School Liaison Program

Phone: (505) 846-6477
DSN: 246-6477

Fax: (505) 846-2722
Fax DSN: 246-2722

Office Location:

377 MSG Command Section
Wing Headquarters Building
2000 Wyoming Blvd SE, Suite D-1

The School Liaison Program (SLP) provides PreK-12 information and referral services pertaining to public schools, charter schools, parochial and secular private schools, virtual schools, and homeschooling options.

The School Liaison Program Manager (SLPM) helps by providing help, support, and resources for military-connected students and their families; offering assistance, resources and information for educators supporting military connected students; and keeping our base command teams informed on all issues affecting the local educational community.

Once you receive orders for a permanent change in station, the SLPM can point you in the right direction for your child’s school needs. This process should ease your transition and reduce stress around your child’s continuing education. While you are stationed in our area, our program is here to support you with any questions or concerns you may have with your children’s education. When you receive orders for PCSing to the next base, we provide referral to the School Liaison Program Manager at your next base, along with advice and tips on moving with children.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sandia Base Elementary School
Phone: (505) 268-4356
21001 Wyoming SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87116
Fax: (505) 260-2028
Website: http://sandiabase.aps.edu/
Grades: K-5
Colors: Blue & Yellow
Mascots: Mustangs

Van Buren Middle School
Phone: (505) 268-3833
700 Louisiana SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Fax: (505) 260-6654
Website: http://vanburen.aps.edu/
Grades: 6-8
Colors: Black & Gold
Mascots: Falcons

Highland High School
Phone: (505) 265-3711
4700 Coal Avenue SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Fax: (505) 348-8503
Website: http://highland.aps.edu/
Grades: 9-12
Colors: Navy & Yellow
Mascots: Hornets

Kirtland AFB has unique educational opportunities within commuting distance to the base- Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is the nation’s 35th largest district. With enrollment of 70,000 children from Albuquerque and surrounding areas including Laguna and Isleta pueblos, APS is one of the largest and most diverse school systems in the nation. There are many options to expand educational opportunities within APS through transfers to other schools in the district and a wide variety of charter schools associated with APS.

There are many additional educational options available in the Kirtland AFB area. Families who reside off base have opportunities for their children to attend schools in APS, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, Belen, and Moriarty-Edgewood. In addition to these other school districts, there are also public funded charter schools and private schools in the area to choose from as well as home schooling opportunities. I encourage you to explore your options. Additionally, we have 99 accredited preschool and prekindergarten programs in the surrounding area, with another 70 prekindergarten programs in the local schools. There are also virtual school options and many home schooling families and communities. As a result, we have students in many different schools all over the area.

There is a large population of military connected families that live in the northwest corner of the city and attend schools in the Volcano Vista High School cluster. This includes Tierra Antigua ES, Ventana Ranch ES, Sunset View ES, Tony Hillerman MS, and Volcano Vista HS.

The school year typically starts in our area around the first week of August and gets out for the year before Memorial Day. The school year started for students in the Albuquerque Public Schools district on August 3, 2023, and most other schools in the area start around the same time.

APS changed their school start times this year, with the high schools start time at 8:40, most middle schools start time at 9:15, and elementary schools starting at varying times (7:30, 8:05 or 8:40).

For the surrounding school districts, the school day starts early for high school students at around 7:20 for most public schools. Public middle schools typically start around 8:15 am and elementary school vary with either an early start (7:30- 8:00ish am) or late around 9:00 am.

In New Mexico, a child must turn five years old by August 31 to start in a public school kindergarten. Private schools can and do take younger students. If your child completes kindergarten in an accredited private kindergarten and are academically ready, they can start in first grade in the public schools the following year. They will have to demonstrate academic readiness and may be placed in kindergarten if the school determines they need additional time in kindergarten.

If your child did not turn five years old by the cutoff date, but you move after your child has started kindergarten in your previous location and you are an active duty family, the Interstate Compact for the Educational Opportunity for Military Students allows your child to enroll in kindergarten.

You will need the following documents to register your child in Albuquerque Public Schools:

Child’s birth certificate
Child’s vaccination records
Proof of address (such as a current utility bill, mortgage, or lease agreement with your name and current address on it)

This is typically what you will need for any public school district schools. If your child will be attending a charter or private school, you will need to contact the school directly for registration requirements.

Many organizations in Albuquerque offer before/after school programs. These programs provide a variety of activities, including:

Arts and crafts
Field trips
Recreation
Study time

Kirtland AFB’s Before and After School program at the Youth Center services Sandia Base Elementary and Kirtland Elementary School. For more information about this program, call the Youth Center at 853-KIDS (5437). Eligibility requirements and priority of authorized use follow Department of Defense and Air Force policies; contact the Youth Center for details.

For other programs and schools served, visit the school’s website or APS’s Before & After School program’s information page at www.aps.edu/schools/before-and-after-school-programs. Fees vary according to the agency providing the service.

All parents must follow certain state guidelines and must notify the state of the establishment of a home school via the home school website (electronically), or send written notification to the Secretary of Education at 300 Don Gaspar Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786 (Attention: Home School Bureau) within thirty (30) days of establishment of a Home School and re-notify on or before August 1st of each year thereafter. The Public Education Department of New Mexico’s Home Schools bureau disseminates information and provides technical assistance to parents, community members, schools, and district personnel on home schools. Home schools are operated by a parent or legal guardian of a school-age person who instructs a home study program, including but not limited to reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. These students are not considered public school students and do not receive credits for the courses unless the home study program is through an accredited correspondence school. For further information, visit the NMPED Home School webpage at http://www.ped.state.nm.us/HomeSchools/ or call the NMPED Home Schools Office at (505) 827-6909. Resources provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department can be found on the webpage. I also provide resources on my webpage.