Alamogordo area schools (Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Holloman AFB: chapel, homes, school district)

[Amerra]

My husband is in the Air Force and we will be moving to Holloman AFB next summer. It wasn't one of our choices and I am a little scared of the area. It is not so much moving to Alamogordo that scares me but the schools there that scare me. I will have one in elementary school which doesn't scare me too much but I will also have 3 in high school and that scares me a whole lot because I haven't heard anything good about Alamogordo High School. We have thought about looking for homes in Las Cruces or Cloudcroft but Cloudcroft is a little pricey for us and my husband is not too enthused about the drive between Holloman and Las Cruces.

Is Alamogordo High School really that bad? Does it have any redeaming qualities at all?
Are Cloudcroft and Las Cruces our only other options?
Does anyone have any home schooling information for the area(this would be my very last resort)?

I would appreciate any imput I can get. This whole school issue really has me worried.

[domino]

I don't think the high schools in LC are any better/worse than Alamogordo.

[mtncat]

Originally Posted by Amerra

My husband is in the Air Force and we will be moving to Holloman AFB next summer. It wasn't one of our choices and I am a little scared of the area. It is not so much moving to Alamogordo that scares me but the schools there that scare me. I will have one in elementary school which doesn't scare me too much but I will also have 3 in high school and that scares me a whole lot because I haven't heard anything good about Alamogordo High School. We have thought about looking for homes in Las Cruces or Cloudcroft but Cloudcroft is a little pricey for us and my husband is not too enthused about the drive between Holloman and Las Cruces.

Is Alamogordo High School really that bad? Does it have any redeaming qualities at all?
Are Cloudcroft and Las Cruces our only other options?
Does anyone have any home schooling information for the area(this would be my very last resort)?

I would appreciate any imput I can get. This whole school issue really has me worried.

Well I can tell you that if your concerned about Alamo High then you darn sure don't want your kids in Cloudcroft!
Long story but I have lived in this area off and on all my life. I would home school my daughter before I would send her to Cloudcroft.

That being said. Take a look at the High Rolls area as a place to live. ALot of folks make the drive to the base daily from this area.
The k-5 school is with out a doubt the best in the district for turning out smart, polite, good students.

Now back to the High School issue.
It, like every HS has problems. The past few years the reputation of the HS has really turned bad. BUT, at the start of this school year they got a new principal. She did not come up through the ranks of the local schools but came from out of town, spent a year as the assistant principal and then took over as the boss. She is TOUGH and has really cracked down on alot of the problems the HS has had in recent years.
She has a ways to go to correct alot of issues but is on the right track and moving along rather quickly. She also has the backing of the administration to kick tail and take names.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by mtncat

Well I can tell you that if your concerned about Alamo High then you darn sure don't want your kids in Cloudcroft!
Long story but I have lived in this area off and on all my life. I would home school my daughter before I would send her to Cloudcroft.

That being said. Take a look at the High Rolls area as a place to live. ALot of folks make the drive to the base daily from this area.
The k-5 school is with out a doubt the best in the district for turning out smart, polite, good students.

Now back to the High School issue.
It, like every HS has problems. The past few years the reputation of the HS has really turned bad. BUT, at the start of this school year they got a new principal. She did not come up through the ranks of the local schools but came from out of town, spent a year as the assistant principal and then took over as the boss. She is TOUGH and has really cracked down on alot of the problems the HS has had in recent years.
She has a ways to go to correct alot of issues but is on the right track and moving along rather quickly. She also has the backing of the administration to kick tail and take names.

Could you elaborate on the Cloudcroft school system? You are the first to offer a dissenting view. I know someone who works at Holloman but moved to Cloudcroft specifically because of the school quality. In fact, I heard that after Los Alamos, Cloudcroft has the next highest ranked H.S. in New Mexico, based on student SAT scores.

[Amerra]

Originally Posted by mtncat

Well I can tell you that if your concerned about Alamo High then you darn sure don't want your kids in Cloudcroft!
Long story but I have lived in this area off and on all my life. I would home school my daughter before I would send her to Cloudcroft.

That being said. Take a look at the High Rolls area as a place to live. ALot of folks make the drive to the base daily from this area.
The k-5 school is with out a doubt the best in the district for turning out smart, polite, good students.

Now back to the High School issue.
It, like every HS has problems. The past few years the reputation of the HS has really turned bad. BUT, at the start of this school year they got a new principal. She did not come up through the ranks of the local schools but came from out of town, spent a year as the assistant principal and then took over as the boss. She is TOUGH and has really cracked down on alot of the problems the HS has had in recent years.
She has a ways to go to correct alot of issues but is on the right track and moving along rather quickly. She also has the backing of the administration to kick tail and take names.

I am interested in why we should avoid Cloudcroft as well. And don't the kids who live in High Rolls go to the high school in Cloudcroft?

It is good to hear that things seem to be turning around at Alamogordo HS. My kids are in one of the high school schools here (Alaska) that most people tell you to avoid and we haven't had any issues but everyone we have talked to has made Alamogordo HS sound so much worse.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Amerra

I am interested in why we should avoid Cloudcroft as well. And don't the kids who live in High Rolls go to the high school in Cloudcroft?

It is good to hear that things seem to be turning around at Alamogordo HS. My kids are in one of the high school schools here (Alaska) that most people tell you to avoid and we haven't had any issues but everyone we have talked to has made Alamogordo HS sound so much worse.

I've heard that a High Rolls resident can choose between Alamo or Cloudcroft, but I am not exactly sure if this is true as I am hesitant to believe it from the person I heard it from.

[mtncat]

High Rolls is in the Alamogordo school district. A student may choose to go to Cloudcroft but they must provide their own transportation and get approval from the CC school district. A bus runs from High Rolls to Alamogordo.
If your an out of district student in CC and they need the class space then your gone.

The biggest problem with CC schools is that if your an outsider then you are treated as such. If your a ball player or the child of one of the CC "in group" then you can do no wrong. Politics, both above board and under the table run CC, including the school.
Cloudcroft has the same drug problems that other schools have, they just refuse to address it. That is unless your one of the "outsiders"

[Greenchili]

How about a Christian private school? When we lived there about 7 yrs
ago there was one. Just a thought I miss New Mexico.....

Greenchili

[Canine*Castle]

According to greatschools, Alamogordo rates fairly well as does Cloudcroft.

Test Score Ratings for Alamogordo High School - Alamogordo, New Mexico - NM

I check on Las Cruces as well. It rated as a 7. Of course, I'm not too sure about this rating system, but it's something to consider.

[ajzjmsmom]

Just wanted to butt in here and give my two cents worth. I have a daughter who graduated from Alamo high in 03, she graduated honors, I have a 14 yr old who is a freshman at AHS and is in honors also. We have had no problems and he is doing really well. I would worry more about my kids going to Las Cruces to school than AHS, my son has played against all of the LC high schools in football and there was only one I would even consider sending him to. You are going to have problems no matter where you go, as long as you are an involved parent your child should do fine. This new principal does seem to be making a difference but only time will tell.

I agree completely with Mtncat in regards to Cloudcroft, if you are from there everything is fine but if not you are treated as an outsider. Alamo isn't as bad as people make it sound, if you are coming from a big town with everything at your fingertips then it may be an adjustment. But with LC and El Paso close by you get the big city when you need it.

Also when looking at areas to live in for me it was important for my middle school kids to go to Chapparal Middle, and probably the best elementary schools are Holloman, Buena Vista, and Sierra. My kids went to Sierra and 2 now attend Buena Vista. It is the smallest school in town I think but the teachers are wonderful.

As far as the private Christian schools I think the biggest one went under last year. They do have another one at Calvary Chapel but I think it is only up to 6th grade.


I hope you can come to Alamo with an open mind and make judgments for yourself. It is a pretty friendly town with lots of nice people.