SCHOOL’S IN SESSION

For nearly four decades in the middle of the 20th century, Coronado Elementary was a bustling center for learning for ABQ grade schoolers. That all changed in 1975: when the area saw a steady decline in enrollment, APS converted the school (which is the city’s third-oldest operating elementary school) to an administrative building. Flash forward to 31 years later in 2006, and Downtown was experiencing a huge resurgence.

Schools in the metro were overflowing, and APS embarked on the years-long process to reopen Coronado as a school once again. Now, it serves about 300 students in K-5th grade; Coronado is a Dual Language Magnet School, and the curriculum focuses heavily on incorporating Spanish. “One thing I hear from the kids is that they want to be able to communicate with their grandparents,” says system administrator Armando Reyes.

For health assistant Judy Marjerison, having Spanish prioritized means that students can connect more in-depth with their heritage. “We’re seeing a resurgence of people being proud of who they are and where they come from and their language,” she says. Before Coronado reopened its doors in 2009, Marjerison had attended community meetings where questions were posed about what the city should do about the then administrative building. “I was excited that Coronado was going to reopen as a school again. When I heard that it was going to be a dual language school, I was thrilled that kids were going to be taught more Spanish because when I was growing up, we weren’t allowed to speak Spanish at school,” she says.

As far as the design of the building itself, Reyes notes the basement as a unique feature in the architecture. “Now it’s used for storage, but it’s interesting because for one, a lot of newer buildings in New Mexico don’t have basements and you certainly don’t see them often in schools,” he says. “Secondly, the basement has barn doors so students and staff could take shelter [presumably from looming WWII threats].”

The building, which was originally designed by APS architect Louis G. Hesselden, went through major renovations during the three-year reopening project, with additions like a new gym, cafeteria, library, media center, and playground. However, the goal for the main building was the restoration of its original appearance—well, for the most part. “One of my favorite parts of the school is the foyer,” says Reyes, who has been with the school since its reopening. “When we first came back (in 2009), the students and teachers each made a tile that represents them, so we gathered those up and put them on the wall.”

In 1996, the main building of Coronado Elementary was placed on the National Historic Register, which preserves the history and integrity of the building as well as the land it sits on.—ET