History

Prep’s evolution from a small school for five students to an innovative, rigorous, comprehensive launch pad for thousands of alumni around the world is truly impressive.

The Original Sandía School

The roots of Sandia Prep trace back to 1932, when trailblazing educator and politician Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms founded the original Sandía School -- a private day and boarding school for girls. Classes began in a private home (now the site of Manzano Day School) with just one teacher and five students. The school aimed to prepare young women for continued studies, especially at Eastern colleges, at a time when such opportunities were rare.

By 1937, the school had grown large enough to move to a newly built campus on what is now Kirtland Air Force Base. Mrs. Simms enlisted the iconic New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem to design the campus in classic Territorial Style. Just one year later, enrollment had soared to 75 students with 18 teachers on staff -- proof of the school's rising influence.

But in 1942, the school closed its doors due to World War II. Even so, its spirit endured. Alumni of the original Sandía School played a pivotal role in launching the next chapter -- Sandia Preparatory School.

60th Anniversary

On September 6, 1966, students arrived for the very first day of school on this campus. That morning our founder, Barbara Simms, arrived early with her 6th grade daughter, Mary. Together with the school's custodian, Melvin Mayes, they raised the flag over the new school for the very first time.

Even though Sandia Prep was a new school at that time, it brought a tradition of excellence in education that began decades earlier with Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms and the Sandia School, a girls school that operated in Albuquerque in the 1930s and 1940s.

Over the past 60 years, Sandia Prep has grown from that small, new school to the 32-acre co-ed campus with state-of-the-art facilities and programs that positions our students for success. One of the things that makes Sandia Prep special is the way people stay connected to this place. Our history isn't something we read about - it lives through the people and families who have been and are currently a part of this community. Barbara Simms continued the tradition of excellent education that Ruth established, and we have built upon that tradition of excellence to create the school we love and are proud of today.

Prep's reputation for high achievement and well rounded educational programs is seen in its alumni, families, faculty, and current students. Thank you for being a part of our history and we look forward to our next 60 years!

Help Celebrate our 60th Anniversary! We encourage our alumni and families to share their successes with a selfie. Download and print this 60th anniversary sign and show us where a Prep education has taken you.