Mesa Elementary

Summary:

Mesa Elementary is an elementary school located in Shiprock, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 293 students. The school is part of the Central School District, which is ranked 108 out of 119 districts in New Mexico and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mesa Elementary consistently performs below the state and district averages in academic proficiency across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 11% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 39% and the district average of 26%. Similarly, only 4% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 25% and the district average of 14%. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as Native American students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who perform significantly worse than their peers at the state and district levels.

While the nearby schools in the Central School District, such as Kirtland Elementary, Ojo Amarillo Elementary, and Judy Nelson Elementary, also perform below the state average, they generally outperform Mesa Elementary across academic measures. This suggests that the unique challenges faced by Mesa Elementary, such as its remote location and the high percentage of Native American students, combined with the high poverty rates in the area, may be contributing to the school's consistently low performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

N Hwy 491 Mesa School Rd
Shiprock, NM 87420

(505) 368-4529

District: Central

SchoolDigger Rank:
428^th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,357

Students who attend Mesa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Tse Bit Ai Middle
High:	Shiprock High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 293

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

92.2%

Two or more races:

2.0%

White:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare Mesa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mesa Elementary ranks worse than 98.8% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 6^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Central School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.09. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: American Indian (92.2%), two or more races (2%), Asian (1.7%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary is 15.4, which is the highest among 8 elementary schools in the Central School District! (See more...)

Compare Mesa Elementary employs 19 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mesa Elementary is $11,357. 5 elementary schools in the Central School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mesa Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa Elementary 428^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Mesa Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Native American students:

Central:

SchoolDigger ranks Central 108^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Mesa Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	14.95	365^th	389	6.2%
2006	14.53	366^th	390	6.2%
2007	7.96	387^th	398	2.8%
2008	13.25	384^th	405	5.2%
2009	19.48	364^th	411	11.4%
2010	24.83	339^th	419	19.1%
2011	7.98	391^st	402	2.7%
2012	13.45	374^th	398	6.0%
2013	9.30	400^th	412	2.9%
2014	15.08	410^th	442	7.2%
2015	23.41	351^st	421	16.6%
2016	23.35	341^st	410	16.8%
2017	15.98	334^th	374	10.7%
2018	17.41	329^th	383	14.1%
2019	17.39	350^th	396	11.6%
2022	20.22	343^rd	420	18.3%
2023	10.05	422^nd	435	3.0%
2024	7.09	428^th	433	1.2%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	21.35	302^nd	356	15.2%
2019	18.93	324^th	361	10.2%
2022	23.14	301^st	410	26.6%
2023	9.14	413^th	426	3.1%
2024	8.09	231^st	237	2.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	13.51	315^th	339	7.1%
2019	19.89	293^rd	343	14.6%
2022	24.21	279^th	395	29.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	26.07	261^st	333	21.6%
2019	14.74	311^th	337	7.7%
2022	17.59	305^th	392	22.2%
2023	8.53	412^th	414	0.5%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Mesa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	28.72	36^th	48	25.0%
2019	25.46	52^nd	64	18.8%
2022	29.24	72^nd	99	27.3%
2023	11.37	90^th	92	2.2%
2024	8.03	78^th	79	1.3%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Native American 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 Mesa Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	6	0	0	3	673	n/a	n/a	682
1991	2	0	0	0	684	n/a	n/a	686
1992	5	0	0	1	695	n/a	n/a	701
1993	9	0	1	1	722	n/a	n/a	733
1994	8	0	0	0	710	n/a	n/a	718
1995	4	0	0	0	544	n/a	n/a	548
1996	4	0	0	0	544	n/a	n/a	548
1997	3	0	0	0	561	n/a	n/a	564
1998	0	0	0	0	332	n/a	n/a	332
1999	1	0	0	2	346	n/a	n/a	349
2000	2	0	0	0	375	n/a	n/a	377
2001	3	0	0	0	366	n/a	n/a	369
2002	0	0	0	0	271	n/a	n/a	271
2003	0	0	0	0	271	n/a	n/a	271
2004	0	0	0	0	216	n/a	n/a	216
2005	0	0	0	0	199	n/a	n/a	199
2006	0	0	0	0	203	n/a	n/a	203
2007	0	0	1	0	232	n/a	n/a	233
2008	0	0	0	0	237	n/a	n/a	237
2009	0	0	0	0	207	n/a	n/a	207
2010	0	0	0	0	210	0	0	210
2011	0	1	0	0	386	0	0	387
2012	1	1	0	0	429	0	0	431
2013	0	0	0	0	411	0	0	411
2014	0	0	0	1	346	0	3	350
2015	0	0	0	1	297	0	1	299
2016	0	1	0	1	282	0	4	288
2017	2	0	0	1	294	0	16	313
2018	2	0	1	7	276	0	16	302
2019	2	0	6	7	296	0	15	326
2020	2	1	7	5	282	0	19	316
2021	3	1	7	3	245	0	12	271
2022	4	0	6	6	235	0	6	257
2023	5	2	5	5	270	0	6	293

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 Mesa Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	682	37.0	18.4	n/a
1991	686	36.0	19.0	n/a
1992	701	37.0	18.9	n/a
1993	733	35.0	20.9	n/a
1994	718	38.0	18.9	n/a
1995	548	35.0	15.7	n/a
1996	548	35.0	15.7	n/a
1997	564	33.0	17.1	n/a
1998	332	22.9	14.5	n/a
1999	349	19.2	18.2	91.1
2000	377	22.2	17.0	93.9
2001	369	21.0	17.6	90
2002	271	19.0	14.3	91.5
2003	271	19.0	14.3	91.5
2004	216	17.0	12.7	81.5
2005	199	15.0	13.3	81.9
2006	203	15.5	13.1	98.5
2007	233	18.0	12.9	98.7
2008	237	17.0	13.9	92.8
2009	207	17.4	11.9	98.6
2010	210	15.4	13.6	98.6
2011	387	25.0	15.4	99.2
2012	431	28.0	15.3	99.3
2013	411	24.5	16.7	93.9
2014	350	23.2	15.0	87.4
2015	299	22.0	13.5	100
2016	288	23.0	12.5	100
2017	313	22.0	14.2	36.4
2018	302	21.0	14.3	100
2019	326	21.0	15.5	100
2020	316	20.5	15.4	100
2021	271	20.5	13.2	100
2022	257	22.0	11.6	100
2023	293	19.0	15.4	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 Mesa Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	682	37.0	18.4	n/a
1991	686	36.0	19.0	n/a
1992	701	37.0	18.9	n/a
1993	733	35.0	20.9	n/a
1994	718	38.0	18.9	n/a
1995	548	35.0	15.7	n/a
1996	548	35.0	15.7	n/a
1997	564	33.0	17.1	n/a
1998	332	22.9	14.5	n/a
1999	349	19.2	18.2	91.1
2000	377	22.2	17.0	93.9
2001	369	21.0	17.6	90
2002	271	19.0	14.3	91.5
2003	271	19.0	14.3	91.5
2004	216	17.0	12.7	81.5
2005	199	15.0	13.3	81.9
2006	203	15.5	13.1	98.5
2007	233	18.0	12.9	98.7
2008	237	17.0	13.9	92.8
2009	207	17.4	11.9	98.6
2010	210	15.4	13.6	98.6
2011	387	25.0	15.4	99.2
2012	431	28.0	15.3	99.3
2013	411	24.5	16.7	93.9
2014	350	23.2	15.0	87.4
2015	299	22.0	13.5	100
2016	288	23.0	12.5	100
2017	313	22.0	14.2	36.4
2018	302	21.0	14.3	100
2019	326	21.0	15.5	100
2020	316	20.5	15.4	100
2021	271	20.5	13.2	100
2022	257	22.0	11.6	100
2023	293	19.0	15.4	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 Mesa Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,357

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on 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 350^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 422^nd of 435 Elementary schools	8.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade Language Arts (Mesa Elementary)	24	14.9	9.1%
4th Grade Language Arts (Central)	28	19.3	8.7%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (Mesa Elementary)	20	32.5	12.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Central)	30	22.1	7.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mesa Elementary)	7	20	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Central)	18	17.7	0.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	326	293	10.1%
African American	0	2
American Indian	296	270	8.8%
Asian	6	5	16.7%
Hispanic	7	5	28.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	2	5	150%
Two or More Races	15	6	60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Mesa Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Mesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	N Hwy 491 Mesa School Rd	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 368-4529	293	19	15.4	100.0%	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.7%)	5 (1.7%)	270 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	7.1	428^th of 433 public elementary schools	1.2%		10.1	422^nd of 435 public elementary schools	3.0%	6	15.0	11.0	4.0	$11,357
Atsa' Biya' a'zh Community School	Public	K-6	Pinon Street Bdg 1415	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Atsa' Biya' a'zh Community School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(505) 368-2100	115	6	20.9	97.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	115 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Dream Dine Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	Highway 64 Milepost 23 NW	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Central	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 368-2500	46	5	8.5	100.0%	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (95.7%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Eva B Stokely Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	West Hwy 64	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 368-5109	224	21	10.7	100.0%	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	3 (1.3%)	209 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	37.9	251^st of 433 public elementary schools	42.0%		42.2	243^rd of 435 public elementary schools	44.1%	8	25.0	30.0	25.0	$13,874
Nizhoni Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	Hwy 491	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 368-4565	276	21	13.1	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	262 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	6.1	431^st of 433 public elementary schools	0.5%		5.5	434^th of 435 public elementary schools	0.2%	3	7.0	9.0	5.0	$11,021
Nenahnezad Community School	Public	K-6	6675 SJ County Road South	Fruitland	87416	San Juan County	Nenahnezad Community School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(505) 960-6922	124	7	17.7	97.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	124 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Judy Nelson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	40 Cr 6580	Kirtland	87417	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 598-6285	493	38	12.9	100.0%	75 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (12.2%)	1 (0.2%)	332 (67.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.1%)	58.8	150^th of 433 public elementary schools	65.4%		50.3	200^th of 435 public elementary schools	54.0%	50	28.0	36.0	38.0	$11,168
Kirtland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	30 Cr 6446	Kirtland	87417	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 598-5893	396	34	11.6	100.0%	26 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (12.9%)	1 (0.3%)	310 (78.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	22.4	341^st of 433 public elementary schools	21.2%		23.8	350^th of 435 public elementary schools	19.5%	9	14.0	24.0	17.0	$11,911
Beclabito Day School	Public	K-4	Clliford Ward Drive Hwy 64 Wes	Shiprock	87420	San Juan County	Beclabito Day School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(928) 656-3555	48	5	9.6	93.8%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Ojo Amarillo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	Rd 6500 And Rd 6466	Fruitland	87416	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 960-5271	303	23	13.1	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	2 (0.7%)	288 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	16.1	385^th of 433 public elementary schools	11.1%		16.7	388^th of 435 public elementary schools	10.8%	3	11.0	17.0	15.0	$11,665

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Elementary

What district is Mesa Elementary in?

Central

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Elementary?

Students at Mesa Elementary are 92% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Mesa Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 293 students attended Mesa Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Mesa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mesa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Tse Bit Ai Middle
High : Shiprock High

Is Mesa Elementary a good school?

Mesa Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.2% of New Mexico elementary schools.

Rate Mesa Elementary!

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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.