Bernalillo

The Bernalillo Public Schools district in New Mexico serves 11 schools, including 7 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school, primarily serving a predominantly Hispanic and Native American student population facing significant socioeconomic challenges.

Among the standout schools in the district, Placitas Elementary is the highest-performing, ranking 53rd out of 435 New Mexico elementary schools and receiving a 4-star rating. In contrast, most other schools in the district rank in the bottom half of their respective school types statewide, with Bernalillo High School ranking 155th out of 170 high schools and Santo Domingo Elementary ranking 430th out of 435 elementary schools. The district's schools also vary in their student-teacher ratios, with Cochiti Middle having the lowest ratio (9.1) and Algodones Elementary and Santo Domingo Middle having the highest ratios (14.2).

The data highlights the significant challenges faced by the Bernalillo Public Schools district, including high poverty, with all schools having extremely high free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 97.73% to 100%, as well as racial segregation, with some schools serving almost exclusively Native American students and others serving predominantly Hispanic students. Addressing these systemic issues will require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to support the students and communities served by these schools.