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EDITORIAL: Albuquerque Public Schools' approach in planning a new West Side high school is both smart and expedient.
APS is nearly finished putting together a committee that will give the district a head start on big-picture aspects of the high school before an architect is hired. The committee will have eight APS administrators and four community members when complete.
One of the community members, Ventana Ranch Neighborhood Association president Laura Horton— who also sat on the design committee for Ventana Ranch Elementary— says she wants to make sure the result is "a state-of-the-art high school that's going to meet the needs of the students."
Horton personally plans to approach students and parents from the two nearby middle schools, Lyndon B. Johnson and James Monroe, to see what they would like in their future high school. That's a good start.
It's also smart that committee members will talk with staff at other city high schools, like Manzano, which has a new cafeteria and much-talked-about music building, and Eldorado, which has a new science wing. The committee is also reviewing what has worked for high schools elsewhere around the nation. The committee can learn from these other schools' successes— and from any mistakes.
One of the committee's decisions will entail whether to give the West Side school a traditional campus, or incorporate an academy design like that at Rio Rancho High, where students are grouped by grade or academic area. They also will be considering whether to locate city services, such as a regional park or community center, at the school.
Having the committee do the legwork could save the architect two or three months' worth of time, a consultant helping the committee says. That's important if the school is to open as scheduled in two years.
The West Side has waited long enough. And having the committee's valuable research and input will help ensure the school is well worth that wait.
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