SABE says Bienvenido, Yá'át'ééh and Welcome

RIO RANCHO — When the Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education (SABE) opened its doors a decade ago, it was with one mission: to provide dual-language education to any student who wanted it.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done for the last 10 years.

“Our educational program adds a layer of enrichment for our students because not only are they learning in two languages, not only are they learning the content required through the state and [to help] them thrive and excel and graduate from high school and continue on, but they are also learning it in two languages,” says SABE Executive Director Jackie Rodriguez.

According to Rodriguez, it can take anywhere from five to nine years to become fluent in a second language.

The World Literacy Foundation adds, “It is much easier for young children to learn a new language than adults ... The early years are a vital period when cognitive skills and connections are formed, which learning a second language can enhance.”

Rodriguez says the staff is seeing benefits for the students in a myriad of ways, from parents' awe at hearing their child speak a language they don’t themselves understand to opportunities for graduates down the road, but one of the biggest benefits they’ve seen is in students traditional schools might label as “struggling with learning.”

“It’s a great phenomenon that we see,” Rodriguez said. “Our kids truly get more from a dual-language setting than they would in an English-only setting. And there’s new research, a lot of new research, on the benefits of dual language for students that struggle with learning. And we are seeing that here.”

SABE is a bilingual charter school that uses a 50/50 language learning model to help support both students’ diverse education needs and their sense of value in the community.

There are a few basic things to understand about SABE before walking in the door.

First, SABE is a charter school. That means they are an educational institution that offers a specialized education in one or more fields as well as in all the traditional subjects and lessons required by the New Mexico Public Education Department.

Second, SABE is a public school. Contrary to popular belief, charter schools are not necessarily private schools. Many are grassroots educational efforts that are subsidized by the state, like all public schools. One big thing to note, however, is they operate within their own school districts. SABE is not a part of RRPS.

“We are state funded; we are free, so we don’t charge tuition,” said Rodriguez.

Lastly, SABE was founded in 2015 by Brennan Divett, who still sits on the SABE Board of Directors. What started as a small charter with 80 students has ballooned into a full kindergarten through eighth-grade school with a waiting list and more than 220 students enrolled.

“So, we are continuing to show growth every year,” said Rodriguez. “And we are making sure that everything we do is in support of what [the students’] needs are and what we know that our students deserve.”

The students who attend SABE focus predominantly on English and Spanish, but those aren’t the only languages SABE supports.

“When you look at our mission, it is truly to support any student with any language they're coming from,” Rodriguez said. “We have students who speak Italian, ... we have students who speak Vietnamese, ... we have representatives from different pueblos, ... we have students who are from the Navajo Nation.”

Students are taught on a rotating schedule of languages. Essentially, they are taught in English one subject and Spanish in the next on a rotating basis.

“So, they’re learning to read and write and speak in both languages throughout the day,” Rodriguez said. “There are P.E. classes taught in English and music classes taught in Spanish. They literally switch, and the teacher who is teaching Spanish is only speaking Spanish to the kids, and the English teachers [are] only speaking English.”

Tamara Wilburn, community schools coordinator for SABE (and a SABE parent), said the dual-language model has been a major morale boost for her son, Tucker.

“Kids will shine when those opportunities come and they’re able to use both [languages],” she said.

It seems SABE is finally starting to see some rewards for all its hard work, though they’d probably be the first to tell you the hard work IS the reward.

Even so, SABE received word recently that its charter has been renewed for the second time in the school’s history.

“We did receive our five-year renewal with no conditions, which is really good for our school,” said Rodriguez.

On top of that, SABE was recently awarded the Sparklight grant for $5,000, which they say will be used for updating items such as classroom computers. The grant was written with Wilburn’s assistance, and Rodriguez says she is hoping they can write another grant to make Wilburn a full-time employee of SABE.

The grant award is just in time, too. On March 25, SABE will be hosting a 10th anniversary celebration and grand opening. The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at SABE’s new school building at 601 Quantum Road.

Yes. SABE is moving into a new building. Though the move only means a 4,000-square-foot increase in space (from 25,000 to 29,000 square feet), Rodriguez says it has the benefit of being designed specifically as a school.

“Rachel Matthews Development will be providing food [for the event],” said Rodriguez. “They’re actually the developer we’re working with on the lease purchase agreement, and we’ll have mariachis and dancers there, too.”

The new building was under construction for more than two years and was completed at the beginning of February. Rodriguez says they plan to move into the new digs in June and be ready for the 2025-26 school year.

SABE’s current location is in a retrofitted and updated office building in Rio Rancho.

The new location is a major step forward for the small dual-language school, but Rodriguez says SABE’s work is never done.

“There’s likely to be a ‘Phase Two’ sometime in the near future,” she says. “We also hope to have a new playground for our students, which we haven’t had for these 10 years.”

For more information about SABE, visit nmsabe.org.