Is Judy Nelson Elementary a good school?

Judy Nelson Elementary ranks 150 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Judy Nelson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 467 students attended Judy Nelson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Judy Nelson Elementary?

Students at Judy Nelson Elementary are 66% American Indian, 16% White, 13% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Judy Nelson Elementary

Summary:

Judy Nelson Elementary is a public elementary school located in Kirtland, New Mexico, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 493 students. The school is part of the Central school district, which is ranked 108 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Judy Nelson Elementary has shown a mixed academic performance compared to the state and nearby schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school outperformed the Central district and the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, but lagged behind the higher-performing Northeast Elementary in the Farmington district. The school has also shown strong performance for certain student subgroups, particularly Native American and White students, as well as English Language Learners, but its performance for Special Education students has been relatively low.

Despite having a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Judy Nelson Elementary has performed relatively well for low-income students. The school has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, indicating a relatively stable academic performance, and its strengths in serving specific student populations suggest that it may have effective strategies in place to support these groups. However, the school's lower performance for Special Education students is an area that may require further investigation and targeted interventions.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

40 Cr 6580
Kirtland, NM 87417

(505) 598-6285

District: Central

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,168

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 467

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

66.2%

White:

16.3%

Hispanic:

13.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Judy Nelson Elementary ranks better than 65.4% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks first among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Central School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.78. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Judy Nelson Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Central School District. Student population at Judy Nelson Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: American Indian (66.2%), White (16.3%), Hispanic (13.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Judy Nelson Elementary is 12.2. 5 elementary schools in the Central School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Judy Nelson Elementary employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Judy Nelson Elementary is $11,168. 6 elementary schools in the Central School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Judy Nelson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Judy Nelson Elementary 150^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Judy Nelson 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:

Native American students:

White students:

Central:

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

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Your rating for Judy Nelson Elementary?

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Rank History for Judy Nelson Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	55.48	141^st	383	63.2%
2019	59.07	135^th	396	65.9%
2022	35.49	241^st	420	42.6%
2023	50.31	200^th	435	54.0%
2024	58.78	150^th	433	65.4%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	51.79	44^th	91	51.6%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	52.62	29^th	83	65.1%
2019	52.81	40^th	98	59.2%
2023	73.91	50^th	191	73.8%
2024	79.19	36^th	166	78.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.50	129^th	165	21.8%
2024	36.46	61^st	99	38.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	66.42	85^th	356	76.1%
2019	70.24	73^rd	361	79.8%
2022	41.12	193^rd	410	52.9%
2023	59.05	169^th	426	60.3%
2024	70.66	66^th	237	72.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	54.22	133^rd	339	60.8%
2019	57.81	118^th	343	65.6%
2022	35.21	228^th	395	42.3%
2023	46.02	211^th	390	45.9%
2024	59.03	132^nd	393	66.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	50.25	133^rd	333	60.1%
2019	51.12	144^th	337	57.3%
2022	30.06	238^th	392	39.3%
2023	48.59	198^th	414	52.2%
2024	55.98	164^th	410	60.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	45.64	167^th	389	57.1%
2023	47.62	196^th	395	50.4%
2024	64.19	120^th	390	69.2%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	55.08	14^th	48	70.8%
2019	60.73	22^nd	64	65.6%
2022	30.20	71^st	99	28.3%
2023	62.89	38^th	92	58.7%
2024	66.71	23^rd	79	70.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	77.58	28^th	187	85.0%
2019	63.85	63^rd	199	68.3%
2022	61.66	103^rd	325	68.3%
2023	73.04	99^th	413	76.0%
2024	85.10	37^th	293	87.4%

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 Judy Nelson Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	138	1	2	40	385	0	13	579
2017	151	1	2	43	373	0	22	592
2018	131	1	3	50	426	0	19	630
2019	128	1	3	52	403	0	12	599
2020	127	1	4	50	372	0	15	569
2021	87	0	3	53	335	0	26	504
2022	76	0	4	55	322	0	28	485
2023	75	0	1	60	332	0	25	493
2024	76	1	3	62	309	1	15	467

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 Judy Nelson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	579	38.0	15.2	100
2017	592	35.5	16.6	49
2018	630	38.0	16.5	100
2019	599	38.8	15.4	100
2020	569	39.8	14.2	100
2021	504	37.8	13.3	100
2022	485	35.0	13.8	100
2023	493	38.0	12.9	100
2024	467	38.0	12.2	66.6

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 Judy Nelson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	579	38.0	15.2	100
2017	592	35.5	16.6	49
2018	630	38.0	16.5	100
2019	599	38.8	15.4	100
2020	569	39.8	14.2	100
2021	504	37.8	13.3	100
2022	485	35.0	13.8	100
2023	493	38.0	12.9	100
2024	467	38.0	12.2	66.6

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 Judy Nelson Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,168

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Judy Nelson 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 135^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 200^th of 435 Elementary schools	11.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Judy Nelson Elementary)	38	17.3	20.7%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Central)	24	12.5	11.5%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Judy Nelson Elementary)	34	10.7	23.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Central)	20	6.1	13.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Judy Nelson Elementary)	34	31.6	2.4%
4th Grade Language Arts (Central)	28	19.3	8.7%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Judy Nelson Elementary)	36	25	11%
4th Grade Mathematics (Central)	21	13.5	7.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Judy Nelson Elementary)	28	31.9	3.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (Central)	30	22.1	7.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Judy Nelson Elementary)	24	24.6	0.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Central)	18	17.7	0.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (Judy Nelson Elementary)	48	26.5	21.5%
6th Grade Language Arts (Central)	29	20	9%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Judy Nelson Elementary)	47	54.2	7.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Central)	19	25.8	6.8%
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	599	493	17.7%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	403	332	17.6%
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	52	60	15.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	128	75	41.4%
Two or More Races	12	25	108.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Judy Nelson 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
Judy Nelson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	40 Cr 6580	Kirtland	87417	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 598-6285	467	38	12.2	66.6%	76 (16.3%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (13.3%)	3 (0.6%)	309 (66.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.2%)	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 Pre-K Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	10 Cr 6400	Kirtland	87417	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 598-4550	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Kirtland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	30 Cr 6446	Kirtland	87417	San Juan County	Central	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 598-5893	380	31	12.2	68.2%	24 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	307 (80.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	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
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	146	4	36.5	97.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	146 (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	299	25	11.9	75.9%	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	279 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	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
Apache Elementary	Public	K-5	700 West Apache	Farmington	87401	San Juan County	Farmington	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 599-8602	448	38	11.6	68.3%	45 (10.0%)	2 (0.4%)	74 (16.5%)	1 (0.2%)	303 (67.6%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.9%)	14.7	393^rd of 433 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.1	396^th of 435 public elementary schools	9.0%	3	10.0	17.0	14.0	$8,685
Farmington Preschool Academy West	Public	PK	301 N Court Ave	Farmington	87401	San Juan County	Farmington	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 599-8744	180	12	14.8	20.0%	38 (21.1%)	1 (0.6%)	65 (36.1%)	1 (0.6%)	61 (33.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.8%)								(n/a)
Ladera Del Norte Elementary	Public	K-5	308 East 35th St	Farmington	87401	San Juan County	Farmington	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 599-8605	526	37	14.4	46.4%	244 (46.4%)	3 (0.6%)	127 (24.1%)	3 (0.6%)	99 (18.8%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (9.3%)	63.3	133^rd of 433 public elementary schools	69.3%		72.3	110^th of 435 public elementary schools	74.7%	23	45.0	39.0	34.0	$7,549
McKinley Elementary	Public	K-5	1201 North Butler Ave	Farmington	87401	San Juan County	Farmington	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 599-8607	465	31	15.2	57.6%	122 (26.2%)	3 (0.6%)	145 (31.2%)	0 (0.0%)	161 (34.6%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (7.1%)	37.5	256^th of 433 public elementary schools	40.9%		58.4	171^st of 435 public elementary schools	60.7%	85	24.0	31.0	24.0	$8,007
McCormick Elementary	Public	K-5	701 Mc Cormick Rd	Farmington	87401	San Juan County	Farmington	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 599-8606	421	33	12.6	71.3%	38 (9.0%)	1 (0.2%)	159 (37.8%)	5 (1.2%)	190 (45.1%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.7%)	21.6	348^th of 433 public elementary schools	19.6%		25	339^th of 435 public elementary schools	22.1%	9	21.0	24.0	15.0	$9,982

Judy Nelson Elementary

Judy Nelson Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Central:

What do you think?

Rank History for Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for all students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for Native American students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Rank History for White students at Judy Nelson Elementary

Enrollment information for Judy Nelson Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Judy Nelson Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Judy Nelson Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Judy Nelson Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Judy Nelson Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Judy Nelson Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Judy Nelson Elementary

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