Remote Surveillance Trailer in Gallup, NM

A wildfire that erupted over the weekend on the Navajo Nation near the New Mexico border has grown to more than 6,200 acres, according to the latest updates.

The Oak Springs fire began Saturday a few miles southwest of Saint Michaels, Ariz. and cast smoke throughout much of the area over the weekend, including nearby Gallup. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, in updates posted on social media, said wood haulers in the area may have started the fire, though its cause is still officially under investigation.

More than 400 people have responded to the fast-growing wildfire, which is 0% contained. On Monday, in response to the rapid fire spread, a complex incident management team took over the fire, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Navajo Nation is ordering people in Hunter’s Point and Oak Springs west of mile marker 12 on Navajo Route 12 to flee, along with Saint Michaels’ residents along roads 603, 604, 605 and Navajo Telecommunications Road. An evacuation center is housed at the Window Rock Fighting Scouts Event Center on Navajo Route 12 south of Window Rock High School.

According to Nygren, 23 people sought shelter at the events center on Monday morning.

The fire is the biggest on the Navajo Nation since June 2020, according to a Source review of National Interagency Fire Center records, and is already the second-biggest in more than a decade. The biggest fire, the Wood Springs 2 Fire, burned about 20 miles north of the Oak Springs Fire, consuming more than 12,000 acres.

Crews assigned to the Oak Springs fire are prioritizing protecting the town of Saint Michaels, the corridor along highway 12, including homes and pipelines.

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday night at the Fighting Scouts Field House, according to a news release. It will also be streamed on this Facebook page.

District Prioritizes Student Success Over Corporate Profits; Initiates Transition to New Online Learning Model GALLUP, N.M. Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) announced the termination of its educational services contract with Stride Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.), effective June 30. This action, taken during a special School Board meeting, follows months of documented legal and academic violations, including failure to comply with New Mexico law on student-teacher ratios, high student turnover, declining graduation rates, and some of the lowest academic proficiency scores in the state.

GMCS School Board President Chris Mortensen stated, 'Our students deserve educational providers that prioritize their academic success, not corporate profit margins. Putting profits above kids was damaging to our students, and we refuse to be complicit in that failure any longer.'

Stride CEO James Rhyu has admitted to failing to meet New Mexico's legal requirements for teacher-student ratios, an issue that GMCS suspects was not isolated. 'We have reason to believe that Stride has raised student-teacher ratios not just in New Mexico but nationwide,' said Mortensen. 'If true, this could have inflated Stride's annual profit margins by hundreds of millions of dollars. That would mean corporate revenues and stock prices benefited at the expense of students and in some cases, in defiance of the law.'

The harm inflicted was particularly egregious in Gallup-McKinley County, one of the most impoverished regions in the United States, where Stride's online learning model served a majority- minority, low-income student population. 'These are students who rely most on educational opportunity, and they were let down,' Mortensen said.

The data reveals a troubling decline:

• Graduation rates in GMCS's Stride-managed online program plunged from 55.79% in 2022 to just 27.67% in 2024.

• Student turnover reached an alarming 30%.

• New Mexico state math proficiency scores for Stride students dropped dramatically, falling to just 5.6%.

• Ghost enrollments and a lack of individualized instruction further compromised student learning.

Despite numerous warnings and efforts by the district to support corrective action, Stride/K12 repeatedly failed to improve. The School Board unanimously approved the contract termination and has authorized its attorneys to pursue arbitration for damages. Stride's legal attempt to block the termination through a Temporary Restraining Order was rejected in an early morning hearing by the New Mexico District Court in Aztec.

These issues echo national patterns exposed by The New York Times, which revealed that Stride and similar companies have too often sacrificed educational quality in pursuit of investor returns. Internal audits cited in the Times article showed leadership ignored clear red flags in favor of aggressive enrollment and revenue growth.

'Gallup-McKinley County Schools students were used to prop up Stride's bottom line,' said Mortensen. 'This district, like many others, trusted Stride to deliver education. Instead, we got negligence cloaked in corporate branding.'

GMCS is now focused on the transition to a new online learning model rooted in integrity, compliance, transparency, and student success. The district is working directly with families to ensure continued academic support during the transition. Expanded special education oversight and local accountability will be central to the district's new direction.

For additional updates, visit www.gmcs.org.

Zuni Mountains, New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM – May 24, 2025: Yesterday evening, multiple resources responded to a fire start on private lands south of NM I-40, West of Grants, NM since named the Merrill Fire. The origin of the fire was on private lands crossing into adjacent Forest Service lands of the Mt Taylor Ranger District on the Cibola National Forest. Yesterday’s fire spread was due to winds in excess of 25 mph, dry fuels and high temperatures. Cloud cover and a slight increase in relative humidity assisted suppression efforts overnight and into this morning. Multiple firefighting agencies are on scene and additional resources have been ordered.

Merrill Fire Location: Currently West of Grants, NM in Zuni Mts. & Southeast of Ft. Wingate: Smoke may be visible south from NM I-40, Ramah, Gallup, Thoreau, Bluewater, Grants and Milan.

Reported start date / time: May 23, 2025, 4:30 pm Cause: Under InvestigationSize: Approximately 40 acres

Resources responding and on scene: Multiple resources responded from US Forest Service (USFS), New Mexico Forestry Division (NMFD), McKinley County and aerial support.

Evacuations: No Evacuations are currently in effect.

Values at risk: Ranch structures and log decks are in threat of fire progression.

Containment: 0%

Fuels: Grass, brush and logging slash.

Fire behavior: Low to moderate.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the Merrill Fire area. Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!”

Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas of Zuni Mountains. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Weather: The forecast for Grants, NM today is mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. https://www.weather.gov/

Additional updates will be sent as new information is received.

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — Dozens of families across western New Mexico— including at least two students who graduated this past weekend in Cibola County—are now caught in the middle of a growing controversy between Gallup-McKinley County Schools and its virtual education provider, Stride/K12.

The Gallup-McKinley County School Board voted on May 16 to terminate its contract with Stride/K12, effective June 30, citing what it called “material breaches” of contract, including academic underperformance, special education noncompliance, and failures in reporting. But the company behind the program is calling foul—and accusing the district’s superintendent, Mike Hyatt, of violating state ethics laws in the process.

A formal complaint filed April 28 with the New Mexico State Ethics Commission by Stride Inc. alleges Hyatt applied for a $235,000-ayear executive role with the company while it still held an active contract with the school district.

When Hyatt wasn’t hired, Stride claims he retaliated by attempting to abruptly terminate the agreement, bypassing contract protocols and threatening the education of over 4,000 students enrolled statewide in the Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico, including many in Cibola County.

“Superintendent Hyatt is apparently knowingly and willfully abusing his public position,” the complaint stated, alleging potential violations of the Governmental Conduct Act and the state procurement code. Hyatt has denied wrongdoing, stating the company, not he, was acting illegally by overloading classrooms and ignoring student-teacher ratios mandated by law.

Yet the ethics complaint includes a detailed timeline showing that Hyatt applied for the job in December 2024, was interviewed in January, and notified in February that he had not been selected. On April 1, he sent a breach-of-contract notice to Stride, and just days later, the district issued a request for proposals (RFP) to find a new provider. The company argues this violated both the exclusivity clause and a 45day cure period meant to give contractors time to address concerns.

Parents say they’re paying the price.

This past weekend, the Destinations Career Academy hosted its graduation ceremony. Among the graduates were two students from Cibola County. But what should have been a joyful moment has turned into a time of uncertainty for their families and peers.

“I just don’t know what to do,” said Brian Cain, a Cibola County parent with students still enrolled in the online school. “We tried Grants-Cibola County Schools before. It didn’t work for us. Now I feel like I’m being forced to go back to a system that already failed my children.”

Cain said he has received little guidance about what comes next and hasn’t been presented with a clear alternative for continuing his children's education in the fall. “I don’t want to move. But right now, I feel trapped,” he added.

Boardroom Hostility, Community Fallout

The school board’s decision followed weeks of rising tensions. According to Stride, parents who attempted to attend a recent board meeting were turned away from school grounds and not allowed to speak. “They were silenced,” the company said in a public statement, calling the board’s actions disrespectful and politically motivated.

At that same meeting, Gallup School Board President Chris Mortensen reportedly described the virtual school’s performance as “garbage” and “in the toilet”— a comment that ignited further backlash. Stride said 88 percent of families report satisfaction with the program, double the national average.

In response, the district issued a formal FAQ outlining its rationale. It accused Stride of ignoring repeated warnings since February and claimed the company had failed to hire enough teachers to meet state-mandated ratios. As of May 14, only 21 out of 50 required teachers had been cleared, the district said.

District officials also maintain they are not shutting down online education entirely—only seeking a new, more effective provider. But with just weeks until the school year ends, families remain in limbo.

Larger Questions Loom

The dispute is also drawing scrutiny for what some see as a pattern of reactive governance.

“It took five years for them to raise concerns,” Mortensen admitted during the board meeting. “We were happy right up until the moment we weren’t.”

That comment rang hollow for attorney Laura Sanchez, who represents Stride.

“We submitted substantial data, refuted their allegations, and followed the contract,” she said. “The district ignored all of it.”

As the conflict escalates, the courts are beginning to weigh in. A judge in Aztec, New Mexico, denied Stride’s request for a temporary restraining order to halt the contract’s termination, but the company is likely to continue pressing its case through arbitration. Meanwhile, Superintendent Hyatt remains at the center of the storm, with an open ethics complaint hanging over his leadership.

For families like Brian Cain’s, the bureaucratic and legal drama is far removed from the real issue.

“We just want our kids to keep learning,” he said. “Why is that so hard?”

GALLUP, N.M. – Gallup-McKinley County Schools are getting some unwanted attention. Superintendent Mike Hyatt is being accused of violating state ethics laws.

The complaint was filed on behalf of Stride K-12 Virtual Schools, which has had a contract with the Gallup-McKinley Schools for the last five years to provide an online version of the district’s curriculum.

Stride K-12 alleges Superintendent Hyatt applied for a job at Stride in December 2024. He went through a full interview process from January to February 2024 with the company and then later was informed he did not get the position.

On April 1 Hyatt reportedly sent Stride a letter informing them he would be terminating the districts contract with the company.

In the letter, he alleged the program has been failing regarding student success and academic performance.

According to New Mexico law, it is illegal for a local public body employee to participate in the process to become or to be employed by a business in contract with that employee’s current employer.

So, the Gallup-McKinley School Board held a special meeting to vote on approving the termination of that contract, citing data they collected themselves to support the termination.

School Board President, Chris Mortensen, commented on the fact that it took the district five years to bring up these issues.

“We were happy right up until the moment that we weren’t,” he says.

According to Mortensen and the rest of the board members, Stride has not provided any data the district has requested.

An attorney representing Stride, Laura Sanchez, says otherwise.

“They had a lot of data that they shared, and they didn’t at all bring up any of the letters and details that we had provided to them in writing to their attorney refuting the allegations that they made. So, we have provided quite a lot of information and data,” Sanchez said.

Stride’s representative requested to have time to speak at Saturday’s meeting to give their side of the story, but that request was denied.

Despite suspicion that the move to terminate the contract is due to a personal vendetta held by Superintendent Hyatt, the school board denies he has had any involvement with Stride in this case, but Stride’s records beg to differ.

“He’s actually the person who signed the contract with Stride to begin with for this program. He’s the one who sent the letter initially informing Stride of these issues on April 1st. He sent the letter himself with his signature on April 22nd adding additional allegations,” says Sanchez.

Amid the back-and-forth battle between the school district and Stride, the people who are most affected are the families who are fighting for a seat at the table as the school board also prohibited public comment during the meeting as well.

“There was no public comment. We weren’t allowed to speak. They just basically said what they wanted to say. They don’t want us to have a voice, but we appreciate the fact that this community will stand together, and we will fight,” said Jennifer Klenck, a concerned parent.

The moves of both the district and Stride K-12 are unknown, but we will update this story as that information becomes available.