Equip Academy of New Mexico will become a reality.
Last week, the new charter school received a unanimous vote for approval from the Public Education Commission.
Plans are to locate the K-5 college prep charter school on Albuquerque’s West Side.
The charter school will have a lead teacher and an assistant teacher in every classroom, and every classroom will be named for a different U.S. university.
Mercy L. Herrera, founder of Equip Academy of New Mexico, said the team has been working to bring the high-performing, tuition-free elementary education option to Albuquerque’s West Side.
“I normally shy away from longer posts, but right now my heart is filled with such joy and gratitude,” Herrera wrote in a social media post. “In 2014, while living in NYC and teaching in one of the highest-performing charter schools, I learned what was possible for children and their maximum growth potential. I knew I wanted to bring this back to my home state, New Mexico. Here we are, a decade later, Equip Academy is approved and will open its doors to students and families in the fall of 2025. I am grateful for my Founding Board, my family, the PEC, Excellent Schools New Mexico and the vast community of supporters that have been established since the inception of Equip Academy.”
On July 9, the New Mexico Public Education Commission had a community input hearing for the proposed Equip Academy of New Mexico at the New Mexico Activities Association.
Bruce Stidworthy, GACC’s immediate past chairman of the board and president and CEO of Bohannan Huston, Leadership Albuquerque director Scott Darnell and GACC Executive Vice President of Policy and Programs D’Val Westphal all testified in support of the charter school.
Six graduates of Leadership Albuquerque were also there in support of Equip, which will offer “a top-tier, inquiry-based, college-preparatory education” and ensure “K-5 students master the knowledge and skills to dream audaciously, engage deeply, and pursue a life of purpose.”