The Los Lunas Schools are committed to being first in New Mexico in all key measures of academic achievement.

(Adopted, Los Lunas Schools Board of Education, September 2007)

Becoming the highest achieving school district in New Mexico is an enviable goal, but why is it important? Perhaps the most important reason is that life after high school has changed. Without a strong high school diploma and some level of education beyond high school, the prospects for solid life-long employment and personal economic success are much more limited that they have been in the past.

No longer does a high school diploma ensure a good job and a comfortable life, and certainly, dropping out of high school before earning a diploma has major consequences. Recent data on lifetime earnings from the United States Census Bureau estimates lifetime earnings based on educational attainment:

Clearly, there is a direct correlation between education and lifetime earnings, and it is also very clear that the economic well being of this community, this county, and the state are directly linked to the education of our workforce.

In order to graduate from high school, ready for post-secondary training, meeting the standard for academic achievement at every grade level is increasingly important. The new Mission Statement of the Los Lunas Schools reflects this new reality:

Every Student, Every Year: At or Above Grade Level

(Adopted, Los Lunas Schools Board of Education, September 2007)

However, in order to accomplish this goal, we need the support of the entire community.

Students, ask yourselves, “Do you want a good life, to be able to live with financial and personal independence? Do you want to know you made a difference in the world, and know that you did something that can be passed on to the generations to come?” If so, you need to work hard for academic success and make sure that you achieve better grades – every day, every year. With a solid education, the world is at your feet.

As a community and a school district, we must ask ourselves, “Are we doing everything that we can to support our students on their journey to success?” Meeting our goals will require a renewed effort and enthusiasm from all stakeholders in the community – parents, elected officials, local businesses, and the community in general. Achievement is a group effort, and it is our stated goal to become the best school district in New Mexico . Please join us in this effort.

Sincerely,

Walter Gibson, Superintendent