Is Desert Trail Elementary a good school?

Desert Trail Elementary ranks 174 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Trail Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 467 students attended Desert Trail Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Trail Elementary?

Students at Desert Trail Elementary are 96% Hispanic, 3% White.

What schools do graduates of Desert Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend Desert Trail Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Chaparral Middle High : Chaparral High

Desert Trail Elementary

Summary:

Desert Trail Elementary is a public elementary school located in Chaparral, New Mexico, serving 496 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Gadsden School District, which is ranked 67 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Trail Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 34% in ELA, 36% in Math, and 23% in Science, while the state averages were 39%, 25%, and 36%, respectively. The school has also struggled to support certain student subgroups, ranking 76th out of 99 New Mexico elementary schools for Special Education students and 91st out of 166 for English Language Learners in the 2023-2024 school year. However, the school has performed better with Low Socioeconomic Status students, ranking 67th out of 237 schools and receiving 4 stars out of 5.

While Desert Trail Elementary is underperforming compared to the state, it is not the lowest-performing school in the Gadsden district. Schools like Berino Elementary, Vado Elementary, and Yucca Heights Elementary have lower test scores and rankings than Desert Trail. The nearby school with the strongest performance is La Union Elementary, which ranked 81st out of 433 New Mexico elementary schools and received 4 stars out of 5 in the 2023-2024 school year.

Detail:

Public K-6

290 East Lisa
Chaparral, NM 88081

(575) 882-6203

District: Gadsden

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,800

Students who attend Desert Trail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Chaparral Middle
High:	Chaparral High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.1

Number of students: 467

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.9%

White:

2.8%

American Indian:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Desert Trail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Desert Trail Elementary ranks better than 59.8% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 8^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Gadsden School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.07. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95.9%), White (2.8%), American Indian (0.9%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Trail Elementary is 16.1, which is the highest among 18 elementary schools in the Gadsden School District! (See more...)

Compare Desert Trail Elementary employs 29 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Trail Elementary is $8,800. 11 elementary schools in the Gadsden School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Trail Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Trail Elementary 174^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Desert Trail 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:

Gadsden:

SchoolDigger ranks Gadsden 67^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Desert Trail Elementary?

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Rank History for Desert Trail Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	28.26	304^th	389	21.9%
2006	32.80	279^th	390	28.5%
2007	31.02	292^nd	398	26.6%
2008	39.82	249^th	405	38.5%
2009	44.86	229^th	411	44.3%
2010	41.17	260^th	419	37.9%
2011	43.74	225^th	402	44.0%
2012	31.68	283^rd	398	28.9%
2013	49.13	199^th	412	51.7%
2014	54.97	178^th	442	59.7%
2015	32.77	286^th	421	32.1%
2016	33.19	276^th	410	32.7%
2017	47.31	174^th	374	53.5%
2018	43.92	191^st	383	50.1%
2019	50.49	174^th	396	56.1%
2022	40.03	219^th	420	47.9%
2023	41.21	247^th	435	43.2%
2024	54.07	174^th	433	59.8%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	56.55	25^th	83	69.9%
2019	64.32	27^th	98	72.4%
2022	31.71	149^th	203	26.6%
2023	34.64	145^th	191	24.1%
2024	47.74	91^st	166	45.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	30.47	76^th	99	23.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	53.87	140^th	356	60.7%
2019	59.65	117^th	361	67.6%
2022	46.20	171^st	410	58.3%
2023	47.96	221^st	426	48.1%
2024	70.51	67^th	237	71.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	42.14	187^th	339	44.8%
2019	50.94	146^th	343	57.4%
2022	36.84	218^th	395	44.8%
2023	27.99	296^th	390	24.1%
2024	43.66	200^th	393	49.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	38.32	204^th	333	38.7%
2019	45.09	167^th	337	50.4%
2022	43.20	171^st	392	56.4%
2023	50.87	188^th	414	54.6%
2024	61.37	142^nd	410	65.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	46.98	164^th	329	50.2%
2019	54.12	125^th	320	60.9%
2022	41.02	189^th	389	51.4%
2023	43.17	229^th	395	42.0%
2024	62.67	126^th	390	67.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.99	264^th	413	36.1%

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 Desert Trail Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1995	129	5	0	499	1	n/a	n/a	634
1996	129	5	0	499	1	n/a	n/a	634
1997	98	6	3	508	2	n/a	n/a	617
1998	110	8	1	531	0	n/a	n/a	650
1999	119	8	2	528	5	n/a	n/a	662
2000	122	7	6	606	2	n/a	n/a	743
2001	98	16	5	625	2	n/a	n/a	746
2002	94	7	4	627	0	n/a	n/a	732
2003	94	7	4	627	0	n/a	n/a	732
2004	96	4	3	644	0	n/a	n/a	747
2005	54	2	2	563	1	n/a	n/a	622
2006	44	2	1	546	1	n/a	n/a	594
2007	52	1	2	588	1	n/a	n/a	644
2008	39	1	2	550	2	n/a	n/a	594
2009	36	3	3	582	1	n/a	n/a	625
2010	39	3	2	636	1	0	0	681
2011	23	3	0	700	1	0	0	727
2012	23	3	0	789	1	0	0	816
2013	26	5	0	834	2	0	0	867
2014	30	6	1	882	2	0	0	921
2015	25	11	1	889	2	0	0	928
2016	26	16	0	910	0	0	0	952
2017	21	12	0	515	0	0	0	548
2018	22	13	1	507	0	0	0	543
2019	18	12	1	472	0	0	0	503
2020	15	5	1	445	3	0	0	469
2021	12	5	0	430	4	0	0	451
2022	11	4	0	394	4	0	0	413
2023	10	2	0	480	4	0	0	496
2024	13	2	0	448	4	0	0	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 Desert Trail Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	634	31.0	20.5	n/a
1996	634	31.0	20.5	n/a
1997	617	36.0	17.1	n/a
1998	650	39.0	16.7	n/a
1999	662	41.0	16.1	81.9
2000	743	43.2	17.2	85.2
2001	746	48.2	15.5	69.8
2002	732	79.2	9.2	87.7
2003	732	79.2	9.2	87.7
2004	747	46.3	16.1	86.2
2005	622	37.0	16.8	86.8
2006	594	38.2	15.5	98.7
2007	644	46.0	14.0	99.5
2008	594	46.3	12.8	99.5
2009	625	43.8	14.3	99.5
2010	681	39.3	17.3	80
2011	727	40.3	18.0	99.6
2012	816	46.9	17.3	99.6
2013	867	45.7	18.9	99.7
2014	921	51.7	17.7	99.6
2015	928	52.0	17.8	87.3
2016	952	55.0	17.3	100
2017	548	41.8	13.0	100
2018	543	47.0	11.5	100
2019	503	34.0	14.7	100
2020	469	37.0	12.6	100
2021	451	34.0	13.2	100
2022	413	34.0	12.1	100
2023	496	30.1	16.4	100
2024	467	29.0	16.1	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 Desert Trail Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	634	31.0	20.5	n/a
1996	634	31.0	20.5	n/a
1997	617	36.0	17.1	n/a
1998	650	39.0	16.7	n/a
1999	662	41.0	16.1	81.9
2000	743	43.2	17.2	85.2
2001	746	48.2	15.5	69.8
2002	732	79.2	9.2	87.7
2003	732	79.2	9.2	87.7
2004	747	46.3	16.1	86.2
2005	622	37.0	16.8	86.8
2006	594	38.2	15.5	98.7
2007	644	46.0	14.0	99.5
2008	594	46.3	12.8	99.5
2009	625	43.8	14.3	99.5
2010	681	39.3	17.3	80
2011	727	40.3	18.0	99.6
2012	816	46.9	17.3	99.6
2013	867	45.7	18.9	99.7
2014	921	51.7	17.7	99.6
2015	928	52.0	17.8	87.3
2016	952	55.0	17.3	100
2017	548	41.8	13.0	100
2018	543	47.0	11.5	100
2019	503	34.0	14.7	100
2020	469	37.0	12.6	100
2021	451	34.0	13.2	100
2022	413	34.0	12.1	100
2023	496	30.1	16.4	100
2024	467	29.0	16.1	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 Desert Trail Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,800

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Trail 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 174^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 247^th of 435 Elementary schools	12.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Desert Trail Elementary)	43	16.4	26.6%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Gadsden)	44	25.6	18.4%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Desert Trail Elementary)	42	10.9	31.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gadsden)	40	18.7	21.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Desert Trail Elementary)	33	41.1	8.1%
4th Grade Language Arts (Gadsden)	36	31.7	4.3%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Desert Trail Elementary)	52	37.5	14.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gadsden)	34	26	8%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Desert Trail Elementary)	18	23.5	5.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Gadsden)	35	27.9	7.1%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Desert Trail Elementary)	18	20.6	2.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gadsden)	24	30.9	6.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (Desert Trail Elementary)	32	44.3	12.3%
6th Grade Language Arts (Gadsden)	43	34.1	8.9%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Trail Elementary)	15	44.3	29.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Gadsden)	26	38.1	12.1%
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	503	496	1.4%
African American	12	2	83.3%
American Indian	0	4
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	472	480	1.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	18	10	44.4%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Desert Trail 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
Desert Trail Elementary	Public	K-6	290 East Lisa	Chaparral	88081	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	467	29	16.1	100.0%	13 (2.8%)	2 (0.4%)	448 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54.1	174^th of 433 public elementary schools	59.8%		41.2	247^th of 435 public elementary schools	43.2%	73	23.0	34.0	36.0	$8,800
Chaparral Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Lisa Dr	Chaparral	88081	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	429	35	12.2	100.0%	30 (7.0%)	3 (0.7%)	394 (91.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.3	263^rd of 433 public elementary schools	39.3%		44.9	225^th of 435 public elementary schools	48.3%	38	28.0	27.0	25.0	$9,456
Chaparral On-Track Prek Center	Public	PK	800 County Line Road	Chaparral	88081	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 649-7724	155	13	11.9	100.0%	2 (1.3%)	2 (1.3%)	150 (96.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Sunrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 County Line Dr	Anthony	88081	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	433	29	14.9	100.5%	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	422 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.8	274^th of 433 public elementary schools	36.7%		36.4	277^th of 435 public elementary schools	36.3%	3	34.0	29.0	20.0	$9,400
Yucca Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	580 Angelina Blvd	Chaparral	88081	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 824-8210	482	33	14.6	100.0%	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	474 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.4	200^th of 433 public elementary schools	53.8%		52.2	196^th of 435 public elementary schools	54.9%	4	13.0	38.0	27.0	$8,310
Loma Linda Elementary	Public	K-6	1451 Donaldson Ave	Anthony	88021	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	283	24	11.7	100.0%	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.4%)	277 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.4	118^th of 433 public elementary schools	72.7%		48.2	209^th of 435 public elementary schools	52.0%	91	21.0	46.0	40.0	$10,935
Anthony On-Track Prek Center	Public	PK	609 Church St	Anthony	88021	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 882-1904	149	11	13.5	100.0%	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	148 (99.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Anthony Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	609 Church St	Anthony	88021	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	320	25	12.8	100.0%	14 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	306 (95.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77.6	88^th of 433 public elementary schools	79.7%		72.4	108^th of 435 public elementary schools	75.2%	20	24.0	49.0	48.0	$10,061
Berino Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	455 Shrode Rd	Anthony	88021	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	322	30	10.7	100.0%	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	315 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26.9	322^nd of 433 public elementary schools	25.6%		24.9	340^th of 435 public elementary schools	21.8%	18	9.0	26.0	20.0	$10,604
Gadsden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1440 Hwy 478	Sunland Park	88063	Do�a Ana County	Gadsden	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-3050	399	32	12.4	100.0%	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	390 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.5	187^th of 433 public elementary schools	56.8%		59.9	164^th of 435 public elementary schools	62.3%	23	34.0	34.0	31.0	$9,279

Desert Trail Elementary

Desert Trail Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Gadsden:

What do you think?

Rank History for Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for all students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Trail Elementary

Rank History for White students at Desert Trail Elementary

Enrollment information for Desert Trail Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Trail Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Trail Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Trail Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Trail Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Desert Trail Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Trail Elementary

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