Rio Grande Preparatory Institute (RGPI) is an

alternative high school Alternative High School (AHS) is a public senior high (secondary) school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; which teaches grades 10 through 12. AHS is currently located at the Clinton Ford Centre, which was home to the former Clinton Ford Elementary Sc ...

Mesilla, New Mexico Mesilla (also known as La Mesilla and Old Mesilla) is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,797 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area. During the Civil War, Mes ...

. As of 2024, the school serves 144 students. The school is a part of

Las Cruces Public Schools Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) is a school district headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school district covers the city of Las Cruces as well as White Sands Missile Range, the settlement of Doña Ana, and the town of Mesilla. The s ...

History

RGPI was once host to the public library of Mesilla from 2012 to 2014, when the school forced the closure due to security concerns. In 2021, the gymnasium was painted with an homage to four major figures in Las Cruces Public Schools, including former superintendent Karen Trujillo and former

Las Cruces High School Las Cruces High School is a public high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. LCHS was established in 1918 and is the oldest public high school in Las Cruces. As of the 2021–22 school year, it serves 1,830 students from grades 9–12. ...

principal Jim Hendee. Michelle Ronga was appointed principal of the school in January 2023. Julie Maestas has been principal since July 2023.

School Structure

As an alternative high school, RGPI differs from standard high schools in their methods of teaching. RGPI reduces teacher-student ratios, focusing on one-on-one interactions, meant to foster creativity and original thinking.

Demographics

As of the 2023–24 school year, RGPI has 144 students enrolled, with an average teacher-student ratio of 16–1. Ethnically, 86.1% of students are Hispanic, 10.4% is White, 2.1% are African-American, and 1.4% are of other ethnic groups.

References

{{reflist Schools in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Alternative schools in the United States Public high schools in New Mexico