Many Atalaya Elementary School parents are unhappy about a new report suggesting, among other things, that the school district consider closing Atalaya and sending the students to nearby elementary schools.

The 32-page "Atalaya Elementary School Facility Program and Recommendations" report, prepared by the Albuquerque-based Hartman + Majewski Design Group, also offers three options for renovations and additions to the existing school, and one option that calls for the demolition of the facility and relocation of the existing student body to another location for up to two years while a new school is constructed.

But the report recommends that the Board of Education review the school's demographics, declining enrollment, location, programs and facility conditions, and "consider whether or not an elementary school continues to be needed in this area and the BOE should consider full facility closure."

Board Vice President Glenn Wikle, who represents District 2, told The New Mexican via email that closure is "a recommendation which a majority of the board and the superintendent do not support."

District Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez echoed that thought: "It's one of several recommendations, but not one that I can support at this time. I would support some repurposing (i.e. a renovation to a K-8) to help the school grow and increase enrollment."

Though the district's Citizens Review Committee, which advises the Board of Education on facilities matters, plans to discuss the issue at its 6 p.m. meeting Wednesday, some Atalaya parents got an advance peek at the report, since two of them serve on the citizens committee. Several school parents also volunteer for Atalaya's facility-planning committee, which formed last autumn to consider various construction concepts for the 1971 campus.

According to Christine Lehman, president of Atalaya's Parent Teacher Association, many parents feel "blindsided" by the report, since, "Closure of this school was never discussed or presented as even a possible option -- or frankly as being within the purview of this planning committee."

If closure is not viable, the report recommends option 1A, the most "fiscally responsible" of the four proposed. It requires a capital investment of $8.4 million and would provide the ability of Atalaya to support a "two-round" school (two classrooms per grade) if enrollment were to increase to between 300 and 336 students from the current enrollment of around 200 students.

Atalaya parents have long been urging the district to prioritize their school for renovations. Among the problems are a faulty drainage system, a lack of security on the open campus, and classrooms without windows and natural lighting.

In addition, the report calls for a new playground, exterior building improvements, replacement of the fire-alarm system, a new HVAC system, and restroom renovations and plumbing upgrades.

"Student achievement is adversely affected by inadequate lighting, noise/sound issues, and room temperatures," the report notes.

Several Atalaya parents, as well as school Principal Abbie Casias, said the new report is basically accurate, though few are happy with the recommendation for closure.

Parent Alexandra Ladd, an affordable-housing planner, said, "I feel the report did a fairly good job, but to throw in this recommendation, 'oh by the way, we could close the school,' felt irresponsible because there is no data in that report to support that recommendation. My concern is whether that recommendation would be acted on without further analysis."

Lehman said she feels the report's assertion that the student population is expected to decline by 30 students over the next few years is inaccurate. She said the lengthy public discussion as to whether the district would close nearby Acequia Madre Elementary School and consolidate its students into Atalaya probably discouraged parents from seeking interzone transfers to Atalaya.

In January of last year, the board voted 3-2 to rescind an earlier decision to close Acequia Madre and move its students into Atalaya. The proposed renovation of the three-building Atalaya campus was estimated at costing between $10 million and $28 million at that time.

Hartman + Majewski Design Group's other options are: option 1B, which includes renovations and multiple additions, at a cost of $12.6 million; option 2, which would include demolition and replacement of the main building, a library addition and renovation of the 1996 classroom buildings at a cost of $13.8 million; and option 3, demolition of Atalaya and construction of a new school on the site, which is estimated to cost $18.7 million.

Casias, who said she had not yet had time to fully review the report, said by phone Tuesday, "The sense of uncertainty generated by some of the recommendations in the report could become a distraction in regards to what is our most important job: ensuring every student has the best education possible."

She and Lehman said the school was planning a PTA meeting Tuesday night to inform parents about the report in advance of Wednesday's Citizens Review Committee meeting, which will be held at the district's Educational Services Center on Alta Vista Street.

The district paid Hartman + Majewski about $31,000 for the report.

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.