Coming Soon: Capshargas Middle School?

Are Capshaw and DeVargas a desperate drain on the public school system in Santa Fe, and would combining them help save money that could better be put to use elsewhere? Or would the integration disrupt the students currently enrolled at these schools and hold negative effects on their education?

Within the next few weeks, the SFPS Board of Education will vote on a new plan that would integrate Capshaw and DeVargas Middle Schools. The new school would be housed on one of the two original sites, and the Mandela International Magnet School would be housed in the other.

Whose idea was this?

The plan was suggested by the Florida-based consulting firm Atlantic Research Partners, who, according to their website, are “a team of experienced practitioners who specialize in customized support services proven to strengthen instruction and increase student achievement.” The report, released in December, is aimed at improving middle-school performance in SFPS. The report cost $30,000, Superintendent Joel Boyd said at a board meeting on Dec. 14.

Why do they have to change things?

DeVargas has seen a decline in enrollment in recent years. With the capacity to enroll 650 students, it is currently operating at 240. Capshaw serves more than 420 students. Putting these schools together would allow the new middle school to operate at almost full capacity.

This plan would also allow the Mandela International Magnet School to expand to eventually serve grades 7 through 12. The school, which shares a building with DeVargas, currently has 150 students in grades 7 through 9.

The consultants also suggested that transportation be increased to El Dorado and Gonzales Community Schools, which are both K-8 schools that have the potential to take in more middle-schoolers.

What’s the problem?

One concern regarding the proposal is the delicate matter of mixing the different school cultures smoothly. “I am concerned with losing the academic climate of both schools,” said a middle-school teacher who wished to remain anonymous.

Another issue is who would ultimately be the principal of the new school. Capshaw employees want to keep their principal, Laura Jeffrey, in charge, while the staff at DeVargas believes Principal Marc DuCharme should stay at that campus, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The proposal has its critics

“The idea of disrupting over 600 middle-school students and the staff who spend so much time and energy helping to navigate these student through the interesting years we call middle school is not something that I can support,” said Linda Trujillo on her public Facebook page, a SFPS Board member.

“The idea that anyone would support getting rid of one school that is obviously doing better than the other boggles my mind,” said a Santa Fe High student who wished to remain anonymous, citing the fact that Capshaw’s students tend to score higher on standardized tests.

Mr. Morrison, a history teacher at SFHS, also thinks the plan is not the best option. He believes that it would be better to have a large number of small schools as opposed to a few large ones: “No bigger than 350 students,” he said. Combining these schools would create one student body of approximately 650.

A teacher at one of the schools in question, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “My main concern is for the welfare of the DeVargas and Capshaw students, who will be asked to move from smaller middle school of 240 and 410 to a much larger population.”

The proposal also has its supporters

Mr. Kavanagh, SFHS freshman English teacher, supports the plan. He believes that with fewer middle schools, taxes could be more focused on creating more activities and opportunities for students in the district.

SFHS junior Waco Horne, a former Capshaw student, also supports the plan: “Combining the two schools would be better for the athletics and give the Mandela International Magnet School more opportunities.”

Will creating a new middle school help SFPS students have a fulfilling education? Or will it create a hectic, disorganized transition that will disrupt the education already occurring at these schools? The school board will have to decide that in the coming weeks.