Leger Fernández Delivers $2 Million to Cochiti, Pena Blanca Community Centers

Representative Teresa Leger Fernández presented two $1 million awards to Sandoval County projects aimed at expanding education, workforce training and community programming in tribal and rural areas. One check funds a Cochiti Multi-Cultural and Career Technical Education Center to serve students in the Cochiti Pueblo area; the other supports upgrades to the Pena Blanca Multi-Generational Community Center.

The Cochiti center is intended to provide cultural learning alongside career-technical instruction, creating space for hands-on training that local students can use to enter trades and other careers. Improvements at the Pena Blanca center will add new amenities and programming space, and Leger Fernández said plans include a nearby pickleball court and cafeteria service that will draw residents across the county. The Pena Blanca center already draws people from as far south as San Felipe Pueblo.

"We want to make sure that our rural communities and our tribal communities receive resources because they really are part of the identity of New Mexico," Leger Fernández said. "Too often, though, our rural communities get forgotten." Speaking about the recreational and social value of the upgrades, she added, "I don't know where else they're going to have a pickleball court as close as that. I'm not a great pickleball player, but it is so much fun. So I want to play pickleball here, and then I want to have lunch at the cafeteria because some of these community centers have the best food."

The awards, presented January 27, 2026, represent targeted federal investment in local infrastructure at a time when rural and tribal communities in New Mexico frequently cite gaps in funding for schools, training and community services. For Sandoval County residents, $2 million can support construction, equipment and programming that would otherwise be difficult to finance locally. Short-term economic effects are likely to include construction jobs and contractor work in and around Cochiti Pueblo and Pena Blanca. Longer-term impacts include expanded workforce pipelines for careers requiring technical skills and strengthened community hubs that host cultural events, elder services and youth programming.

Local officials and community leaders will next move from funding to planning and implementation, setting timelines, procurement and partnerships for programming. For Cochiti Pueblo students, the career-technical center could mean more local options for skills training; for Pena Blanca residents, upgraded facilities and new recreational space aim to increase daily use and intergenerational activity.

The awards mark a concrete federal investment in Sandoval County’s tribal and rural infrastructure, signaling a push toward closing gaps in access to education, training and community services. Residents can expect project announcements and planning meetings in the coming months as the two centers move from funding toward construction and programming.