Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz will lay out the district's priorities for more than 21,000 students at the annual State of the District Address on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The event begins at 11 a.m. at the Las Cruces Convention Center, according to a district announcement. LCPS-TV will livestream the address on the district's official YouTube channel for families who cannot attend in person.

Ruiz is expected to cover student achievement, literacy, mathematics, attendance, student well-being and the district's long-term financial sustainability. Those topics track with the district's strategic plan, which extends through 2029. The district has titled this year's address "The Future is Taking Shape," following last year's "Charting the Course" theme.

The address also serves as a chance to recognize educators, support staff, families and community partners across the district, according to LCPS.

Recent district developments

The speech comes during a busy period for LCPS. The district recently secured $3.5 million in state solar grants for projects at four campuses, Organ Mountain News reported. Conlee Community Elementary, Desert Bloom Elementary and Fairacres Elementary each received $1 million, while Las Cruces High School received $500,000. The funding comes through the New Mexico Finance Authority's Local Solar Access Fund, according to a presentation by LCPS Chief of Operations Steve Rodriguez at the Oct. 20 Board of Education meeting.

Rodriguez described the four schools as part of an initial phase of a broader effort to improve sustainability and efficiency across district facilities.

A proposed 6-12 school that would combine Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy, a top-performing alternative middle school, with Rio Grande Preparatory Institute has also drawn community attention. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported pushback from parents, teachers and students over the plan, which the school board has described as a financial decision. District leadership has said it conducted sufficient community feedback on the proposal. Whether Ruiz will address the plan during Wednesday's remarks is not known.

How to watch

The livestream will be available on the LCPS-TV YouTube channel starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday.