LCPS board authorizes Alma d’Arte sublease after Inspira opens at Court Avenue property
LCPS approved three lease-related authorizations Oct. 20 involving Alma d’Arte and Inspira STEAM Academy, which was already operating at the Court Avenue property.
Three unanimous votes address an existing lease default and authorize agreements involving two charter schools already sharing the building
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Oct. 20 to authorize lease-related agreements involving Alma d’Arte Charter High School and Inspira STEAM Academy, a bilingual charter school already operating inside Alma d’Arte's building at 402 W. Court Ave.
The three votes followed closed-session discussions about a default under Alma d’Arte's existing lease with the district. Although the board publicly identified Inspira as the proposed subtenant and authorized agreements intended to address the situation, officials did not disclose the nature of the default or the terms negotiated behind closed doors.
The actions resolve some of the questions raised in an earlier Organ Mountain News report, which examined the district's plans to address the lease default and a request to sublease the property. At the time, the publicly available agenda did not identify the proposed subtenant or specify what actions the board might take.
Three unanimous authorizations
During the Oct. 20 meeting, board members voted 5-0 to authorize Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz and district legal counsel to offer Alma d’Arte an amended lease in light of the existing default.
The board then voted 5-0 to authorize a consent to sublease the property to Inspira, contingent on execution of the amended lease. A third unanimous vote authorized a proposed memorandum of understanding involving Alma d’Arte and Inspira, with terms consistent with the amended lease and consent to sublease.
The motions authorized district officials to proceed with the agreements but did not establish that the documents had been executed or that the default had been resolved.
Inspira was already operating at the property
Inspira STEAM Academy opened in Las Cruces before the Oct. 20 board action. In a July 31 report, KRWG Public Media identified the new bilingual charter school as operating inside Alma d’Arte Charter High School.
Inspira also lists 402 W. Court Ave. as its location on the school's website, confirming that both charter schools share the address involved in the district's lease proceedings.
The chronology raises questions about how the existing occupancy arrangement relates to the subsequent request for formal sublease approval. However, the publicly available records do not establish whether Inspira's occupancy violated Alma d’Arte's lease or whether the proposed sublease was connected to the default identified by the board.
Alma d’Arte has operated at the district-owned Court Avenue property since 2004. The nature of the current lease default, the financial terms of the proposed agreements and their execution status remain undisclosed.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
