Is La Merced Elementary a good school?

La Merced Elementary ranks 201 st of 435 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend La Merced Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 437 students attended La Merced Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of La Merced Elementary?

Students at La Merced Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 23% White, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of La Merced Elementary attend?

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belen Middle High : Belen High

La Merced Elementary

Summary:

La Merced Elementary is a public elementary school in Belen, New Mexico, serving 437 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 from SchoolDigger.

While La Merced Elementary maintains a consistent performance, it faces some key challenges. The school has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (74.6%) compared to nearby schools, and its proficiency rates in Language Arts (35%), Mathematics (28%), and Science (27%) are generally lower than the state averages and the nearby high-performing schools like Gil Sanchez Elementary and Belen Family School. Additionally, La Merced Elementary's rankings for specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, White students, and English Language Learners, are in the middle to lower range compared to other New Mexico elementary schools, indicating potential achievement gaps. The school also has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, suggesting a high-poverty student population.

Despite these challenges, La Merced Elementary has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years. The school's rankings for specific student subgroups, such as male students and English Language Learners, are higher, suggesting the school may be more effective in supporting the needs of these subgroups. Comparing La Merced Elementary to its nearby high-performing counterparts may provide insights into potential areas for improvement and strategies to better support the needs of its diverse student body.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

301 Alame Loop
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-2100

District: Belen

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,239

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 437

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.6%

White:

23.1%

African American:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare La Merced Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Merced Elementary ranks better than 53.8% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Belen School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.27. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details La Merced Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Belen School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (74.6%), White (23.1%), American Indian (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 La Merced Elementary is 14.3. 4 elementary schools in the Belen School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare La Merced Elementary employs 30.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Merced Elementary is $9,239. 3 elementary schools in the Belen School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

La Merced Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks La Merced Elementary 201^st of 435 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See La Merced Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

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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Your rating for La Merced Elementary?

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Rank History for La Merced Elementary

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Rank History for all students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	39.25	252^nd	389	35.2%
2006	46.15	208^th	390	46.7%
2007	49.20	200^th	398	49.7%
2008	43.23	231^st	405	43.0%
2009	40.17	255^th	411	38.0%
2010	47.49	221^st	419	47.3%
2011	45.03	218^th	402	45.8%
2012	40.85	240^th	398	39.7%
2013	47.02	205^th	412	50.2%
2014	35.51	295^th	442	33.3%
2015	36.89	250^th	421	40.6%
2016	36.31	260^th	410	36.6%
2017	38.28	221^st	374	40.9%
2018	33.46	255^th	383	33.4%
2019	50.95	172^nd	396	56.6%
2022	35.43	242^nd	420	42.4%
2023	50.27	201^st	435	53.8%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	38.31	130^th	203	36.0%
2023	65.11	70^th	191	63.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.19	62^nd	165	62.4%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	41.65	205^th	356	42.4%
2019	63.16	100^th	361	72.3%
2022	42.58	183^rd	410	55.4%
2023	59.64	164^th	426	61.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	29.50	242^nd	339	28.6%
2019	43.37	179^th	343	47.8%
2022	42.08	188^th	395	52.4%
2023	44.99	220^th	390	43.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	34.25	227^th	333	31.8%
2019	50.28	150^th	337	55.5%
2022	23.13	274^th	392	30.1%
2023	49.27	195^th	414	52.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	33.40	220^th	329	33.1%
2019	42.51	184^th	320	42.5%
2022	36.27	211^th	389	45.8%
2023	49.99	184^th	395	53.4%

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

Rank History for White students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	23.99	164^th	187	12.3%
2019	43.12	121^st	199	39.2%
2022	22.57	283^rd	325	12.9%
2023	45.04	223^rd	413	46.0%

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.

Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for La Merced Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1994	251	9	1	304	4	n/a	n/a	569
1995	252	17	8	305	6	n/a	n/a	588
1996	252	17	8	305	6	n/a	n/a	588
1997	242	19	6	314	3	n/a	n/a	584
1998	249	10	5	299	4	n/a	n/a	567
1999	230	8	0	351	2	n/a	n/a	591
2000	203	10	7	310	2	n/a	n/a	532
2001	189	8	3	309	15	n/a	n/a	524
2002	207	4	3	321	6	n/a	n/a	541
2003	207	4	3	321	6	n/a	n/a	541
2004	187	15	5	345	6	n/a	n/a	558
2005	173	15	6	358	5	n/a	n/a	557
2006	179	13	9	372	11	n/a	n/a	584
2007	180	14	10	352	6	n/a	n/a	562
2008	153	19	7	405	3	n/a	n/a	587
2009	162	14	4	373	8	n/a	n/a	561
2010	174	16	3	365	6	0	0	564
2011	196	25	4	373	11	0	2	611
2012	182	12	2	369	11	0	1	577
2013	163	9	1	330	8	0	4	515
2014	157	12	0	334	8	0	1	512
2015	164	13	0	335	11	0	1	524
2016	156	8	0	300	10	0	1	475
2017	151	10	0	323	7	0	2	493
2018	136	14	0	316	5	0	2	473
2019	124	9	0	325	6	0	1	465
2020	110	7	0	297	10	0	1	425
2021	96	9	0	283	7	0	2	397
2022	101	6	0	284	6	0	0	397
2023	101	5	0	326	5	0	0	437

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 Merced Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	569	24.2	23.5	n/a
1995	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1996	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1997	584	26.9	21.7	n/a
1998	567	31.8	17.8	n/a
1999	591	32.3	18.3	65
2000	532	34.6	15.4	61.8
2001	524	35.4	14.8	63.9
2002	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2003	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2004	558	36.3	15.4	73.1
2005	557	33.8	16.5	73.4
2006	584	37.1	15.7	66.8
2007	562	40.0	14.1	73.3
2008	587	41.0	14.3	41.1
2009	561	42.0	13.4	70.2
2010	564	40.0	14.1	75.9
2011	611	42.5	14.3	99.2
2012	577	39.5	14.6	99.5
2013	515	37.6	13.6	74
2014	512	33.5	15.2	65.2
2015	524	33.0	15.8	64.3
2016	475	32.0	14.8	54.9
2017	493	32.0	15.4	100
2018	473	31.1	15.2	100
2019	465	30.1	15.4	100
2020	425	31.1	13.6	100
2021	397	29.1	13.6	100
2022	397	27.1	14.6	100
2023	437	30.5	14.3	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 Merced Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	569	24.2	23.5	n/a
1995	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1996	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1997	584	26.9	21.7	n/a
1998	567	31.8	17.8	n/a
1999	591	32.3	18.3	65
2000	532	34.6	15.4	61.8
2001	524	35.4	14.8	63.9
2002	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2003	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2004	558	36.3	15.4	73.1
2005	557	33.8	16.5	73.4
2006	584	37.1	15.7	66.8
2007	562	40.0	14.1	73.3
2008	587	41.0	14.3	41.1
2009	561	42.0	13.4	70.2
2010	564	40.0	14.1	75.9
2011	611	42.5	14.3	99.2
2012	577	39.5	14.6	99.5
2013	515	37.6	13.6	74
2014	512	33.5	15.2	65.2
2015	524	33.0	15.8	64.3
2016	475	32.0	14.8	54.9
2017	493	32.0	15.4	100
2018	473	31.1	15.2	100
2019	465	30.1	15.4	100
2020	425	31.1	13.6	100
2021	397	29.1	13.6	100
2022	397	27.1	14.6	100
2023	437	30.5	14.3	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 Merced Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,239

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Merced 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 172^nd of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 201^st of 435 Elementary schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	33	29.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Belen)	33	32.3	0.7%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	41	22.4	18.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Belen)	38	24.5	13.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	23	34.9	11.9%
4th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	28	35.2	7.2%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	28	14	14%
4th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	32	30	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	44	32.3	11.7%
5th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	32	33.2	1.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	32	21.5	10.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	26	33.9	7.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	28	27.9	0.1%
6th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	35	37.7	2.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	17	34.4	17.4%
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	465	437	6%
African American	9	5	44.4%
American Indian	6	5	16.7%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	325	326	0.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	124	101	18.5%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near La Merced 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 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
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
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
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
Ann Parish Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	112 Meadow Lake	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	373	24	15.4	100.0%	42 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	318 (85.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	45.2	222^nd of 435 public elementary schools	49.0%		44.4	195^th of 420 public elementary schools	53.6%	27	27.0	27.0	46.0	$9,704
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

La Merced Elementary

La Merced Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Belen:

What do you think?

Rank History for La Merced Elementary

Rank History for all students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at La Merced Elementary

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

Rank History for Female students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Male students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for White students at La Merced Elementary

Enrollment information for La Merced Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Merced Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio La Merced Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Merced Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on La Merced Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near La Merced Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about La Merced Elementary

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