Rio Rancho School Board approved the RRPS attendance and behavior plans for the 2023-24 school year. We will be sharing more information on these plans throughout the next month. One important change is that RRPS high school students must attend 85% of the time in order to earn credit for class. Options to make up that time will be limited to summer school, etc. There will be a separate review/appeal process for families dealing with issues, such as major illness or hospitalization. (Rio Rancho also offers a blended program at the Rio Rancho Cyber Academy for secondary students who would like to attend virtually for most of their coursework.)
In addition, please familiarize yourself with the behavioral expectations for your school. Disruptive behavior negatively impacts both teaching and learning. Please talk with your children about the importance of a safe, respectful, and orderly environment and how they help make schools a safer place. We will enforce the rules that help to create and maintain a safe environment.
The district is adding more counselors, social workers and security personnel to provide for additional safety, security and well-being this year. Our highly trained staff and improved technology help ensure we are providing an environment where students feel safe and are able to focus on accomplishing their educational goals. (Parents should be aware that we have students with disabilities whose IEP can require a different approach, depending on their disability.)
We continue to be committed to providing the best educational experience for our students and your children. The Rio Rancho Public School District has a good reputation and track record for Igniting Student Potential. Please support and partner with us as we look to the future. Working together, we can better prepare our students for success in college, careers, interpersonal relationships, and life. We are grateful for your partnership, kindness and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. V. Sue Cleveland,
Superintendent