Los Lunas JROTC Raises Flags for New Tomé-Adelino Head Start Classroom

Members of the Los Lunas High School Army JROTC raised the U.S. and New Mexico flags in front of a new classroom building at the Tomé-Adelino Head Start campus on N.M. 47 in Tomé, marking the completion of a multi-year expansion that increases infant and toddler capacity for Valencia County families.

“It was a cloudy, chilly morning, one better suited for staying inside, but the youngsters at the Tomé-Adelino Head Start were outside, quietly lined up to watch the flag raising over their new building on campus.” Members of the JROTC performed the ceremony on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 8, “christening” the flag pole in front of the nine-classroom building.

The project broke ground in 2022 and finished late in 2025. The new facility contains five Head Start classrooms, serving 62 children, and four Early Head Start classrooms, serving up to 32 infants and toddlers. By comparison, in 2022 the agency operated four Head Start classrooms serving 62 children and three Early Head Start classrooms serving 24 infants and toddlers. James Shiplet, CEO of Mid-West New Mexico Community Action Program, said, “Shiplet said since 2022, NWNMCAP has significantly expanded its Head Start and Early Head Start services.” He added, “This growth reflects increased community need, strategic planning and strong program management, he said.”

Construction faced a local geotechnical hurdle. Shiplet said, “To get the proper compaction, they had to raise the building and bring in a lot of fill dirt, so that delayed it a little bit.” High groundwater in the area required raising the structure several feet and importing fill material before finishing the site, pushing completion into late 2025.

The campus retains the old Adelino school building, which Shiplet said will be used for administrative office space. The nonprofit that administers the program in the region is identified as Mid-West New Mexico Community Action Program and is also referred to by the acronym NWNMCAP; it operates Head Start sites in Meadow Lake and at Gil Sanchez and La Merced elementary schools and administers Head Start across Valencia, Socorro, McKinley, Cibola and Catron counties.

For local parents, the most immediate change is expanded Early Head Start capacity, an increase from 24 to up to 32 infant and toddler slots, and an additional Head Start classroom on the Tomé campus. The project reflects broader regional demand for early childhood services and the practical challenges of building in low-lying areas. Families seeking enrollment or details on waitlists and staffing should contact the Mid-West New Mexico Community Action Program for the latest openings and application guidance.