Albuquerque Sign Language Academy getting ready to break ground on facility

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s a multi-million dollar facility meant to keep New Mexico at the forefront of education for deaf and hard of hearing students. Soon, an empty lot just north of Osuna and Edith will turn into a new, 60,000-thousand-square-foot facility for the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy.

“There’s no one in the country doing the work we’re doing in regard to serving deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing kids and special needs kids in the same inclusive environment,” said Rafe Martinez, Executive Director of ASL Academy.

Currently operating out of Albuquerque Public Schools’ La Luz Elementary, the new campus will create more room for the growing school and eventually include agricultural programming from the county, like 4-H. “Everything that this school, our school embraces is about community, partnership, inclusion…making sure that our kids really do feel that they are part of the daily churn of the world,” said Martinez.

The state-of-the-art campus, which the academy aims to break ground on in July, comes with a $32 million price tag. The state paid for 90% of it while the school paid for the other 10% and leased the land from the county. Right now, it’s trying to raise that $3 million.

“We’re certainly grateful for the amount of support we have from so many legislators and private citizens in this quest to build something that really is a way New Mexico leads education in this realm,” said Martinez.

He hopes this facility and the long journey to get here will create long-lasting change. “We really are hoping that we set a high bar for not just New Mexico but for the country in service to kids who have, again, been so marginalized in so many systems,” he said.

ASL Academy hopes to have students and staff in the new facility by the 2026-2027 school year. They are still working on raising $3 million and are accepting donations on their website.

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