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MISSION/HISTORY/FUTURE
About East Mountain High School
EMHS was recently named a National Blue Ribbon School, the highest designation awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. EMHS was the only high school in New Mexico to receive the honor in 2018.
Founded in 1999, EMHS was one of the first charter schools authorized in the state of New Mexico. As we enter our 24th year, we are proud of our school’s many accomplishments: an ‘A’ Rating from the Public Education Dept every year, National Blue Ribbon recognition from the US Dept of Education, state championship athletics, and internationally recognized extra-curricular activities.
We help all students navigate their path to college, career, and beyond. We know that the future poses many complex challenges, but our faculty are committed to instilling a sense of creative problem solving in all students.
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In the coming months, we are excited to work on updating the school's strategic plan so we can further expand our impact, improve our facilities, and better serve our students.
EMHS is currently ranked as a school of "Excellence," by the NM Public Education Department, placing EMHS in the top ten percent of schools statewide. Click the button on the right to read more about NM Vistas, the school quality dashboard for the state of New Mexico.
Mission
"A safe, innovative environment, EMHS engages a diverse community of learners through transformative experiences and creative problem-solving to shape forward-thinking leaders."
Core Values
EMHS strives for students and staff who value:
Collaboration
Empathy
Reflection
Integrity
Curiosity
EMHS is currently developing a strategic plan that addresses a vision for the school for the next 5/10/20 years.
The plan is built around four pillars:
I. Student Learning & Wellness
II. Staff Learning & Wellness
III. Finance & Facilities
IV. Community Engagement
What Is a Charter School?
East Mountain High School is a charter school. A charter school is a public school developed by one or more parents, teachers or community members authorized by the local school board to provide an alternative educational setting to students in the public school system. Charter schools provide an opportunity to create new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating children.
Charter schools must describe their goals and how they will meet them in their charter, a document which must be approved by a local or state board every five years. Charter schools are held accountable to meeting the goals set out in their charters. East Mountain High School’s fifth charter, governing the years 2020– 2025, was approved by Albuquerque Public Schools in 2019. In 2022, the APS Board approved EMHS' charter amendment to expand our student enrollment cap. The leadership of the school continues to explore opportunities to expand to welcome as many families as possible.
Charter schools are not restricted by district boundaries and admit students regardless of where they live. They are funded by tax-payer dollars in ways similar to how traditional district public schools are funded. Although they are independent, charter schools are not private schools and do not charge tuition.