It's a great time to be a Tiger: changes coming to AHS in the fall

Alamogordo High School is going to look different when students return in the fall.

The first thing students would notice is a perimeter fence done in the style of the Tiger Pit archway and the new sign at the soccer field.

Alamogordo High School (AHS) and Alamogordo Public Schools have asserted that the fence will be aesthetically pleasing.

"We're going to follow that theme, I call it the Chaco Canyon stone look because it reminds me of the ancient buildings in Chaco Canyon but we have the archway and the soccer field sign there so the pillars will look like that and we'll have the black iron fencing between that," AHS Principal Ken Moore said.

"This is a great school and we want it secure, we want the fence to enhance the appearance. We're not trying to make it look or feel like a prison. We just want to keep these kids safe."

The school already has chain link fencing around the back of the campus near the football and baseball fields along Tiger Drive.

The fence will be installed by National Construction and should be ready by the first day of school in August, Moore said.

The materials that are placed near AHS are for the Army Corps of Engineers McKinley Channel project that has entered into its final phase.

The project will cost about $252,000.  

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Security checkpoints and vestibules on the exterior of the campus will be part of the fence updates. There is already a security vestibule inside the school near the front entrance.

There will be a manned gate at the Tiger Drive entrance that leads to the Tiger Pit and one on the street that runs behind the stadium.

The one behind the stadium will be closed during the day and open only at arrival and dismissal time, Moore said.

"I do want to control people being able to leave so easily but it's more about controlling who comes in, so that we keep our kids safe," Moore said. "If you have business here, come to the front, check in, you're more than welcome."

The other major change coming to AHS is the change in the cafeteria and commons area.

Since the campus is transitioning to a secure campus, students will no longer be able to leave school for lunch.

To provide students and faculty with more choices, the cafeteria will become a food court style of cafeteria.

Seating is also going to be changed to accommodate student traffic.

At the May 15 regular school board meeting, APS approved A'viands as food service manager for the district.

A'viands is also contracted in Tularosa, Cloudcroft and Ruidoso.

A'viands will provide a food truck, a coffee bar at the high school and nutrition bars at the middle schools and elementary schools. 

A'viands has promised a budgetary windfall from their services.

"Our biggest issue has been breaking even, this company is actually going above that and is guaranteeing $150,000 into the black after we pay all our expenses and all our payroll and everything. We really didn't believe it. We made them break it down and it's really true," APS Deputy of Support and Human Resources Colleen Tagle said at the May 15 meeting.

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The balanced expenditures are not just because of the children who will be eating in the new food courts but stems from the new after school dinner program managed through the state Children, Youth and Families Department.

Another change is that transportation was brought in-house and the district is seeking bus drivers.

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on twitter at @nicmaxreporter