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Desert Star Elementary

Summary:

Desert Star Elementary is a public elementary school located in Alamogordo, New Mexico, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 464 students. The school is part of the Alamogordo school district, which is ranked 43 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of the Alamogordo district, Desert Star Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the district and the state of New Mexico in standardized test scores across all subjects and grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 31% of Desert Star students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, 12% in Mathematics, and 28% in Science, compared to the Alamogordo district scores of 45%, 27%, and 49%, respectively, and the state scores of 39%, 25%, and 36%. The school's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 140 out of 396 elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 323 out of 433 in 2023-2024. Additionally, Desert Star struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, with many subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of the state.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the Alamogordo district, such as Holloman Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, and Sierra Elementary, consistently outperform Desert Star Elementary in academic achievement, with significantly higher proficiency rates. In contrast, High Rolls Mountain Park Elementary, a small school located 7.67 miles from Desert Star, stands out as an exceptional performer, consistently ranking in the top 5-21 of New Mexico elementary schools over the past decade, suggesting that factors beyond just demographics and school size can contribute to student success.


Detail:

Public K-5

 400 S Washington Ave
       Alamogordo, NM  88310

(575) 812-5750

District: Alamogordo

SchoolDigger Rank:
323rd of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,422 Help


Students who attend Desert Star Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Mountain View Middle
High:    Alamogordo High

Student/teacher ratio:  16.5 Help
Number of students:  463

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
52.5%
White:
32.8%
Two or more races:
7.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  51.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Desert Star Elementary ranks worse than 74.6% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 7th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Alamogordo School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.76. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (52.5%), White (32.8%), two or more races (7.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 51.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Star Elementary is 16.5. 4 elementary schools in the Alamogordo School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Desert Star Elementary employs 28 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Star Elementary is $7,422. 7 elementary schools in the Alamogordo School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Star Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Star Elementary 323rd of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Desert Star Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Alamogordo:

SchoolDigger ranks Alamogordo 43rd of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Desert Star Elementary?

Rank History for Desert Star Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 35.11 273rd 389 29.8%
2006 22.02 335th 390 14.1%
2007 20.13 350th 398 12.1%
2008 22.16 348th 405 14.1%
2009 29.61 317th 411 22.9%
2010 23.76 350th 419 16.5%
2011 29.11 302nd 402 24.9%
2012 30.53 292nd 398 26.6%
2013 19.69 355th 412 13.8%
2014 29.58 337th 442 23.8%
2015 23.80 350th 421 16.9%
2016 33.26 275th 410 32.9%
2017 32.28 248th 374 33.7%
2018 42.11 201st 383 47.5%
2019 57.91 140th 396 64.6%
2022 35.25 243rd 420 42.1%
2023 28.33 316th 435 27.4%
2024 26.76 323rd 433 25.4%
See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 53.55 41st 91 54.9%
2023 63.83 31st 83 62.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 23.73 175th 203 13.8%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.86 152nd 165 7.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.10 245th 356 31.2%
2019 71.41 66th 361 81.7%
2022 41.52 190th 410 53.7%
2023 17.76 377th 426 11.5%
2024 33.60 152nd 237 35.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.50 165th 339 51.3%
2019 57.83 117th 343 65.9%
2022 35.38 226th 395 42.8%
2023 30.10 282nd 390 27.7%
2024 33.73 256th 393 34.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 54.86 3rd 7 57.1%
2022 50.86 27th 50 46.0%
2024 51.80 6th 11 45.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.03 206th 333 38.1%
2019 46.11 161st 337 52.2%
2022 24.78 266th 392 32.1%
2023 23.04 330th 414 20.3%
2024 19.46 349th 410 14.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.13 2nd 3 33.3%
2019 92.58 1st 11 90.9%
2022 23.46 47th 56 16.1%
2023 20.83 32nd 34 5.9%
2024 12.63 17th 17 0.0%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.81 203rd 329 38.3%
2019 56.93 113th 320 64.7%
2022 32.45 233rd 389 40.1%
2023 27.23 296th 395 25.1%
2024 16.87 349th 390 10.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Star Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.38 160th 187 14.4%
2019 31.32 147th 199 26.1%
2022 13.50 310th 325 4.6%
2023 18.85 354th 413 14.3%
2024 17.34 252nd 293 14.0%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Desert Star Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Desert Star Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 151 46 8 256 0 n/a n/a 0 461
1991 133 40 0 260 4 n/a n/a 0 437
1992 109 50 6 286 2 n/a n/a 0 453
1993 153 50 5 282 2 n/a n/a 0 492
1994 134 52 5 319 5 n/a n/a 0 515
1995 156 60 14 336 7 n/a n/a 0 573
1996 156 60 14 336 7 n/a n/a 0 573
1997 141 53 14 286 6 n/a n/a 0 500
1998 122 58 18 283 4 n/a n/a 0 485
1999 135 48 1 335 7 n/a n/a 0 526
2000 132 35 2 321 5 n/a n/a 0 495
2001 111 20 2 285 6 n/a n/a 0 424
2002 98 10 6 237 4 n/a n/a 0 355
2003 98 10 6 237 4 n/a n/a 0 355
2004 91 11 3 251 6 n/a n/a 0 362
2005 92 15 3 260 8 n/a n/a 0 378
2006 75 8 4 217 4 n/a n/a 0 308
2007 83 15 4 204 3 n/a n/a 0 309
2008 85 14 4 179 4 n/a n/a 0 286
2009 55 13 1 185 3 n/a n/a 0 257
2010 50 12 3 149 7 0 0 0 221
2011 51 10 2 148 5 0 1 0 217
2012 59 10 2 139 8 0 2 0 220
2013 57 11 0 142 5 0 6 0 221
2014 63 14 2 159 2 0 12 0 252
2015 72 17 2 162 2 2 12 0 269
2016 181 49 6 247 12 5 12 0 512
2017 198 39 12 254 9 4 20 0 536
2018 187 49 15 266 5 3 29 0 554
2019 185 40 15 277 9 3 38 0 567
2020 169 34 12 246 3 2 35 0 501
2021 159 37 17 243 6 1 36 0 499
2022 144 32 9 249 10 0 40 0 484
2023 145 24 7 254 9 0 25 0 464
2024 152 18 5 243 9 0 36 0 463

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Star Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 461 27.7 16.6 n/a
1991 437 27.4 15.9 n/a
1992 453 27.9 16.2 n/a
1993 492 28.7 17.1 n/a
1994 515 27.8 18.5 n/a
1995 573 34.9 16.4 n/a
1996 573 34.9 16.4 n/a
1997 500 33.9 14.7 n/a
1998 485 32.1 15.1 n/a
1999 526 31.7 16.6 86.7
2000 495 31.0 16.0 68.9
2001 424 35.4 12.0 83.7
2002 355 28.8 12.3 84.5
2003 355 28.8 12.3 84.5
2004 362 24.5 14.8 82.9
2005 378 23.4 16.2 79.4
2006 308 24.0 12.8 33.4
2007 309 23.6 13.1 99
2008 286 21.1 13.6 99
2009 257 19.0 13.5 98.8
2010 221 16.0 13.8 98.6
2011 217 15.0 14.4 98.6
2012 220 7.0 31.4 98.6
2013 221 12.0 18.4 75.6
2014 252 14.8 17.0 91.7
2015 269 17.0 15.8 40.9
2016 512 28.0 18.2 79.1
2017 536 28.5 18.7 21.8
2018 554 26.0 21.3 67
2019 567 22.5 25.1 100
2020 501 27.5 18.1 100
2021 499 22.0 22.6 100
2022 484 23.0 21.0 100
2023 464 24.0 19.3 55.2
2024 463 28.0 16.5 51.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Star Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 461 27.7 16.6 n/a
1991 437 27.4 15.9 n/a
1992 453 27.9 16.2 n/a
1993 492 28.7 17.1 n/a
1994 515 27.8 18.5 n/a
1995 573 34.9 16.4 n/a
1996 573 34.9 16.4 n/a
1997 500 33.9 14.7 n/a
1998 485 32.1 15.1 n/a
1999 526 31.7 16.6 86.7
2000 495 31.0 16.0 68.9
2001 424 35.4 12.0 83.7
2002 355 28.8 12.3 84.5
2003 355 28.8 12.3 84.5
2004 362 24.5 14.8 82.9
2005 378 23.4 16.2 79.4
2006 308 24.0 12.8 33.4
2007 309 23.6 13.1 99
2008 286 21.1 13.6 99
2009 257 19.0 13.5 98.8
2010 221 16.0 13.8 98.6
2011 217 15.0 14.4 98.6
2012 220 7.0 31.4 98.6
2013 221 12.0 18.4 75.6
2014 252 14.8 17.0 91.7
2015 269 17.0 15.8 40.9
2016 512 28.0 18.2 79.1
2017 536 28.5 18.7 21.8
2018 554 26.0 21.3 67
2019 567 22.5 25.1 100
2020 501 27.5 18.1 100
2021 499 22.0 22.6 100
2022 484 23.0 21.0 100
2023 464 24.0 19.3 55.2
2024 463 28.0 16.5 51.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Star Elementary

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $7,422

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Star Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 140th of 396 Elementary schoolsRanks 316th of 435 Elementary schools
 37.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Desert Star Elementary)3334.7
 1.7%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (Alamogordo)3539.4
 4.4%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3031.8
 1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Desert Star Elementary)3915.8
 23.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alamogordo)3825.5
 12.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)3222.5
 9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Desert Star Elementary)3130.7
 0.3%
   4th Grade Language Arts (Alamogordo)3641.9
 5.9%
   4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3035.2
 5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Desert Star Elementary)3015.9
 14.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alamogordo)3331.7
 1.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2724.5
 2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Desert Star Elementary)4421.9
 22.1%
   5th Grade Language Arts (Alamogordo)4137.9
 3.1%
   5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3335.7
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Desert Star Elementary)3230.2
 1.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alamogordo)2637.4
 11.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2430.7
 6.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students567464
 18.2%
African American4024
 40%
American Indian99
Asian157
 53.3%
Hispanic277254
 8.3%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White185145
 21.6%
Two or More Races3825
 34.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%55.2%
 44.8%

Schools Near Desert Star Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Star Elementary

Students who attend Desert Star Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain View Middle
High : Alamogordo High

Students at Desert Star Elementary are 52% Hispanic, 33% White, 8% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 463 students attended Desert Star Elementary.

Desert Star Elementary ranks 323rd of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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