Along the U.S.-Mexico border, cultures become interwoven. Languages, food and ways of living are fluid in the rural Arizona city of Nogales, an official U.S. port of entry that manages the passage of more than 10 million people and vehicles every year between the two countries.

In that city of about 20,000 people, Luis Perales is doing his best to discover funding opportunities for a small charter school that is consistently named the top school of Santa Cruz County. The hunt for more funding is needed to keep the school running, but also to grow it into a resource that reflects — and supports — the local community. Mexicayotl Academy of Excellence, serving about 200 students across two campuses, offers a dual language, intercultural education with an immersive approach that celebrates the interwoven spirit of the area.

“That intercultural piece is looking at folks who have lived in and on the border, forever, and have always lived a sustainable lifestyle. Before having chickens was cool, we had chickens. Before recycling was cool, we recycled. Out of necessity,” Perales said. “Do we have a sustainable ethos? Yeah, we were born into it.” 

That mindset — of doing more with what you have — is now guiding the school’s investments in infrastructure, education, and energy.

Mexicayotl has a unique financial position when compared to traditional public schools. It doesn’t receive funding for new construction or expansion like public schools do and it doesn’t have a tax base from which to draw bond money. Anything new for the school requires federal funding, funding from philanthropic donors or other alternative sources.

The district used funding from the governor’s office to modernize its vehicles, creating a micro-fleet of electric, hybrid and low-emission diesel vehicles. It utilized federal funding, known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants offered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and through a strategic partnership, it was able to use a gift of funds to purchase a 36-acre hacienda to be used as a multi-purpose outdoor learning space. These upgrades don’t just cut emissions — they lower transportation costs, reduce maintenance, and free up dollars to be reinvested into the classroom.

“We’re utilizing any and all resources that are available for us to become more financially sustainable over the long term so we can weather the ups and downs of the economy and the circumstances that arise,” Perales said. 

And now, the district is hoping a rebate, made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, comes to fruition. If not, the district is looking to take a “$45,000 hit,” according to Perales.

“We’re hoping that rebate doesn’t get eliminated,” he said. 

The district applied for the rebate after installing a solar array at the hacienda. The array covers the electricity needs of the property and also serves as a charging station for the district’s electric vehicles. While projects like these create opportunities for savings for the district, saving it an estimated $6,300 in energy costs and $10,600 in fuel costs annually, they also underscore the educational philosophy the schools are sharing with students.

“It’s not solely for economic purposes. It’s not just extractive,” Perales said. “What happens when a cattle ranch reverts and comes back to the people who are from the border? It starts to look different. We’re transitioning and moving things in that direction so our students can see that people who look like us can be caretakers of spaces like this.”

The district is making sure that students learn about the sustainable practices that are more widely practiced now, but have been embraced for years by the people who have lived on the border. Perales said students are learning from experiencing, gaining an understanding that knowledge is rooted in their community. 

And utilizing funding, to reimagine that sprawling, one-time cattle ranch into an outdoor classroom, is one way. 

“We should learn through culture, not just about culture,” he said. “We can teach the history of the border and what has happened once upon a time but instead we immerse our students in what’s happening now and learn from living, breathing, eating, walking, dancing, singing the culture. Part of that is caring for the Earth and taking care of our responsibility to the next generations.”