Albuquerque Public Schools officials, educators and students met at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex to show off the district’s Freshman Academies, a team-based approach that shifts ninth graders out of traditional classrooms and into career-focused settings, the district said in a news release. The program operates at Cibola, Highland and Manzano high schools.
Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said the program addresses the need to make high school more relevant, after campus visits where she saw disengaged students seated in rows like in "The Breakfast Club." The academies organize freshman year around themed pathways and advisory groups, with students working in interdisciplinary teams backed by their own group of teachers. The effort is part of a larger initiative called the Academies of Albuquerque.
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Teachers at the showcase said they meet often to keep track of how students are doing in class, whether they’re attending and how they’re coping socially and emotionally. Manzano High School teacher Kelly Dutro said attendance has improved significantly, and Manzano student Brooke Meisner said the academies have made her big public school feel smaller while keeping sports and clubs.
The initiative aims to help students find career interests early, with pathways in areas such as the arts, innovation and culinary programs. Officials thanked the United Way of North Central New Mexico for helping develop the program, and while school leaders acknowledged some growing pains, they voiced optimism. "When students feel seen, supported, and valued, everything changes," said Cibola High School Principal Kimberly Finke.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story was revised to cite the Albuquerque Public Schools news release it is based on. Learn how Brant.One reports in our editorial standards.
