New (No Name) High School

Las Cruces needs a new high school, so we have been told. At a not-too-well-attended public meeting on 12 January 2009 the Superintendent reported the price as $100 million. I know I heard it clearly, as I wrote it down. It seems that not too long ago the price was in the upper $20s millions. The reported crowd of 160 was mostly older gray-haired white people whose concerns were more about traffic, bike lanes, juvenile delinquents, and plants, than the education process that may go on in this proposed 2,000 student public school. There were a lot of words about 'turf' and how the local university was involved.

The Superintendent was asked what was the name of the school. Las Cruces has three public high schools. One school is named the ubiquitous "Las Cruces High School," while the second one is named "Mayfield High School" after the district athletic director of yore; or maybe a coach of yore. Ah, the third one! There was an old junior high school in Las Cruces named "Onate," after the religiously revered Spanish explorer who never did anything in this area, because there was nothing here. When the new third public high school was built, it inherited the church-blessed name of that hated Spaniard, detested by Native Americans. The banners of belligerence and prejudice, the Dona Ana County seal, which now has a dripping yellow cross, shows Onate on his horse and the ribbon-cutting group's blue blazers in the Chamber of Commerce sport a patch with three Latin crosses and a profile bust of the venerated Onate.

The question to the Superintendent caused some foot shuffling and the response that a name has not been discussed, but any discussing would come later in the process. Well, this huge, new school is scheduled to open in 2011.