Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 204 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 163 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 81% Hispanic, 15% White, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Zia Middle High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School High : Las Cruces High

Central Elementary

Summary:

Central Elementary is a public elementary school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 163 students. The school is part of the Las Cruces school district, which is ranked 63 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, is generally lower than the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 43% in ELA, 20% in Mathematics, and 26% in Science, compared to the Las Cruces district averages of 39%, 23%, and 38%, respectively. While Central Elementary outperforms some nearby schools, such as Mac Arthur Elementary and Booker T. Washington, it underperforms others, like Conlee Elementary and University Hills Elementary.

Central Elementary's performance varies across different student subgroups, with the school ranking higher for female students and Hispanic students compared to male students and white students. However, for English Language Learners and Special Education students, Central Elementary ranks in the bottom quartile of New Mexico elementary schools. Additionally, the school has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which is consistent with the nearby schools. Despite its challenges, Central Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.2 to 10.7 over the past few years, which is lower than the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

150 North Alameda Blvd
Las Cruces, NM 88005

(575) 527-9496

District: Las Cruces

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,022

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Zia Middle
High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Las Cruces High

Student/teacher ratio: 9.7

Number of students: 163

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

81.0%

White:

14.7%

African American:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary ranks better than 52.9% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 14^th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.37. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Central Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Las Cruces School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (81%), White (14.7%), African American (1.8%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 9.7, which is the lowest among 25 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District! (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary employs 16.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary is $12,022, which is the 4^th highest among 24 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary 204^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Central Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Las Cruces:

SchoolDigger ranks Las Cruces 63^rd of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	39.91	247^th	389	36.5%
2006	45.58	217^th	390	44.4%
2007	30.24	298^th	398	25.1%
2008	33.10	289^th	405	28.6%
2009	41.71	246^th	411	40.1%
2010	28.59	323^rd	419	22.9%
2011	35.12	279^th	402	30.6%
2012	50.73	190^th	398	52.3%
2013	34.86	284^th	412	31.1%
2014	38.66	278^th	442	37.1%
2015	39.30	231^st	421	45.1%
2016	44.97	200^th	410	51.2%
2017	40.18	206^th	374	44.9%
2018	46.06	181^st	383	52.7%
2019	41.20	219^th	396	44.7%
2022	42.12	209^th	420	50.2%
2023	43.79	232^nd	435	46.7%
2024	46.37	204^th	433	52.9%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	30.94	150^th	203	26.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	25.55	117^th	132	11.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	58.00	122^nd	356	65.7%
2019	52.30	152^nd	361	57.9%
2022	49.81	155^th	410	62.2%
2023	52.21	202^nd	426	52.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	51.40	140^th	339	58.7%
2019	52.07	139^th	343	59.5%
2022	64.68	91^st	395	77.0%
2023	60.59	140^th	390	64.1%
2024	52.44	159^th	393	59.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	47.82	144^th	333	56.8%
2019	51.61	143^rd	337	57.6%
2022	28.64	244^th	392	37.8%
2023	19.71	352^nd	414	15.0%
2024	39.45	229^th	410	44.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	46.37	169^th	329	48.6%
2019	35.76	207^th	320	35.3%
2022	46.59	160^th	389	58.9%
2023	40.12	246^th	395	37.7%
2024	47.67	189^th	390	51.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	43.34	184^th	325	43.4%
2023	39.16	246^th	413	40.4%
2024	35.16	183^rd	293	37.5%

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 Central Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	103	2	5	208	4	n/a	n/a	322
1991	89	3	2	220	2	n/a	n/a	316
1992	104	3	1	216	3	n/a	n/a	327
1993	97	6	0	246	5	n/a	n/a	354
1994	90	5	0	220	2	n/a	n/a	317
1995	72	4	0	210	1	n/a	n/a	287
1996	72	4	0	210	1	n/a	n/a	287
1997	72	3	0	210	2	n/a	n/a	287
1998	66	6	2	230	1	n/a	n/a	305
1999	53	3	3	207	1	n/a	n/a	267
2000	56	1	2	200	2	n/a	n/a	261
2001	47	3	0	206	3	n/a	n/a	259
2002	46	6	0	180	2	n/a	n/a	234
2003	46	6	0	180	2	n/a	n/a	234
2004	49	7	0	186	2	n/a	n/a	244
2005	40	6	2	219	2	n/a	n/a	269
2006	30	8	2	203	2	n/a	n/a	245
2007	35	10	2	188	0	n/a	n/a	235
2008	44	5	2	202	1	n/a	n/a	254
2009	37	4	2	168	4	n/a	n/a	215
2010	35	3	1	199	3	0	0	241
2011	32	2	0	235	4	0	0	273
2012	25	3	0	223	3	0	0	254
2013	36	7	1	238	4	0	0	286
2014	34	7	1	254	4	1	0	301
2015	33	4	0	226	3	1	1	268
2016	31	5	0	220	2	1	1	260
2017	32	5	0	203	2	2	0	244
2018	35	6	1	185	2	2	2	233
2019	37	6	0	169	2	0	4	218
2020	43	7	0	153	3	0	2	208
2021	33	3	0	139	3	1	1	180
2022	26	2	1	144	1	0	3	177
2023	24	3	2	132	1	0	1	163

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 Central Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	322	20.4	15.7	n/a
1991	316	18.2	17.3	n/a
1992	327	21.9	14.9	n/a
1993	354	22.6	15.7	n/a
1994	317	21.2	15.0	n/a
1995	287	19.7	14.6	n/a
1996	287	19.7	14.6	n/a
1997	287	21.2	13.5	n/a
1998	305	22.1	13.8	n/a
1999	267	21.6	12.4	70.8
2000	261	20.0	13.1	70.1
2001	259	20.1	12.9	82.2
2002	234	19.6	11.9	87.2
2003	234	19.6	11.9	87.2
2004	244	19.1	12.8	82.8
2005	269	17.0	15.8	81.4
2006	245	21.5	11.4	84.1
2007	235	20.1	11.7	79.6
2008	254	18.0	14.1	83.9
2009	215	18.0	11.9	85.1
2010	241	19.0	12.6	83.8
2011	273	21.8	12.5	85.7
2012	254	19.8	12.8	98.8
2013	286	21.8	13.1	91.3
2014	301	21.8	13.8	90
2015	268	23.0	11.6	95.9
2016	260	20.0	13.0	100
2017	244	18.1	13.4	100
2018	233	17.7	13.1	100
2019	218	18.3	11.9	100
2020	208	16.7	12.4	100
2021	180	19.4	9.2	100
2022	177	16.5	10.7	100
2023	163	16.7	9.7	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 Central Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	322	20.4	15.7	n/a
1991	316	18.2	17.3	n/a
1992	327	21.9	14.9	n/a
1993	354	22.6	15.7	n/a
1994	317	21.2	15.0	n/a
1995	287	19.7	14.6	n/a
1996	287	19.7	14.6	n/a
1997	287	21.2	13.5	n/a
1998	305	22.1	13.8	n/a
1999	267	21.6	12.4	70.8
2000	261	20.0	13.1	70.1
2001	259	20.1	12.9	82.2
2002	234	19.6	11.9	87.2
2003	234	19.6	11.9	87.2
2004	244	19.1	12.8	82.8
2005	269	17.0	15.8	81.4
2006	245	21.5	11.4	84.1
2007	235	20.1	11.7	79.6
2008	254	18.0	14.1	83.9
2009	215	18.0	11.9	85.1
2010	241	19.0	12.6	83.8
2011	273	21.8	12.5	85.7
2012	254	19.8	12.8	98.8
2013	286	21.8	13.1	91.3
2014	301	21.8	13.8	90
2015	268	23.0	11.6	95.9
2016	260	20.0	13.0	100
2017	244	18.1	13.4	100
2018	233	17.7	13.1	100
2019	218	18.3	11.9	100
2020	208	16.7	12.4	100
2021	180	19.4	9.2	100
2022	177	16.5	10.7	100
2023	163	16.7	9.7	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 Central Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,022

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central 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 219^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 232^nd of 435 Elementary schools	2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Central Elementary)	15	37.1	22.1%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	29	31.3	2.3%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
4th Grade Language Arts (Central Elementary)	38	24	14%
4th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	28	37	9%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (Central Elementary)	23	33.3	10.3%
5th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	33	39.4	6.4%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Central Elementary)	20	16.7	3.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	24	31.7	7.7%
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	218	163	25.2%
African American	6	3	50%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	169	132	21.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	37	24	35.1%
Two or More Races	4	1	75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Central 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
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 North Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9496	163	17	9.7	100.0%	24 (14.7%)	3 (1.8%)	132 (81.0%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	46.4	204^th of 433 public elementary schools	52.9%		43.8	232^nd of 435 public elementary schools	46.7%	28	26.0	43.0	20.0	$12,022
J Paul Taylor Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	402 W. Court Ave Bldg 2	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	J Paul Taylor Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 652-4006	198	15	12.9	27.8%	52 (26.3%)	1 (0.5%)	135 (68.2%)	5 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.5%)	86.1	57^th of 433 public elementary schools	86.8%		88.7	50^th of 435 public elementary schools	88.5%	7	51.0	62.0	38.0	$7,963
Mac Arthur Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	655 N 4th St	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9556	353	27	12.9	100.0%	22 (6.2%)	2 (0.6%)	329 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.1	339^th of 433 public elementary schools	21.7%		26.7	329^th of 435 public elementary schools	24.4%	10	25.0	22.0	17.0	$10,671
Alameda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1325 N. Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9486	355	27	13.1	100.0%	44 (12.4%)	5 (1.4%)	300 (84.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14.9	391^st of 433 public elementary schools	9.7%		36.5	276^th of 435 public elementary schools	36.6%	115	17.0	20.0	11.0	$9,652
Booker T. Washington	Public	PK, KG-5	755 East Chestnut Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9595	395	28	14.0	100.0%	29 (7.3%)	6 (1.5%)	357 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13.7	398^th of 433 public elementary schools	8.1%		15.5	395^th of 435 public elementary schools	9.2%	3	15.0	23.0	7.0	$13,990
Valley View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	915 E California Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9586	371	30	12.5	100.0%	44 (11.9%)	17 (4.6%)	303 (81.7%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14.3	397^th of 433 public elementary schools	8.3%		20.3	371^st of 435 public elementary schools	14.7%	26	14.0	22.0	9.0	$12,275
Hermosa Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1655 East Amador Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9530	401	29	13.7	100.0%	35 (8.7%)	5 (1.2%)	359 (89.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21	353^rd of 433 public elementary schools	18.5%		34	287^th of 435 public elementary schools	34.0%	66	30.0	25.0	11.0	$11,668
Loma Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 East Madrid	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9546	505	33	15.1	100.0%	48 (9.5%)	8 (1.6%)	444 (87.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	28.5	310^th of 433 public elementary schools	28.4%		39.7	259^th of 435 public elementary schools	40.5%	51	20.0	28.0	19.0	$10,870
Conlee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 Boston Dr	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9656	422	35	12.1	100.0%	46 (10.9%)	12 (2.8%)	358 (84.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	62.6	138^th of 433 public elementary schools	68.1%		47.1	213^th of 435 public elementary schools	51.0%	75	50.0	42.0	29.0	$11,071
Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Public, Charter	K-5	2211 North Valley Drive	Las Cruces	88007	Do�a Ana County	Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 571-2177	114	9	12.6	88.6%	5 (4.4%)	1 (0.9%)	105 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.8	336^th of 433 public elementary schools	22.4%		38.1	267^th of 435 public elementary schools	38.6%	69		30.0	11.0

Central Elementary

Central Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Las Cruces:

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Rank History for Central Elementary

Rank History for all students at Central Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Central Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Central Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Elementary

Rank History for White students at Central Elementary

Enrollment information for Central Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Central Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Central Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Central Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary

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