Public Education Department Announces 32 New Mexico Public Schools On COVID-19 Watchlist

PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS

Thirty-two New Mexico public school buildings appeared on the COVID-19 Watchlist in the week ending Friday, Feb. 5, signifying they had at least two Rapid Responses within a 14-day period. 

Those school buildings are:

ALBUQUERQUE:

  • Albuquerque High
  • Cleveland Middle
  • Eldorado High
  • Hope Christian Elementary
  • Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary
  • Volcano Vista High

ANTHONY

  • Gadsden High

ARTESIA

  • Artesia Public Schools Warehouse
  • Grand Heights Early Childhood

BELEN

  • Central Elementary

BLOOMFIELD

  • Bloomfield Early Childhood Center
  • Central Primary

DORA

  • Dora Elementary

ESPANOLA

  • Eutimio Salazar Elementary

FARMINGTON

  • Farmington Municipal Schools — Plant Op
  • McCormick Elementary 
  • Northeast Elementary

GALLUP

  • Gallup McKinley County Schools-SSC

HOBBS

  • Hobbs High
  • Houston Middle

HONDO

  • Hondo Elementary

JEMEZ PUEBLO

  • Jemez Valley High

LAS CRUCES

  • Las Cruces Public Schools

LOVINGTON

  • Lovington High

RIO RANCHO

  • Shining Stars Preschool 

ROSWELL

  • Gateway Christian Schools
  • Goddard High
  • Roswell AESC

RUIDOSO

  • Region IX Head Start

SANDIA PARK

  • East Mountain High

SANTA FE

  • Pojoaque High 

SOCORRO

  • Socorro High

During that same period, no schools were placed on the Closure List. 

The Watchlist, maintained by the New Mexico Environment Department, includes schools and businesses with two or more Rapid Responses within 14 days. Those with four or more Rapid Responses in 14 days are placed on the Closure List and required to close and, where appropriate, return instruction to remote-only learning.  

A Rapid Response is a series of interventions designed to prevent COVID-19 spread, beginning when the New Mexico Department of Health notifies a school that an employee or student has a confirmed positive case and was on campus/in the facility during the infectious period.  Read the complete COVID-19 Rapid Response Watchlist here. 

If a public school is required to close because it has four or more Rapid Responses in a 14-day period, it must remain in remote-only learning mode until its county is in the green zone — a Department of Health distinction signifying acceptable control of the virus. See the map here.

Only the individual school that reached the four-in-14 threshold would be required to return to remote learning. That means a school district could have one school closed for in-person learning, another on the Watchlist, and others with no impact.