Los Alamos Reporter

Public Education Department Announces 32 New Mexico 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. 12, signifying they had at least two Rapid Responses within a 14-day period. 

Those school buildings are:

ALAMOGORDO

  • Alamogordo High

ALBUQUERQUE:

  • Cleveland Middle
  • Eldorado High
  • Manzano High
  • Mission Achievement and Success 2.0
  • Student Transportation
  • Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary
  • Sy Jackson Elementary
  • Volcano Vista High

ANTHONY

  • Gadsden High

ARTESIA

  • Artesia Public Schools Warehouse
  • Grand Heights Early Childhood

AZTEC

  • Aztec High

BELEN

  • Central Elementary

BLOOMFIELD

  • Bloomfield Early Childhood Center
  • Central Primary
  • Naaba Ani Elementary

DEMING

  • Red Mountain Middle

DEXTER

  • Dexter Elementary

FARMINGTON

  • McCormick Elementary 

HOBBS

  • Hobbs High

LAS CRUCES

  • Las Cruces Public Schools
  • Mesilla Valley Christian

LOVINGTON

  • Lovington High

RIO RANCHO

  • Cleveland High
  • Rio Rancho High
  • Shining Stars Preschool 

ROSWELL

  • Goddard High
  • Parkview Early Literacy Center
  • Roswell High

SANTA FE

  • Pojoaque High 

SOCORRO

  • Socorro High

During that same period, one school — Mesilla Valley Christian, a private school in Las Cruces — was 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 school has four rapid responses in a 14-day period, it must close and remain in remote-only learning mode for 14 days. 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.