CNM, Rio Rancho schools break ground on facility for automotive programming

Rio Rancho Public Schools opens long-awaited CTE campus

RIO RANCHO — Cleveland High School student Israel Pleasant has come a long way since she too…

RIO RANCHO — RioTECH sophomore Lluvia Torres has worked on maintaining cars with her grandfather ever since she was little, she told a group of dignitaries May 22 from a podium just feet away from her school on Zenith Court, off of NM 528.

That passion for automotive, she said, “sparked” her to enroll in Rio Technical Education and Career Hub (RioTECH), a facility set to officially open in August that allows Rio Rancho Public School students to take courses in career and technical education from Central New Mexico Community College.

But now, Torres, who just completed her first year of the school’s auto technology program, has something else to look forward to — the Transportation Technology Center, a CNM facility that will house its Automotive Technology and Electric Vehicle Technology programs, as well as some light-duty diesel technology courses, according to a news release from the community college. Torres donned a hard hat and used a shovel to break ground for the 45,000-square-foot facility with other officials. The TCC is expected to be complete a year from now.

“The really cool thing about this program is it gave me the strength to push myself to prove myself. That’s why I’m standing here today, speaking to you guys,” Torres said.

Another student who made remarks at Thursday’s ceremony was CNM alumnus Gael Juarez — one of six students who graduated from the state’s only electric vehicle program this year at the community college.

“Thank you to CNM for providing us the space and environment where we are not only taught, but we are oh-so-encouraged to explore and to learn and to develop new habits and skills,” Juarez said. “Whether it’s diesel, automotive or, now, electric, we are all thankful for the opportunity to work in a space like the one that’s going to be built.”

Torres’ and Juarez’s comments came almost exactly a month after officials celebrated the official RioTECH opening, where the TTC was teased. Both facilities are part of a 2024 agreement between RRPS and CNM that aims to expand CTE opportunities and the workforce in Sandoval County.

Whereas the Automotive Technology and Electric Vehicle Technology programs will move from CNM’s main campus in Albuquerque to Rio Rancho in their entirety, only some of light-duty diesel technology courses will relocate due to space constraints, according to CNM spokesperson Brad Moore.

Both CNM and RRPS students will use the building, he said. The public school students will likely inhabit the facility during the day, while CNM students will use it at night or on weekends, according to Moore.

RRPS students will continue taking high school classes to earn their diploma but also enroll in CNM classes to accumulate college credit hours and, in some cases, earn a certificate or associate’s degree, Moore said.

The TTC is expected to add 250 students a year, CNM President Tracy Hartzler said during remarks Thursday.

The facility will also allow CNM, the largest community college in the state, to expand its presence in Rio Rancho beyond its designated campus to the north, Hartlzer said in an interview.

In prepared remarks Thursday, Hartzler said the TCC is “not just a building — it’s a vision.”

“It’s a vision on how do we expand opportunities for our students and really build our workforce and pipeline here,” Hartzler said.

She said in her remarks that the facility allows “every student who wants to solve problems, work with their hands and be creative.”

Hartzler noted in her remarks that the facility is supported by a voter-approved bond and state funding.

RRPS Superintendent Sue Cleveland echoed Hartzler’s comments about the facility being more than just a building. It’s about establishing relationships between higher education, high school, the automotive industry and industry businesses, she said.

“The groundbreaking demonstrates what’s possible when institutions come together to meet the needs of students and benefit the workforce,” Cleveland said in her remarks. “This project creates another pathway for our students and adult learners ... to provide them the knowledge and skills needed to work in a very profitable field.”

Albuquerque companies SMPC Architects and Franken Construction are contributing to the project.