Carlsbad voters approve $300 million GO school bond
Plans to build a new high school and make improvements to a middle school in Carlsbad are in motion after voters passed a $300 million general obligation issue for Carlsbad Municipal Schools (CMS).
March 29 the Eddy County Board of County Commissioners certified results from the mail-in election that concluded March 22.
Eddy County Clerk Cara Cooke said 19,000 ballots were mailed in February and had to be turned into her office by March 22.
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She said 1,871 voted for the bond issue and 1,481 voted against it.
Dr. Gerry Washburn, CMS superintendent, attended a special meeting of county commissioners and was “thrilled” that the bond issue passed.
He said $216 million of the bond money would be used to construct and renovate a new Carlsbad High School and the remaining $84 million would renovate Carlsbad Intermediate School PR Leyva Campus.
Washburn said the classrooms at Carlsbad High School, built more than 60 years ago, are not adequate for modern standards and electrical and plumbing fixes have been temporary.
He said PR Leyva was built nearly 90 years ago and needs 21st century modernizations.
Design and construction processes next
Now that the bond issue has been approved, Washburn said work would start soon with the design and planning phase of the process.
He said consultants would listen to the needs and concerns of CMS students and educators for both schools. After input is gathered, Washburn said the consultants would make sure all ideas match specifications outlined by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED).
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“Then they’ll come back to us and say this is what we’re recommending then after that we’ll issue a request for proposals (RFP) for an architect and then that architect will come up with that design,” Washburn said.
He said the design phase should last nearly a year.
“Best case would be starting construction at the high school in March of 2025, considering that is in the middle of the school year and close to graduation we probably wouldn’t start until the summer of ’25,” Washburn said.
Trenton Cornum, District 5 CMS School Board member, said other members will offer input as well.
"It is important to note nothing has been decided yet in regards to tearing down or remodeling either property. Everything will have to go through the red tape process of deciding and utilizing the funds in the most responsible way," he said.
"It is important to the board to include the community in these decisions. We may have the final vote but it won’t be without listening to all the information and opinions of the community," Cornum added.
Washburn said logistical issues need to be resolved at Carlsbad High School once construction starts.
CMS would PR Leyva students to move to temporary quarters
Washburn said construction for PR Leyva would differ from the high school as a new $73 million middle school south of Carlsbad is in the design phase.
“PR is going to depend on how long it takes us to build the new middle school on the southside to replace (Carlsbad Intermediate School) Alta Vista (Campus),” he said.
In 2023, CMS voters approved a $90 million bond issue to expand Sunset Elementary and retire Alta Vista Middle School.
Washburn said Alta Vista was built more than 70 years ago and endured add ons through the decades.
He said once the new middle school is built PR Leyva students would be transferred to Alta Vista during the remodeling phase.
“We’ll be able to move that building much faster,” Washburn said.
Fossil fuel development pushes needs for new schools
Washburn said continued and forecasted growth in Eddy County’s oil and gas industry has increased Carlsbad’s overall and student population.
As of March 29, he said the enrollment at PR Leyva was 992 students.
“We think we’ll be pushing 1,000 next year and Alta Vista will push 800 next year,” Washburn said.
“Our lower classes are increasing in size. Both of these middle schools will be 1,000 kids by 2026,” he said.
More: Carlsbad approves $90M school bond. Funds will be used to build and remodel schools
As of March 1, enrollment at CMS elementary schools was 3,577 students.
Washburn added enrollment at Carlsbad High School was 1,500 students as of March 29 and the number of students was projected to increase to 2,100 by 2026.
“We continue to enjoy a robust economy and people are coming here bringing their kids. We believe this will be the case for the next 7 to 10 years,” he said.
Cornum said with overall enrollment pushing 8,000 students new schools are needed to provide safe places for students to learn and grow.
"Our high school is severely outdated. With the new construction the community will be able to use and utilize our facilities," he said.
Unemployment in Eddy County was low for the first two months of 2024 compared with the statewide average, read data from the New Mexico Department Workforce Solutions (NMDWS).
Eddy County’s unemployment rate 2.6% in February and 2.8% in January, per NMDWS.
Across New Mexico unemployment was 4% in January and 3.9% in February, according to NMDWS.
NMDWS noted mining and construction jobs in New Mexico, including oil and gas development was up 3.1% in February.
“Most of the gains in the industry came from construction, which grew by 1,900 jobs. Mining employment was up 400 jobs,” read an NMDWS report.
Cornum said the oil and industry was "an absolute blessing" for CMS.
"(It) affords communities like ours to be able to have the option to receive a bond of this dollar amount and be able to pay it back so quickly," he said.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: $300M dollar bond issue means new high school in Carlsbad
