Is La Mesa Elementary a good school?

La Mesa Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.9% of New Mexico elementary schools.

How many students attend La Mesa Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 415 students attended La Mesa Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of La Mesa Elementary?

Students at La Mesa Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 10% African American, 8% White, 5% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of La Mesa Elementary attend?

Students who attend La Mesa Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Hayes Middle High : Highland High

La Mesa Elementary

Summary:

La Mesa Elementary is a public elementary school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 415 students. The school is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools district, which is ranked 78 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

La Mesa Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages in academic proficiency, with only 10% of students proficient or better in Language Arts, 5% in Mathematics, and 6% in Science, significantly lower than the state averages. The school has been ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in New Mexico, ranking 431 out of 435 in the 2022-2023 school year and receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. La Mesa Elementary has particularly low performance among specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic, White, and English Language Learner students. The school has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite these challenges, La Mesa Elementary has a diverse student population, with a majority Hispanic enrollment and significant representation of African American, Native American, and two or more races students. The school has experienced a slight decline in enrollment over the past few years. While La Mesa Elementary struggles academically, some nearby schools within the same district, such as Zia Elementary and Alice King Community School, have significantly higher academic performance and statewide rankings. Additionally, La Mesa Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.5 to 12.5 over the past three school years, which could be an asset in providing more individualized attention to students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

7500 Copper Av NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108

(505) 262-1581

District: Albuquerque

SchoolDigger Rank:
431^st of 435 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,815

Students who attend La Mesa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hayes Middle
High:	Highland High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 415

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.7%

African American:

10.4%

White:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare La Mesa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Mesa Elementary ranks worse than 99.1% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 95^th among 96 ranked elementary schools in the Albuquerque School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.16. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (75.7%), African American (10.4%), White (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Mesa Elementary is 11.8, which is the 32^nd best among 96 elementary schools in the Albuquerque School District. (See more...)

Compare La Mesa Elementary employs 35.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Mesa Elementary is $9,815, which is the 45^th highest among 96 elementary schools in the Albuquerque School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

La Mesa Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks La Mesa Elementary 431^st of 435 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See La Mesa Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Albuquerque:

SchoolDigger ranks Albuquerque 78^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for La Mesa Elementary?

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Rank History for La Mesa Elementary

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Rank History for all students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	23.35	320^th	389	17.7%
2006	31.87	284^th	390	27.2%
2007	23.62	333^rd	398	16.3%
2008	29.78	308^th	405	24.0%
2009	34.93	287^th	411	30.2%
2010	34.65	294^th	419	29.8%
2011	31.09	295^th	402	26.6%
2012	18.34	344^th	398	13.6%
2013	18.10	362^nd	412	12.1%
2014	22.75	376^th	442	14.9%
2015	27.58	317^th	421	24.7%
2016	14.88	388^th	410	5.4%
2017	22.63	305^th	374	18.4%
2018	17.89	327^th	383	14.6%
2019	16.79	354^th	396	10.6%
2022	10.19	397^th	420	5.5%
2023	7.16	431^st	435	0.9%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	28.87	63^rd	83	24.1%
2019	14.14	91^st	98	7.1%
2023	11.46	190^th	191	0.5%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	22.21	300^th	356	15.7%
2019	20.31	317^th	361	12.2%
2022	10.35	359^th	410	12.4%
2023	6.02	423^rd	426	0.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	19.96	289^th	339	14.7%
2019	20.45	291^st	343	15.2%
2022	6.77	345^th	395	12.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	72.82	10^th	35	71.4%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	14.35	314^th	333	5.7%
2019	9.83	325^th	337	3.6%
2023	7.87	414^th	414	0.0%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	42.64	22^nd	40	45.0%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	22.43	274^th	329	16.7%
2019	19.95	274^th	320	14.4%
2023	6.68	393^rd	395	0.5%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at La Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.98	411^th	413	0.5%

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.

Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for La Mesa Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	155	46	11	362	90	n/a	n/a	664
1991	172	37	13	404	94	n/a	n/a	720
1992	152	34	19	376	132	n/a	n/a	713
1993	157	33	12	399	131	n/a	n/a	732
1994	151	29	11	403	135	n/a	n/a	729
1995	124	47	12	517	108	n/a	n/a	808
1996	124	47	12	517	108	n/a	n/a	808
1997	113	42	12	514	115	n/a	n/a	796
1998	147	30	6	532	109	n/a	n/a	824
1999	88	26	7	466	94	n/a	n/a	681
2000	79	31	11	515	76	n/a	n/a	712
2001	64	22	11	499	68	n/a	n/a	664
2002	44	20	7	608	72	n/a	n/a	751
2003	44	20	7	608	72	n/a	n/a	751
2004	36	12	8	694	51	n/a	n/a	801
2005	18	10	6	567	48	n/a	n/a	649
2006	25	7	4	587	43	n/a	n/a	666
2007	26	10	1	594	55	n/a	n/a	686
2008	29	10	1	612	56	n/a	n/a	708
2009	25	8	0	620	62	n/a	n/a	715
2010	8	11	0	639	38	0	4	700
2011	11	9	1	721	28	0	2	772
2012	20	16	0	690	22	0	3	751
2013	15	10	0	669	25	0	15	734
2014	10	12	3	657	24	0	8	714
2015	15	13	3	615	40	0	5	691
2016	28	8	4	553	45	0	7	645
2017	16	21	5	524	40	0	2	608
2018	13	25	4	436	24	0	4	506
2019	12	22	8	410	21	0	6	479
2020	9	28	5	358	26	0	8	434
2021	15	38	4	316	19	0	6	398
2022	22	43	4	316	21	0	5	411
2023	32	43	1	314	20	0	5	415

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 La Mesa Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	664	40.8	16.2	n/a
1991	720	40.2	17.9	n/a
1992	713	47.6	14.9	77
1993	732	52.4	14.0	n/a
1994	729	50.1	14.6	n/a
1995	808	50.7	15.9	n/a
1996	808	50.7	15.9	n/a
1997	796	53.9	14.8	n/a
1998	824	55.0	15.0	n/a
1999	681	50.6	13.5	79.4
2000	712	45.4	15.7	81.7
2001	664	51.1	13.0	99.5
2002	751	58.6	12.8	99.6
2003	751	58.6	12.8	99.6
2004	801	60.5	13.2	93.5
2005	649	40.0	16.2	96.8
2006	666	49.0	13.6	33.9
2007	686	49.2	13.9	99.6
2008	708	50.2	14.1	98.7
2009	715	48.6	14.7	99.6
2010	700	50.6	13.8	99.6
2011	772	49.0	15.7	99.6
2012	751	46.6	16.1	99.6
2013	734	45.6	16.0	98.2
2014	714	47.0	15.1	98.7
2015	691	43.0	16.0	94.2
2016	645	40.0	16.1	100
2017	608	37.0	16.4	100
2018	506	34.0	14.8	100
2019	479	30.0	15.9	99
2020	434	32.5	13.3	99.5
2021	398	31.6	12.5	100
2022	411	35.6	11.5	100
2023	415	35.1	11.8	100

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 La Mesa Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	664	40.8	16.2	n/a
1991	720	40.2	17.9	n/a
1992	713	47.6	14.9	77
1993	732	52.4	14.0	n/a
1994	729	50.1	14.6	n/a
1995	808	50.7	15.9	n/a
1996	808	50.7	15.9	n/a
1997	796	53.9	14.8	n/a
1998	824	55.0	15.0	n/a
1999	681	50.6	13.5	79.4
2000	712	45.4	15.7	81.7
2001	664	51.1	13.0	99.5
2002	751	58.6	12.8	99.6
2003	751	58.6	12.8	99.6
2004	801	60.5	13.2	93.5
2005	649	40.0	16.2	96.8
2006	666	49.0	13.6	33.9
2007	686	49.2	13.9	99.6
2008	708	50.2	14.1	98.7
2009	715	48.6	14.7	99.6
2010	700	50.6	13.8	99.6
2011	772	49.0	15.7	99.6
2012	751	46.6	16.1	99.6
2013	734	45.6	16.0	98.2
2014	714	47.0	15.1	98.7
2015	691	43.0	16.0	94.2
2016	645	40.0	16.1	100
2017	608	37.0	16.4	100
2018	506	34.0	14.8	100
2019	479	30.0	15.9	99
2020	434	32.5	13.3	99.5
2021	398	31.6	12.5	100
2022	411	35.6	11.5	100
2023	415	35.1	11.8	100

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 La Mesa Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,815

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Mesa 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 354^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 431^st of 435 Elementary schools	9.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (La Mesa Elementary)	20	9.4	10.6%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Albuquerque)	24	32.5	8.5%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (La Mesa Elementary)	17	5.8	11.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Albuquerque)	30	22.2	7.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (La Mesa Elementary)	10	15.4	5.4%
4th Grade Language Arts (Albuquerque)	27	37.3	10.3%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (La Mesa Elementary)	13	13.6	0.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Albuquerque)	26	24.7	1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	479	415	13.4%
African American	22	43	95.5%
American Indian	21	20	4.8%
Asian	8	1	87.5%
Hispanic	410	314	23.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	12	32	166.7%
Two or More Races	6	5	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99%	100%	1%

Schools Near La Mesa Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				NM Combined Language Arts (2023)	NM Combined Mathematics (2023)	NM Combined Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM Combined Language Arts All Grades	NM Combined Mathematics All Grades	NM Combined Science All Grades	Total
La Mesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7500 Copper Av NE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 262-1581	415	35	11.8	100.0%	32 (7.7%)	43 (10.4%)	314 (75.7%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	7.2	431^st of 435 public elementary schools	0.9%		10.2	397^th of 420 public elementary schools	5.5%	34	10.0	5.0	6.0	$9,815
Alice King Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	8100 Mountain Rd. NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 344-0746	451	37	12.2	39.2%	161 (35.7%)	7 (1.6%)	249 (55.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (4.4%)	72.1	111^th of 435 public elementary schools	74.5%		62.8	113^th of 420 public elementary schools	73.1%	2	49.0	30.0	52.0	$8,207
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	620 Georgia St SE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 255-9091	358	35	10.2	100.0%	29 (8.1%)	25 (7.0%)	246 (68.7%)	5 (1.4%)	37 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.5%)	7.9	429^th of 435 public elementary schools	1.4%		6.5	404^th of 420 public elementary schools	3.8%	25	11.0	5.0		$10,700
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6316 Constitution Ave NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 255-8337	273	30	9.2	100.0%	93 (34.1%)	10 (3.7%)	134 (49.1%)	4 (1.5%)	22 (8.1%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.3%)	25.8	331^st of 435 public elementary schools	23.9%		36.9	234^th of 420 public elementary schools	44.3%	97	20.0	20.0	20.0	$15,929
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	420 General Somervell St NE	Albuquerque	87123	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 299-4424	334	37	9.0	100.0%	18 (5.4%)	5 (1.5%)	269 (80.5%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (9.6%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.4%)	22	360^th of 435 public elementary schools	17.2%		19.4	345^th of 420 public elementary schools	17.9%	15	27.0	10.0	20.0	$13,266
Sandia Base Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	21001 Wyoming SE Kafb East	Albuquerque	87116	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 268-4356	349	22	15.5	30.4%	135 (38.7%)	28 (8.0%)	127 (36.4%)	8 (2.3%)	11 (3.2%)	3 (0.9%)	37 (10.6%)	64.5	143^rd of 435 public elementary schools	67.1%		50.2	162^nd of 420 public elementary schools	61.4%	19	48.0	26.0	42.0	$6,926
Inez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Pennsylvania St NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 299-9010	306	31	9.7	100.0%	66 (21.6%)	11 (3.6%)	185 (60.5%)	14 (4.6%)	17 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	49.5	205^th of 435 public elementary schools	52.9%		46.1	183^rd of 420 public elementary schools	56.4%	22	39.0	19.0	48.0	$9,474
Wherry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	Bldg 25000 - Kafb East	Albuquerque	87116	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 268-2434	285	23	12.2	100.0%	26 (9.1%)	4 (1.4%)	212 (74.4%)	2 (0.7%)	27 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	14.6	400^th of 435 public elementary schools	8.0%		13	380^th of 420 public elementary schools	9.5%	20	18.0	10.0	15.0	$10,027
Bellehaven Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8701 Princess Jeanne St NE	Albuquerque	87112	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 298-7489	234	23	10.0	100.0%	44 (18.8%)	6 (2.6%)	150 (64.1%)	6 (2.6%)	16 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	39.9	258^th of 435 public elementary schools	40.7%		24.9	306^th of 420 public elementary schools	27.1%	48	35.0	19.0	28.0	$8,636
Zia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 Jefferson St NE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 260-2020	232	21	11.1	37.1%	87 (37.5%)	12 (5.2%)	99 (42.7%)	6 (2.6%)	16 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	82.4	73^rd of 435 public elementary schools	83.2%		65.2	105^th of 420 public elementary schools	75.0%	32	57.0	34.0	63.0	$11,794

La Mesa Elementary

La Mesa Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Albuquerque:

What do you think?

Rank History for La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for all students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Female students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Male students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Asian students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Mesa Elementary

Rank History for White students at La Mesa Elementary

Enrollment information for La Mesa Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Mesa Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio La Mesa Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Mesa Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on La Mesa Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near La Mesa Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about La Mesa Elementary

Rate La Mesa Elementary!

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