Melanie Ann Stansbury
05/07/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/07/2026 15:00
Rep. Stansbury Celebrates To’Hajiilee Community School Groundbreaking with Navajo and State Officials, Secures Over $90 Million for School
WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and State House Representative Paulene Abeyta joined Navajo Nation, state and local leaders, community members, and students for a groundbreaking celebration for the To'hajiilee Community School (TCS). Rep. Stansbury helped secure $90.4 million in the FY 2023 budget for the To'Hajiilee Chapter of the Navajo Nation to build a new state-of-the-art K-12 school in 2022, after years of advocacy by the To'Hajiilee community. This brand-new school will replace a 1935 school built originally as a boarding school by the federal government in a floodplain that was subject to regular flooding and closures. This groundbreaking marks the official beginning of construction for the new school, with federal funds totaling more than $250 million, secured both by Rep. Stansbury and former Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
"Today marks a new beginning for the To'Hajiilee community which has worked for years to secure funding for this school," said Rep. Stansbury. "I am deeply honored to have worked alongside the To'Hajiilee community, Secretary Haaland, State Rep. Abeyta, and the TCS Board to help make this vision a reality. This moment belongs to all the students, families, and leaders who never stopped working to make this new school a reality. We cannot wait to see the generations that are nurtured by this new school-rooted in culture, language, and the needs of the community. Go TCS Warriors!"
The To'Hajiilee Community School is a Tribally-Controlled School and the only school in the community serving grades K-12. Built in 1935 on a floodplain as a U.S. government-run Indian Boarding School, the To'Hajiilee community will rebuild the new Tribally-Controlled school on higher ground. The school has experienced regular flooding for decades, with sections of the old school deemedunsafe by inspectors and forced to shutter classrooms and cancel classes.
During her time in Congress, Rep. Stansbury has worked tirelessly to secure funding for education and schools in New Mexico. This includes securing $90.4 million for the To'Hajiilee Community School, passage of the New Mexico Education Enhancement Act in 2022to support New Mexico's universal early childhood education program, and securing millions over the last five years for community project funding for education-including for Mescalero Apache Head Start, the Pueblo of Sandia's Child Development Center, and education and youth programs across the District. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Stansbury is continuing her work to fight for Tribal and BIE school funding and to meet the needs of Native communities across New Mexico and the country.
Find Rep. Stansbury's remarks here.
Find photos and videos of the groundbreaking here.
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Melanie Ann Stansbury published this content on May 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 07, 2026 at 21:00 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]