Rio Rancho board votes to end Sandia Vista’s ‘Montessori’ label, adopt arts-integration districtwide at school

The Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education voted 5-0 Monday to sunset the district’s current Montessori-branded program at Sandia Vista and convert the school to an arts-integration model that retains selected Montessori practices.

Board President Galbraith and Superintendent Dr. Bisu Cleveland had presented the proposal as the outcome of visits to arts-integrated schools, meetings with school staff and parents, and a review of research showing overlap between Montessori and arts-integration approaches.

Board members and staff emphasized that the change is intended to be an expansion of educational practices rather than a removal of enrichment. “I don’t see that we’re replacing Montessori,” said visiting consultant Sean Lane, an arts-integration trainer. “I see it as an expansion — from a small group of teachers to all the teachers in these schools.”

The nut graf: District leaders said the move responds to staffing constraints, program drift away from classical Montessori methods and the district’s statutory accountability for grade-level standards. Administrators told the board that Sandia Vista’s current program no longer met core Montessori structures (multiage classrooms, extended work periods, Montessori-certified teachers) and that arts-integration would allow the school to preserve practices parents value while ensuring alignment with district curricula and state testing.

District staff outlined the record of review: visits with classroom teams and parent nights at Sandia Vista and Enchanted Hills; sample lessons showing high student engagement during arts-integrated instruction; and research summaries provided to the board that identified five common themes between Montessori and arts integration (interdisciplinary learning, alternative assessments, holistic development, self-expression and collaboration).

Superintendent Cleveland said the program labeled “Montessori” at Sandia Vista had been altered over time and noted practical limits. “We call it Montessori. It’s not Montessori,” Cleveland told the board, adding that the school uses the district’s standard ELA curriculum and that multiage groupings and two-and-a-half-hour work periods typical of classical Montessori are not in place.

Administrators also cited staffing as a reason for the change. Principal Doug DeSoto and other leaders described difficulty recruiting fully certified Montessori teachers who also meet state licensure and local micro-credential requirements. “They felt like they were doing two jobs instead of one,” Cleveland said of staff trying to sustain both Montessori and district requirements.

Board members asked how the district would protect current students’ cohort continuity and address pre-K placement. District leaders said current Sandia Vista students would be allowed to remain in their grade-level cohorts; the board was advised that the pre-K program currently has six enrolled students and that staff are proposing to sunset pre-K at Sandia Vista as part of this action unless the board directs otherwise. Principal DeSoto said he is pursuing inclusion in future pre-K grant cycles and that the school could expand four-year-old slots if funding were secured.

Trustees pressed for ongoing evaluation. Board member Gary Tripp asked for future reporting not only on academic proficiency but also on behavior and discipline metrics; staff said comparative data collection — including behavioral regulation, academic achievement and program engagement — will be part of the arts-integration rollout.

The board motion to sunset the Montessori-branded program was made by Secretary Jessica Tyler and seconded by Gary Tripp; the roll-call vote was 5-0 in favor.

The district will rebrand Sandia Vista as an arts-integration school and integrate selected Montessori practices into the new model, while aligning instruction to district curricula and state accountability measures. Administrators said staff training, materials reuse and principal-level support are planned to ease the transition.