Raíces del Saber wins charter renewal

Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School, a Las Cruces public charter elementary school founded in 2019, announced on Dec. 28 that it received a charter renewal without conditions from the New Mexico Public Education Commission through June 30, 2029.

A 10-member elected body, the PEC authorizes charter schools in New Mexico, of which there were 57 statewide during the 2022-23 school year. Charter schools are public schools that are governed by their own boards of directors rather than the local school district, although some charter schools lease property or enter agreements with local school districts for services. They must also meet the same academic standards as other public schools in the state.

The school was founded as a dual-language immersion school for Kindergarten through fifth grade, with students learning the Nahuatl language and Mesoamerican culture alongside core academic standards required by the state. The term “Xinachtli” in its name is a Nahuatl term for a blossoming seed, and refers to the indigenous-based teaching method practiced there.

The school’s head administrator, Maria Artiaga, explained in a news release that a charter renewal without conditions demonstrates the PEC’s confidence in “the school’s ability to meet the academic needs of its students and the community’s confidence in the program.”

Artiaga said the school cleared its regular annual audit visits from the state Charter Schools Division, which review academic and financial standards as well as organization and governance. The process includes input from students and families, teachers and administrative staff as well as the governing board.

More information about the school is available online at RaicesDelSaber.org.