RIO RANCHO, N.M. – A bilingual education can be an amazing asset, especially in our state. For the staff at Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education, teaching students both English and Spanish goes beyond the classroom.

“I wasn’t offered the opportunity at the schools that I attended, and I see such value in maintaining a cultural language,” said Jackie Rodriguez, the Head of School and Executive Director at Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education.

SABE, is a free charter school in Rio Rancho for K-eighth graders. Half of their day is taught in Spanish and the other half in English.

“We hear that a lot with our families that it is a joy that their kid is able to communicate with older family members, or family members when they go back home into Mexico, and that the kids are maintaining their maternal language and their first language. But also learning the strong academics in both English and Spanish,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said there are a lot of benefits to learning in two languages, including academic performance, literacy scores, and learning to problem-solve.

“Learning in a dual language program offers a lot of opportunity, both economically especially in our state of New Mexico, and it opens a lot of doors and a lot of opportunities for students to travel, learn more languages,” she said.

After 10 years in the community, they are expanding into a new and bigger school.

“For a charter school to move into a new facility or its own facility it is a big feat, it is a big accomplishment. It’s a lot of work to get to this point because you have to find those avenues of where to get the funding and how to get it equipped to be a school,” said Rodriguez.

The building will allow them to accept more students and add a pre-K program. They will be moving into the school this July.