1983Original Puesta del Sol Elementary built by APS (now St. Thomas Aquinas School); Lincoln Middle School built by APS.

1986Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School built by APS.

1990First phase of Enchanted Hills Elementary School built by Jemez Valley district.

1991Ernest Stapleton Elementary School opened by APS.

19931993 NM Department of Education approves the creation of the Rio Rancho school district and appoints an interim school board. The first school board election is held in October and the district’s first permanent board takes office.

1994Dr. Sue Cleveland is hired as Superintendent; on July 1 the district officially begins operations. Voters approve a $27.1 million bond issue and the 2-mill levy for school maintenance and technology.

1995Colinas del Norte Elementary School, the first new school built by the new district, opens. The district moves into its current central office facility on Laser Rd. NE, in the wake of the condemnation of the original district office building at Unser and Southern. Sandoval County and Intel reach an agreement under which Intel receives $8 billion in industrial revenue bonds; in return, Intel agrees to provide $30 million for construction of Rio Rancho High School. In December, the district receives full accreditation from the NM Department of Education and the North Central Association.

1996Eagle Ridge Middle School and Mountain View Middle School open. The two schools, built essentially to the same design, win national design awards. The site is dedicated for the new Rio Rancho High School and construction begins.

1997Rio Rancho High School opens with a freshman, sophomore, and junior class; it is featured in Time Magazine’s “What Makes a Good School” section as an innovative school ready to try bold new ideas. The school also wins a national design award. Voters approve a $22.2 million bond issue and renewal of the 2-mill levy.

1999-2000Rio Rancho High School graduates its first senior class. Independence High School opens. The new Puesta del Sol Elementary campus opens. RRPS and its schools are fully accredited by SDE and the North Central Association.

2000-01Dr. Sue Cleveland is named a recipient of the Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women. District employees, the State Department of Education, and Rio Rancho voters approve charter district status for RRPS. Rio Rancho High School earns an “Exemplary” rating and Rio Rancho Elementary an “Exceeds Standards” rating in the first year of the NM Accountability ratings.

2001-02Eagle Ridge and Mountain View Middle Schools receive Piñon Recognition from Quality New Mexico. Enchanted Hills Elementary, Lincoln Middle School, Mountain View Middle School, and Rio Rancho Elementary school earn “Exceeds Standards” ratings. Puesta del Sol Elementary School and Rio Rancho High School are rated “Exemplary”.

2002-03Rio Rancho Mid-High School and Vista Grande Elementary School open. All district schools open before 2002 earn Piñon Recognition from Quality New Mexico. The district office earns Roadrunner Recognition. Enchanted Hills Elementary, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary, and Rio Rancho High School earn “Exceeds Standards” ratings. Rio Rancho High School named “Science High School of the Year” at the NM Science and Engineering Fair. Suzanne Harper, Principal at Colinas Del Norte Elementary, is named a Milken National Educator.

2003-04Voters approve a $23 million bond issue and renewal of the 2-mill levy. Enchanted Hills Elementary earns an “Exemplary” rating, and Rio Rancho High School “Exceeds Standards.” RRPS and its schools earn full accreditation through a Baldrige-based pilot project in cooperation with SDE, the North Central Association, and Quality New Mexico. Rio Rancho High School senior Nigel Reuel becomes the school’s first Presidential Scholar. RRPS’s enrollment officially doubles in size since the district was founded in 1994 when enrollment passes the 11,810 mark at the 120th day.

2004-05
• The RRHS Marching Band wins the Zia Marching Band Fiesta, thus becoming the state champion marching band (its first state championship)
• Dr. Sue Cleveland is named Superintendent of the Year by the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators (NMCSA) and is honored early in 2005 as one of four national finalists for AASA National Superintendent of the Year
• In July, Maggie Cordova is named Special Education Administrator of the Year by the NMCSA; she passes away in January 2005. In April, she is posthumously awarded the CASE Harrie Selznick Award, the highest award given by the Council of Administrators of Special Education
• Theresa Saiz receives the NM PED Student Transportation Division’s STAR award as outstanding student transportation administrator
• Lisa Cour, Don Schlichte, and Margaret Terry win re-election to the school board
• A 22-classroom addition is completed at Martin Luther King, Jr. ES; smaller kindergarten classroom additions are completed at Puesta del Sol, Colinas del Norte, and Rio Rancho ES
• A 43-member school, district, and community committee undertakes the first major revision to the strategic plan since 2001; the board adopts the plan in February
• A 40+ member school, district, and community committee develops recommendations for elementary and middle school boundary changes; the board adopts the changes in March
• All district elementary schools meet AYP in the first year of the new CRT-based state accountability system
• Rio Rancho High School’s wrestling team three-peats as state champions; the RRHS men’s golf team wins its first state championship
• The RRHS football team wins its first district title, but is defeated in the playoffs
• Ground is broken for a 20-classroom addition at Enchanted Hills Elementary
• Legislators and the governor earmark approximately $2 million in legislative capital outlay to Sandoval County to purchase land for a second high school campus, and $475,000 to the Cyber Academy project
• Bruce Smith, RRHS 10th grade Humanities teacher, is New Mexico’s recipient of the James Madison Fellowship for 2005
• Seats and Eats revenues exceed $100,000 for the first time
• Colinas del Norte Assistant Principal Ellen Bruno is named the New Mexico PTA Principal of the Year

2005-06
• The new Stapleton Elementary School campus opens in August
• Phases I and II of Maggie M. Cordova Elementary School open in August; Phase III (remaining classrooms) are scheduled to open later in the year
• The Early Learning Center opens in the old Stapleton ES facility
• The Rio Rancho Cyber Academy opens in a leased facility on Quantum Rd. across from the district office

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