From the Beginning …

Sunset Mesa Schools' first year was 1948. It was founded by Mrs. Atkins, a kindergarten teacher from Ohio who had relatives living in Albuquerque. It was the first kindergarten school in Albuquerque. The original location was at the intersection of Girard Blvd and Lomas near the University of New Mexico.

In 1957, Sunset Mesa Schools was sold to Mrs. Eulene Sheriff, a wonderful educator who was a specialist in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Sheriff's commitment to the education of young children prompted a strong initiative with three and four year olds. She developed a serious learning program appropriate for that age group. The combination of the already established Kindergarten program and the Early Childhood initiative resulted in numerical growth sufficient to require more space than was available in the original location.

In 1962, Sunset Mesa Schools moved to the present site of the North Campus at 3020 Morris NE. The primary emphasis of the school through the sixties continued to be Early Childhood and Kindergarten programs until making the decision to add elementary grades one through four, which was accomplished by 1970.

In 1975, John and Wynona Ratliff purchased the school from the Sheriff family. At the time of the purchase, the Ratliffs made the decision to shift the focus of Sunset Mesa Schools to Kindergarten through Fifth grade. The Early Childhood program already had a solid foundation.

Additional buildings were added in 1979, 1981, 1992, 1993 and 2000, for a total of 37,000 square feet of instructional and administrative space.

In addition to building a strong curricular program, Sunset Mesa Schools has emphasized six enrichment classes for children since the early 1970's. These are: library, computer (the first computer program in an elementary school in Albuquerque,) art, Spanish, music and physical education.

In 1985, Sunset Mesa Schools purchased the Albuquerque Montessori School, thereby providing parents with a choice of programs for their preschool child.

In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Ratliff retired and their daughter, Deborah Mask, and her husband, Alan, became the directors of Sunset Mesa Schools.

In 2003, a new campus was opened to the south of the current campus. This 12,000 sq. ft. facility is dedicated to the education of preschool children.

In 2007, the Sunset Mesa Schools were awarded the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education. This distinguished honor places Sunset Mesa Schools in the Top 10% of all Schools in the United States.

Both campuses continue to operate under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Mask. The South Campus has a full time director, Mrs. Mary Helen Jordan. Mrs. Jordan has been at Sunset Mesa Schools since 1987. She has taught in the Early Childhood program, the Montessori program, PreFirst and First Grade prior to becoming the administrator of the South Campus. At present there are over 130 preschool children (3 and 4 year olds.) There are eight preschool classrooms, three that are Montessori classes and five that are Early Childhood classes.

The North Campus program, led by the Principal, Mrs. Michelle Clark, provides instruction for children Kindergarten through Fifth grade. Mrs. Clark taught second grade at Sunset Mesa before becoming the principal in 1999. Approximately 320 children study on the North Campus. Currently, there are five Kindergarten classes, one PreFirst class, four classes each in First and Second, and three classes each in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades.