District proposes moving 6th-grade academy into high school wing during middle-school construction

Pojoaque Valley Public Schools staff proposed temporarily relocating the 6th-grade academy to the East wing of Pojoaque Valley High School during the upcoming middle-school construction to avoid portables and portable restrooms.

Associate Superintendent Vigil and Superintendent Segura described a student-centered plan that designates six classrooms for 6th-grade instruction, dedicated restrooms, a shared SGA office for principal and counselor, staggered lunch periods, a separate drop-off/pick-up area, and a visible physical barrier (an accordion gate) to separate 6th graders from the high-school population. The PBHS math department would move into currently vacant classrooms to free space.

Officials said elective classes would be taught by high-school or middle-school teachers in scheduled blocks to minimize unsupervised movement and that the SGA principal and counselor would remain accessible within the wing to preserve continuity of leadership. A letter to incoming 6th-grade families and staff communication were planned to explain logistics.

Board members asked specific questions about classroom locations near ISS, camera-room access, special-education spaces, transportation location and egress safety. One board member raised a concern about an accordion gate in an emergency and stressed that crash-out egress hardware and clear evacuation plans must be ensured; district staff said existing accordion gates are in use elsewhere on campus and that they would plan for security and emergency egress procedures.

Staff framed the relocation as a temporary, student-centered alternative intended to preserve instructional quality and the 6th-grade academy identity during construction; no formal board action was taken at this meeting beyond discussion and questions.