Plans for a new high school and middle school mean big changes for the students, families, staff and community. What if bringing Crownpoint High School and Crownpoint Middle School closer together creates challenges for supervision, safety, and student interactions? The redesign shows the schools placed closer together and possibly appearing as if they are being combined. This project has not happened yet but is planned for the future in Crownpoint, NM, where both the middle and high schools are located. The discussion includes Ms. Ganzon, a teacher, and an anonymous student, focusing on how the redesign could affect students and daily school life at CHS and CMS. Although the redesign is not currently in place, it is expected to happen in the future.
The idea of the school’s new redesign was posted on CHS website Oct 30, 2025, to provide the community with some insight into the plans for the future. Many students students and community members noted that this was a sudden announcement to the public and not to mention, many kids and parents are confused about the new layout of the school. The main project has been outlined by theGallup Mckinely County School Board of Education, and many were under the impression that there would be two distinct school buildings–one for the middle school, and one for the high school. However, the design appears to show the two schools are together.
Crownpoint High School teachers and students alike have thier own thoughts on the plans for the new school. Science teacher, Ms. Ganzon, stated, “From the images you have provided me with, the schools new layout would be confusing since both schools are closer than before.” This shows how the closer layout can make the outside environment more confusing to understand and navigate. She added, “I feel like students would have to get used to their surroundings and where each and every class will be located.” Certainly, students and teachers will have an adjustment period, understanding the layout of the new facilities. While academics wouldn’t really be impacted, students and teachers will still need to get used to the new rooms and locations of materials and school resources.
A student who prefers to remain anonymous pointed out that “Even if the schools aren’t together, high school students and middle school students can easily get mixed up, and they also may not be as responsible and independent as they will be hanging out with the younger grade.” Even with the redesign and the schools being closer, students could become mixed up, skip classes, or get confused about where they are supposed to be. The student went on to say, “With the schools new remodel, parents have questions on where they should drop off their kids, since the pickup and drop-off may be confusing to understand and comprehend.” Furthermore, the student discussed how the remodel looks good on the outside, but wonders how the inside will look and how students will navigagate relearning the layout of classes, since we can only see the outside of the buildings in the provided plans.
The redesign of the school is driven by the need for upgraded infrastructure and student safety. The redesign features a modern learning environment for both CHS and CMS, instead of just one, and may also include a larger gymnasium for the Crownpoint Eagles. Crownpoint has faced environmental challenges that have delayed construction and updates on new buildings, so the goal is to make sure the CHS and CMS redesign is as complete as possible so no delays happen in future construction.
Some have asked whether the redesign is a good or bad idea. Yes, we do need a new school layout since the building is old and needs remodelling, but the redesign including the middle school and high school closer together also raises some concerns. One concern community members may have about combining the middle school and high school into a single facility is the interaction between students of very different ages and maturity levels. Parents and community members may worry about younger middle school students regularly sharing common areas with older high school students, raising questions about student safety, supervision, and the potential for bullying or negative peer pressure. Because middle school students are at a different stage of social and emotional development, some families may feel that additional safeguards and clear separation of age groups would be necessary to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment.
Even with the facts and differing opinions surrounding the project, it seems best for the new redesign to remain unchanged. Although some concerns have been raised about how the redesign may affect students at CHS and CMS, the plans have already been developed and carefully considered. If the goal is to move the project forward and provide updated facilities for both schools, the redesign should continue as planned. While community members may have different viewpoints, many still believe that the current redesign is the best option for CHS and CMS.
