Officials consider making Alamogordo High School a closed campus

ALAMOGORDO - The Alamogordo Public School District is contemplating closing the Alamogordo High School campus at certain times, especially during lunch, Interim Superintendent Jerrett Perry said.

A closed campus would mean students are not permitted to leave. 

“We have a lot of statistics that we’re putting together to start evaluating (the process for closing campus),” Perry said. “The community members need to know that a survey is coming soon.”

There are going to be some community forums set up soon so that the public, students and staff can weigh in, Perry said.

“This is real, and it is something we will certainly need to start evaluating,” Perry said.

Meal options, seating and security would have to be considered.

“There’s a lot of things happening there that will, most certainly, be to the benefit of our kids,” Perry said.

There is also a perimeter fence in the works to help keep students safe, Perry said.

Perry delivered his final superintendent’s report of the year at the regular APS School Board meeting on Dec. 12.

Perry broke down the district’s needs into five components: district and school safety, academic student performance, facility upgrades, teacher leadership and retention, and the budget.

“There are people on the team that are working vigilantly to make those things happen,” Perry said.

At the beginning of the fall semester, APS endured staff and administrative changes including then-APS Superintendent Adrianne Salas' retirement following the district's poor performance with state grading both at the individual school level and at the district level.

There have also been some changes at the high school including Dr. Kenneth Moore being named the new Alamogordo High School principal back in October.

“The community is only as good as the schools and the past six, eight months have shown that,” Perry said. “It’s been an amazing ride and talking to the team, preparing for the spring semester is even funner, it’s going to be even more exciting because we have a lot of work to do.”