Rio Rancho school board approves nearly $800K in security funding

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Public Schools will use almost $800,000 in state funds to make security improvements to its schools and infrastructure.

During its regular meeting on Nov. 17, the RRPS Board of Education unanimously voted to accept $790,051 from House Bill 450, passed during the 2025 regular legislative session.

“Some years are better years than others, and this was a year which was a much better year for the district, so we’re very grateful for the funding from the PSFA (New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority),” RRPS Superintendent Sue Cleveland said during the meeting. “We appreciate the time and effort that went into getting this approved.”

The board’s decision came after the school district received an Oct. 20 letter from the New Mexico Public School Capital Outlay Council, which is an arm of the PSFA, and approved the six-figure funding appropriation that was issued for RRPS.

The funds, to be utilized by the school district’s safety and security department, will go toward “fencing and other perimeter improvements, installing additional surveillance cameras, improving access control equipment and enhancing radio communications equipment,” the council’s letter stated.

Bernalillo Public Schools also received funding through the legislation, JoAnn Beuerle confirmed in an email. The funds will be used throughout the school district to upgrade security camera systems in order to detect weapons, with Bernalillo High School scheduled to receive them first.

If funding remains available, she wrote, then BPS plans to upgrade entrance gates at BHS as well as Santo Domingo and Cochiti schools.

“Bernalillo Public Schools is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students, staff, and families,” Beuerle wrote.