Rio Rancho Public Schools outlines $80 million bond package for Nov. 4 ballot; district says property tax rate would not rise

Rio Rancho Public Schools officials used a Parent University livestream to outline an $80 million bond proposal that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot and described the projects the district would fund if voters approve it.

"If the voters vote yes for the bond issue, your tax rate as a property owner in Rio Rancho will not increase," said Michael Baker, chief operations officer for Rio Rancho Public Schools. Baker said the district manages a bonding cycle in which older debt is paid down as new projects are added, allowing the district to issue new bonds without raising the current tax rate.

The package would fund a range of capital needs across the district. Baker said a priority is a new pre‑K facility; "the state of New Mexico will be paying approximately 60% of the project," he added, and the district currently lacks capacity to serve all pre‑K‑age children who need services.

Baker asked voters to approve about $20 million to complete projects from the district's 2023 bond, citing sharply higher construction costs since 2020. To illustrate the increase, he said the cost per square foot for Joe Harris Elementary in 2020 was about $262, while the new Independence High School is currently estimated at about $850 per square foot.

The bond would also fund a STEAM magnet school at Rio Rancho Elementary, which Baker said is roughly 50 years old and would require substantial reconstruction; the plan includes a planetarium and the relocation of the National UFO Historical Records Center (currently in portable buildings at MLK) to the site, which the district said would emphasize scientific inquiry and the investigative process.

Routine but essential repair and maintenance needs are included as well. Baker listed roof and HVAC replacements, drainage and intercom upgrades, and a new bus loop at Vista Grande, estimating roughly $10 million for those projects and noting recent HVAC replacements helped classrooms remain cool at the start of the school year.

As the city grows, the district said it seeks land acquisition to prepare for future schools (including a potential middle school on the south end), and to replace and expand an aging employee daycare facility to increase capacity; Baker tied that plan to the governor's new universal daycare initiative. Athletic and fine‑arts projects — replacing track surfaces, installing turf and maintaining marching band fields at Rio Rancho and Cleveland high schools — were also listed.

Baker said that if voters approve the bond and the state match is realized, the combined investment would exceed $100 million. He encouraged viewers to submit questions via communications@rrps.net or visit the district bond webpage at www.rrps.net for a synopsis of the proposed projects.