#United States #Education #Gallup-McKinley Schools #Stride Inc #Gallup, NM

Gallup-McKinley County Schools Restructures Educational Services

In a decisive move aimed at ensuring the betterment of student education, Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) has officially ended its contract with Stride Inc., the education management company formerly known as K12 Inc. This bold step, effective June 30, was announced during a special meeting of the School Board held on May 23, 2025. The district cited severe academic and legal violations that have plagued the partnership, raising serious concerns about the integrity of Stride's educational practices.

The troubling revelations that led to this decision include significant shortcomings regarding teacher-student ratios that contravene New Mexico law, alarming student turnover rates, plummeting graduation percentages, and dismal academic proficiency scores that place GMCS at the lower end of the state's educational performance spectrum.

A Clear Call for Reform

Chris Mortensen, the President of the GMCS School Board, expressed deep concerns regarding the commitment of Stride to prioritizing corporate profits over the educational welfare of students. "Our students deserve educational providers that prioritize their academic success, not corporate profit margins. Putting profits above kids was damaging to our students," Mortensen stated, highlighting the substantial disappointment that families and educators in the district feel toward Stride's management of their children's education.

Citing evidence of systemic issues, Mortensen noted that Stride CEO James Rhyu acknowledged a failure to meet state regulations on student-teacher ratios, a problem that is suspected to be prevalent not just in New Mexico, but across the nation. "If true, this could mean that Stride's annual profit margins were inflated by hundreds of millions of dollars, indicating a corporate strategy that compromises educational quality," Mortensen added.

Quadrants of negligence became evident in Gallup-McKinley County – a region that is predominantly low-income and primarily minority, where educational opportunities are desperately needed. The impact on students was palpable; they bore the brunt of Stride's failures. Mortensen lamented, "These are students who rely most on educational opportunity, and they were let down."

Statistics Reflect the Severity

The dismal statistics paint a stark picture of the situation:

• - Graduation Rates: The graduation rates for students in the Stride-managed online program plummeted from 55.79% in 2022 to a meager 27.67% in 2024.
• - Student Turnover: The alarming student turnover rate reached 30%, signifying instability in the educational environment.
• - Proficiency Scores: New Mexico state math proficiency scores for Stride students saw a drastic drop, with only 5.6% achieving acceptable standards.
• - Ghost Enrollments: Issues like ghost enrollments and a lack of personalized instruction seriously hindered student learning outcomes.

Despite repeated warnings from school officials and attempts to facilitate improvements, Stride failed to demonstrate any substantive progress. In light of these failures, the GMCS School Board voted unanimously to terminate the contract. They have also authorized legal action to seek damages for the breaches of contract.

A recent ruling by the New Mexico District Court rejected Stride's efforts to stall the termination through a Temporary Restraining Order, leaving GMCS clear to proceed with its restructuring.

A Response to National Patterns

These incidents are indicative of broader challenges within the educational management sector, as revealed by investigations published by The New York Times. Many organizations similar to Stride have been found valuing investor returns over quality educational services, a pattern that is detrimental to students across the country.

Mortensen commented on the general plight of students in the system, stating, "GMCS students were unfortunately leveraged to support Stride's bottom line. This district, like many others, trusted Stride to deliver education. Instead, we got negligence masked by corporate branding."

Moving Forward

As GMCS pivots towards a new online learning model, the focus will be on fostering integrity, compliance, transparency, and ultimately ensuring student success. The district is proactively engaging with families to provide consistent academic support throughout this transition phase. Furthermore, there will be enhanced oversight for special education programs and a commitment to local accountability, setting a robust foundation for future educational directions.

For more updates regarding this significant transition and ongoing initiatives, please visit GMCS Website.