The 2023-24 school year is quickly approaching, and we did some homework on how to help parents ensure they’re prepared for the upcoming school year.

Questa Independent Schools first day is on Monday, August 7. PreK to 5th graders school schedule is from 7:55 a.m.to 3:40 p.m. and 6th to 12th graders schedule is from 7:50 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Red River Valley Charter School has a tiered start schedule, with kindergarten through 8th grade starting on Monday August 7 with a 7:45 a.m. start and 4 p.m. end. PreK starts on Monday, August 14, with the same start and end times as kindergarten through 8th graders.

New QISD students
New students who are planning to start the fall 2023 semester at Questa Junior/Senior High School or Alta Vista Intermediate School need to register online. Visit https://tinyurl.com/NewStudentsQISD and sign up for an account. After doing this, you will be able to register for the upcoming school year.

Returning QISD students
Returning students will also need to register, using a Snapcode you received. The site to enter your snapcode and register is https://tinyurl.com/ReturningStudentsQISD. If you need help with a snapcode, call the school district at (575) 586-1604.

Red River Valley Charter School
To learn more about Red River Valley Charter School admissions, visit www.redrivervalleycs.org/admissions
Below are the shopping lists for kindergarten through 12th grade students within the Questa Independent School District. At the time of writing this article, Red River Charter School did not have their school lists updated. Check their website regularly, as they should be updated any day.

Alta Vista Kindergarten- 2nd Grade Shopping List
• Large clear backpack
• Reusable water bottle
• 24 count pencils
• Pencil box/pouch
• Washable markers
• Student scissors
• 1 pack pencil top erasers
• 6 large glue sticks
• 1 Elmer’s Glue bottle
• 1st and 2nd grade only: six 1-subject wide-ruled notebooks
• Kinder only: two 1-subject wide-ruled notebooks
• 2 packs wide-ruled loose-leaf paper
• 4 dry erase chisel tip markers
• 4 dry erase fine tip markers
• 2 pocket folders
• 1 set of headphones (to be left at school)
• 2nd grade only: 1 gum eraser

Alta Vista 3rd – 5th Grade Shopping List

• Clear backpack
• Reusable water bottle
• 1 set of headphones (to be left at school)
• Pencil box/pouch
• One 5-subject wide-ruled notebook
• 2 black and white composition notebooks
• 2 plastic pocket folders with prongs (1 blue, 1 yellow)
• 48 wooden pencils
• 1 pack pink erasers
• 1 pack pencil top erasers
• 8 fine tip black dry erase markers
• 1 box colored pencils
• 1 box fine tip washable markers
• 1 manual pencil sharpener
• 6 glue sticks
• 3rd grade only: 1 clipboard

Questa Jr. High School 6th-8th grades
• Clear backpack
• Combination lock
• 4 black composition notebooks
• Mechanical pencils
• One 3-subject notebook
• Four single-subject notebooks
• Colored pencils
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• 1 graph paper notebook
• Protractor, ruler, compass
• 3 large boxes of Kleenex
• 1 field sketch journal

Questa Sr. High School 9th-12th grades
• Clear backpack
• Combination lock
• Six single-subject
college-ruled notebooks
• One 3-subject college-ruled notebook
• Two 2-pocket portfolio folders
• 1 pack of college-ruled loose-leaf paper
• .5 and .7 mechanical pencils with refill lead
• 1 graph paper notebook
• Pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, erasable pens

This year’s back-to-school tax-free weekend starts at midnight on Friday, August 4, and ends on Sunday, August 6, at midnight.

Additionally, New Mexico has two programs to help parents who cannot afford school supplies or clothing, through the TANF program. If you’re not signed up for TANF, you will need to enroll, then request vouchers for school supplies. To reach the TANF office within the New Mexico Department of Human Services, call (800) 283-4465.