Aldo Leopold Charter School to Purchase Jose Barrios Elementary

The charter school plans to conduct classes at the campus starting this fall after reaching a $1.675 million deal with Silver Consolidated School District.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 1:00am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic school chair icon repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to turn an everyday educational object into modern pop art.Aldo Leopold Charter School's acquisition of the Jose Barrios campus represents a new chapter in experiential education for the community.Silver City Today

Aldo Leopold Charter School has announced it has reached an agreement with the Silver Consolidated School District to purchase the Jose Barrios Elementary School campus for $1.675 million. The charter school plans to conduct its classes at the Jose Barrios site starting this fall, after the district had previously voted to close the elementary school and consolidate its students and staff.

Why it matters

The purchase of the Jose Barrios campus represents an important expansion for Aldo Leopold Charter School, which focuses on experiential education. The deal also ensures the facility will continue serving an educational purpose in the community after the district's consolidation plans.

The details

Under the agreement, Aldo Leopold will pay $1.675 million to acquire the 38,000-square-foot Jose Barrios building and 7-acre property, which is less than the $2 million market value determined by the district through an August appraisal. The charter school plans to keep the Jose Barrios name on the facility to honor the late Silver City police officer it was named after.

  • In August 2025, the Silver Consolidated School District voted to close Jose Barrios and Sixth Street elementary schools.
  • Aldo Leopold Charter School and Silver Schools began talks in the months following the district's consolidation decision.
  • On March 28, 2026, Aldo Leopold announced it had reached a deal to purchase the Jose Barrios campus.
  • Aldo Leopold plans to begin conducting classes at the Jose Barrios site starting this fall 2026 semester.

The players

Aldo Leopold Charter School

A public charter school in New Mexico that focuses on experiential education, including a Youth Conservation Corps program that has done work on the nearby San Vicente Trail.

Silver Consolidated School District

The school district in Silver City, New Mexico that previously operated Jose Barrios Elementary School before voting to close it and consolidate students and staff into other district facilities.

Will Tracy

The director of Aldo Leopold Charter School.

William Hawkins

The superintendent of Silver Consolidated School District.

Jose Barrios

The late Silver City police officer that the elementary school was named after, and whose name Aldo Leopold plans to keep on the facility.

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What they’re saying

“This transition represents an important step forward for Aldo Leopold Charter School and reinforces our commitment to providing meaningful, experiential education in a facility that will serve our students for years to come.”

— Will Tracy, Director, Aldo Leopold Charter School

“This has always been about doing what is right for students and for our community. From the beginning, our goal was to make sure this facility continued to serve an educational purpose and continued to serve this neighborhood. I appreciate the work Aldo Leopold Charter School put into this process and their commitment to honoring the history and legacy of Jose Barrios while continuing to invest in this campus for future students.”

— William Hawkins, Superintendent, Silver Consolidated School District

What’s next

Both Silver Consolidated School District and Aldo Leopold Charter School have some remaining paperwork and inspections to complete before their governing boards can finalize the sale agreement through votes. Aldo Leopold has also been approved for funding from the New Mexico Charter School Facility Revolving Fund to support the acquisition and renovations of the Jose Barrios campus.

The takeaway

The purchase of the Jose Barrios Elementary campus represents an important expansion for Aldo Leopold Charter School, allowing it to continue providing its experiential education model in a facility that will honor the legacy of the school's namesake. The deal also ensures the site will remain in educational use after the Silver Consolidated School District's consolidation plans.