Las Cruces Public Schools leaders summarized findings from a community review of bullying and harmful language and described near‑term actions the district is taking, including student‑led campaigns, revised reporting practices and partnerships with New Mexico State University.

The district contracted with local advocate Cassandra Gandara to run focus groups, a public summit and an independent survey. Gandara’s work found inconsistent definitions and responses to bullying across schools, communication gaps about available supports, and requests for unified reporting guidance. A district‑sponsored anonymous survey drew more than 80 responses; focus groups and a summit added qualitative data.

District staff described several initiatives: (1) redesigning incident reporting to align with policy and improve tracking, (2) ongoing professional learning for principals and staff about racialized aggression and harmful language, and (3) student‑led projects, including Black Student Union campaigns and student‑created videos aimed at changing behavior. Vista Middle School’s social worker, Lisa Taylor, shared a local program where students caught using the n‑word attend a six‑week lunch‑detention reflective program alongside mandatory disciplinary steps; staff reported early success with education‑plus‑accountability approaches.

The board emphasized implementation consistency and asked staff to pursue a multidisciplinary advisory committee (including community partners) to monitor progress. District leaders said they would also pursue partnerships with NMSU’s black student programs and support student exchanges and events as part of a prevention strategy.

Board members praised the community engagement and asked for clearer communication to families about supports and for better central coordination so schools know what resources exist and how to use them.