Is Rio Grande Elementary a good school?

Rio Grande Elementary ranks 166 th of 435 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Rio Grande Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 357 students attended Rio Grande Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Rio Grande Elementary?

Students at Rio Grande Elementary are 84% Hispanic, 15% White, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Rio Grande Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rio Grande Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belen Middle High : Belen High

Rio Grande Elementary

Summary:

Rio Grande Elementary is a public elementary school in Belen, New Mexico, serving 357 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Belen Consolidated Schools district, which is ranked 49 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Rio Grande Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, consistently outpacing the state averages in both Language Arts and Mathematics. In the 2021-2022 school year, the school had significantly higher proficiency rates than the district and state, particularly in 6th grade where 53.8% were proficient in Language Arts and 69.2% in Mathematics. The school also performs well in Early Literacy, with 44% of students proficient compared to 36.1% for the district and 32.6% for the state. Rio Grande's student-teacher ratio is very low, ranging from 11.6 to 14.0 students per teacher, indicating a high level of individual attention.

Compared to nearby schools, Rio Grande Elementary is one of the stronger-performing schools in the Belen Consolidated Schools district, outperforming La Promesa Elementary and La Merced Elementary. However, the school is outperformed by Gil Sanchez Elementary and Belen Family School, which are the top-performing schools in the district. Compared to the Los Lunas Public Schools district, Rio Grande Elementary generally outperforms the schools in that district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

15 Eastside School Rd
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-2200

District: Belen

SchoolDigger Rank:
166^th of 435 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,150

Students who attend Rio Grande Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 357

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.8%

White:

14.6%

African American:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Rio Grande Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rio Grande Elementary ranks better than 61.8% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 4^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Belen School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.15. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (83.8%), White (14.6%), African American (1.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Belen School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rio Grande Elementary is 14. 3 elementary schools in the Belen School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Rio Grande Elementary employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rio Grande Elementary is $10,150, which is the highest among 6 elementary schools in the Belen School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Rio Grande Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Rio Grande Elementary 166^th of 435 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Rio Grande Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Belen:

SchoolDigger ranks Belen 49^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rio Grande Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	31.81	288^th	389	26.0%
2006	48.80	195^th	390	50.0%
2007	33.53	271^st	398	31.9%
2008	31.31	301^st	405	25.7%
2009	36.94	275^th	411	33.1%
2010	32.91	303^rd	419	27.7%
2011	36.76	263^rd	402	34.6%
2012	30.25	295^th	398	25.9%
2013	27.87	320^th	412	22.3%
2014	30.67	328^th	442	25.8%
2015	40.94	222^nd	421	47.3%
2016	41.50	220^th	410	46.3%
2017	42.40	197^th	374	47.3%
2018	30.39	271^st	383	29.2%
2019	47.20	188^th	396	52.5%
2022	67.91	91^st	420	78.3%
2023	59.15	166^th	435	61.8%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	76.88	22^nd	203	89.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	48.77	60^th	132	54.5%
2023	67.73	49^th	165	70.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	37.85	228^th	356	36.0%
2019	53.20	148^th	361	59.0%
2022	75.47	41^st	410	90.0%
2023	68.77	132^nd	426	69.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	35.60	212^th	339	37.5%
2019	67.91	80^th	343	76.7%
2022	61.98	103^rd	395	73.9%
2023	47.96	198^th	390	49.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	35.50	223^rd	333	33.0%
2019	53.72	129^th	337	61.7%
2022	67.54	74^th	392	81.1%
2023	68.95	110^th	414	73.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	27.89	245^th	329	25.5%
2019	51.27	140^th	320	56.3%
2022	63.84	81^st	389	79.2%
2023	83.07	63^rd	395	84.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2019	40.83	128^th	199	35.7%
2022	34.90	234^th	325	28.0%
2023	56.17	164^th	413	60.3%

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 Rio Grande Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	291	5	0	364	0	n/a	n/a	660
1991	91	5	0	219	0	n/a	n/a	315
1992	135	2	0	196	0	n/a	n/a	333
1993	149	2	1	232	0	n/a	n/a	384
1994	126	2	0	197	0	n/a	n/a	325
1995	127	1	1	202	1	n/a	n/a	332
1996	127	1	1	202	1	n/a	n/a	332
1997	136	3	0	196	1	n/a	n/a	336
1998	151	1	0	220	2	n/a	n/a	374
1999	122	0	2	207	15	n/a	n/a	346
2000	111	0	2	202	10	n/a	n/a	325
2001	109	4	0	214	13	n/a	n/a	340
2002	96	5	0	222	5	n/a	n/a	328
2003	96	5	0	222	5	n/a	n/a	328
2004	87	8	3	216	7	n/a	n/a	321
2005	87	7	2	231	7	n/a	n/a	334
2006	77	4	1	257	4	n/a	n/a	343
2007	70	7	0	253	4	n/a	n/a	334
2008	59	3	0	244	4	n/a	n/a	310
2009	55	0	0	229	1	n/a	n/a	285
2010	56	1	0	220	0	0	0	277
2011	68	1	1	227	0	0	0	297
2012	58	0	0	233	0	0	1	292
2013	50	7	0	254	1	0	0	312
2014	75	5	0	242	3	0	0	325
2015	56	3	0	233	2	0	0	294
2016	75	5	0	247	2	0	0	329
2017	76	5	0	228	2	0	0	311
2018	71	3	0	235	3	0	1	313
2019	64	3	0	226	3	0	1	297
2020	60	3	0	238	3	0	2	306
2021	41	3	0	203	3	0	0	250
2022	43	3	1	229	0	0	0	276
2023	52	4	1	299	0	0	1	357

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 Rio Grande Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	660	33.2	19.8	n/a
1991	315	18.9	16.6	n/a
1992	333	19.3	17.2	n/a
1993	384	18.7	20.5	n/a
1994	325	18.9	17.2	n/a
1995	332	23.6	14.1	n/a
1996	332	23.6	14.1	n/a
1997	336	20.6	16.3	n/a
1998	374	20.0	18.7	n/a
1999	346	22.7	15.2	78.9
2000	325	22.9	14.2	81.2
2001	340	25.1	13.5	82.4
2002	328	21.0	15.6	88.4
2003	328	21.0	15.6	88.4
2004	321	24.3	13.2	93.8
2005	334	22.7	14.7	94.3
2006	343	26.1	13.1	93.6
2007	334	25.0	13.4	99.1
2008	310	23.0	13.5	99
2009	285	27.0	10.6	98.9
2010	277	26.0	10.6	98.9
2011	297	23.0	12.9	99
2012	292	22.5	12.9	99
2013	312	24.4	12.7	99
2014	325	23.8	13.6	99.1
2015	294	24.0	12.2	68.4
2016	329	24.0	13.7	100
2017	311	24.5	12.6	100
2018	313	21.5	14.5	99.7
2019	297	22.0	13.5	100
2020	306	22.0	13.9	100
2021	250	21.5	11.6	100
2022	276	21.5	12.8	100
2023	357	25.5	14.0	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 Rio Grande Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	660	33.2	19.8	n/a
1991	315	18.9	16.6	n/a
1992	333	19.3	17.2	n/a
1993	384	18.7	20.5	n/a
1994	325	18.9	17.2	n/a
1995	332	23.6	14.1	n/a
1996	332	23.6	14.1	n/a
1997	336	20.6	16.3	n/a
1998	374	20.0	18.7	n/a
1999	346	22.7	15.2	78.9
2000	325	22.9	14.2	81.2
2001	340	25.1	13.5	82.4
2002	328	21.0	15.6	88.4
2003	328	21.0	15.6	88.4
2004	321	24.3	13.2	93.8
2005	334	22.7	14.7	94.3
2006	343	26.1	13.1	93.6
2007	334	25.0	13.4	99.1
2008	310	23.0	13.5	99
2009	285	27.0	10.6	98.9
2010	277	26.0	10.6	98.9
2011	297	23.0	12.9	99
2012	292	22.5	12.9	99
2013	312	24.4	12.7	99
2014	325	23.8	13.6	99.1
2015	294	24.0	12.2	68.4
2016	329	24.0	13.7	100
2017	311	24.5	12.6	100
2018	313	21.5	14.5	99.7
2019	297	22.0	13.5	100
2020	306	22.0	13.9	100
2021	250	21.5	11.6	100
2022	276	21.5	12.8	100
2023	357	25.5	14.0	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 Rio Grande Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,150

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rio Grande 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 188^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 166^th of 435 Elementary schools	9.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Rio Grande Elementary)	50	48.5	1.5%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Belen)	33	32.3	0.7%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rio Grande Elementary)	59	36.4	22.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Belen)	38	24.5	13.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Rio Grande Elementary)	29	42.3	13.3%
4th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	28	35.2	7.2%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rio Grande Elementary)	42	53.8	11.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	32	30	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Rio Grande Elementary)	13	26.9	13.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	32	33.2	1.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (Rio Grande Elementary)	18	53.8	35.8%
6th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	35	37.7	2.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Rio Grande Elementary)	13	69.2	56.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	19	48.8	29.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	32.5	13.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	297	357	20.2%
African American	3	4	33.3%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	226	299	32.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	64	52	18.8%
Two or More Races	1	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Rio Grande 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
Rio Grande Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	15 Eastside School Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2200	357	26	14.0	100.0%	52 (14.6%)	4 (1.1%)	299 (83.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	59.2	166^th of 435 public elementary schools	61.8%		67.9	91^st of 420 public elementary schools	78.3%	75	35.0	34.0		$10,150
Belen Family School	Public	1-8	4 Eastside School Road	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 966-2270	138	6	21.9	100.0%	42 (30.4%)	1 (0.7%)	91 (65.9%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	86.2	61^st of 435 public elementary schools	86.0%		90.5	28^th of 420 public elementary schools	93.3%	33	52.0	48.0	46.0	$8,877
La Merced Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Alame Loop	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2100	437	31	14.3	100.0%	101 (23.1%)	5 (1.1%)	326 (74.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.3	201^st of 435 public elementary schools	53.8%		35.4	242^nd of 420 public elementary schools	42.4%	41	35.0	28.0	27.0	$9,239
Gil Sanchez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	376 Jarales Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1900	297	23	13.1	100.0%	51 (17.2%)	3 (1.0%)	239 (80.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	86.3	60^th of 435 public elementary schools	86.2%		83	50^th of 420 public elementary schools	88.1%	10	51.0	49.0	47.0	$9,486
Dennis Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	19670 Hwy 314	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1800	296	22	13.2	100.0%	43 (14.5%)	3 (1.0%)	232 (78.4%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	70.8	121^st of 435 public elementary schools	72.2%		57.5	132^nd of 420 public elementary schools	68.6%	11	45.0	40.0	23.0	$9,163
Tome Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	46 Chacon Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	331	22	15.3	100.0%	42 (12.7%)	2 (0.6%)	283 (85.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	28.2	317^th of 435 public elementary schools	27.1%		32.5	263^rd of 420 public elementary schools	37.4%	54	24.0	17.0	30.0	$9,366
Desert View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	49 Camino La Canada	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	375	28	13.6	100.0%	58 (15.5%)	3 (0.8%)	305 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	31.4	300^th of 435 public elementary schools	31.0%		24.3	315^th of 420 public elementary schools	25.0%	15	29.0	18.0	20.0	$9,849
La Promesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	898 Hwy 304	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2400	203	21	9.9	100.0%	55 (27.1%)	0 (0.0%)	143 (70.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	49.8	202^nd of 435 public elementary schools	53.6%		41.5	212^th of 420 public elementary schools	49.5%	10	35.0	25.0	44.0	$9,643
Raymond Gabaldon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	454 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	386	29	13.2	100.0%	64 (16.6%)	4 (1.0%)	309 (80.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	40.1	255^th of 435 public elementary schools	41.4%		43.1	204^th of 420 public elementary schools	51.4%	51	33.0	23.0	14.0	$9,064
Los Lunas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	800 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	412	29	14.1	100.0%	45 (10.9%)	2 (0.5%)	350 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.2%)	45	223^rd of 435 public elementary schools	48.7%		42.3	207^th of 420 public elementary schools	50.7%	16	35.0	24.0	25.0	$9,475

Rio Grande Elementary

Rio Grande Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Belen:

What do you think?

Rank History for Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for all students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rio Grande Elementary

Rank History for White students at Rio Grande Elementary

Enrollment information for Rio Grande Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rio Grande Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Rio Grande Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rio Grande Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Rio Grande Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Rio Grande Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Rio Grande Elementary

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