In a significant milestone for education in New Mexico, Building Hope Real Estate (BHRE), in partnership with Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF) and Ziegler, is helping the Albuquerque School of Excellence (ASE) expand its reach to serve more students across the city. This project will create a state-of-the-art replication campus, allowing ASE to nearly double its enrollment while continuing its legacy of academic excellence.
Recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and consistently ranked among the top 10% of schools statewide, ASE is known for its rigorous STEM curriculum, high college acceptance rate, and commitment to equity. More than 60% of its students are minorities, and over half are first-generation college-bound.
The new 151,000 square-foot campus will transform a former healthcare complex into a modern educational facility, with space for up to 1,240 K-12 students by 2030. The $37.5 million project is being managed by BHRE, using a lease-to-purchase model that will eventually allow the school to fully own the facility.
“Building Hope’s flexible, mission-aligned development model made this expansion possible,” said Mustafa Ayik, ASE’s Executive Director. “They helped us navigate complex regulatory hurdles and brought in the right partners to make this a reality.”
With enrollment at ASE’s current campus exceeding 1,000 students and a waitlist of more than 450, the need for additional space is clear. The phased development ensures that classrooms will be ready for students by Fall 2026, with full capacity reached by 2027.
This partnership represents a strategic investment in Albuquerque’s future, bringing high-quality, tuition-free education to more families and reinforcing the city’s commitment to educational innovation and access. To learn more about ASE, visit abqse.org.
Bond financing allows charter schools to secure long-term funding by issuing tax-exempt municipal bonds, which are sold to investors and repaid over time, typically using public funding streams like per-pupil revenue. This funding model helps schools own their facilities while spreading the cost over several decades.
A lease-to-purchase (LPA) agreement allows charter schools to lease a facility with the option to buy it over time. In New Mexico, LPAs are required to access certain public funding types and ensure that schools avoid carrying direct debt.
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