Two employees at Las Cruces Public Schools have died in the last week after complications with COVID-19, according to family members who reported the losses to LCPS.
Chris Sarmiento, 33, was a teacher and a football coach at Vista Middle School. Mike Brewer, the principal at Vista until his retirement in December, hired Sarmiento to teach sixth and seventh grade social studies. Brewer said Sarmiento’s passion for teaching and being a role model was evident in his interview.
“Chris was a good, all-around person who was 100% there for his students every day,” said Brewer. “As coworkers, we become connected very quickly, and this loss will be deeply felt in the Vista family.”
Mary Sarmiento
Christopher Sarmiento, 33, taught social studies and coached football at Vista Middle School.
UPDATE: LCPS officials on Monday afternoon said two additional employees had now died of Covid-19, marking the sixth and seventh deaths of educators in the district from the virus since November.
As ABC-7 had reported earlier Monday, Chris Sarmiento, 33, was a teacher and a football coach at Vista Middle School.
The additional death was that of Beatrice Ramirez, 58, a nutrition services employee at Valley View Elementary who had worked for the district since 2002, officials said.
Both school employees died over the weekend, the district said.
ORIGINAL REPORT: LAS CRUCES, New Mexico Before dying of Covid-19, Christopher Sarmiento was a loving teacher, coach and father of three, his wife told ABC-7.