Is Dona Ana Elementary a good school?

Dona Ana Elementary ranks 187 th of 435 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dona Ana Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 399 students attended Dona Ana Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Dona Ana Elementary?

Students at Dona Ana Elementary are 91% Hispanic, 9% White.

What schools do graduates of Dona Ana Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dona Ana Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Vista Middle High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School High : Organ Mountain High School

Dona Ana Elementary

Summary:

Dona Ana Elementary is a public elementary school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 399 students in grades PK-5. The school stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students (around 90%) and strong academic performance, particularly in language arts, math, and science proficiency, which exceeds the state averages.

One of Dona Ana Elementary's key strengths is its effective support for English Language Learner students, ranking 13th out of 98 New Mexico elementary schools in this area. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.7 to 13.3 over the past three years. However, Dona Ana Elementary faces challenges related to its consistently high poverty levels, with a 100% free and reduced lunch rate for the past three school years.

Compared to nearby schools, Dona Ana Elementary generally outperforms Alameda Elementary and Booker T. Washington in test scores and statewide rankings, but lags behind higher-performing schools like Monte Vista Elementary and Highland Elementary. The school's overall performance has also been somewhat inconsistent, with its statewide ranking varying from 109th out of 410 schools in 2015-2016 to 244th out of 398 schools in 2011-2012.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

5551 Camino De Flores
Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 527-9506

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
187^th of 435 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,823

Students who attend Dona Ana Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Vista Middle
High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Organ Mountain High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 399

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.7%

White:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Dona Ana Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dona Ana Elementary ranks better than 57% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 11^th among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.73. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.7%), White (9.3%). (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 Dona Ana Elementary is 13.3, which is the 10^th best among 24 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Dona Ana Elementary employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dona Ana Elementary is $11,823, which is the 6^th highest among 24 elementary schools in the Las Cruces School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Dona Ana Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Dona Ana Elementary 187^th of 435 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Dona Ana Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Las Cruces:

SchoolDigger ranks Las Cruces 60^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dona Ana Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	60.46	129^th	389	66.8%
2006	57.51	148^th	390	62.1%
2007	47.42	208^th	398	47.7%
2008	48.71	198^th	405	51.1%
2009	37.23	274^th	411	33.3%
2010	46.83	225^th	419	46.3%
2011	46.88	208^th	402	48.3%
2012	40.72	244^th	398	38.7%
2013	41.08	242^nd	412	41.3%
2014	56.71	169^th	442	61.8%
2015	52.90	159^th	421	62.2%
2016	65.04	109^th	410	73.4%
2017	54.97	135^th	374	63.9%
2018	56.66	138^th	383	64.0%
2019	36.46	243^rd	396	38.6%
2022	44.60	192^nd	420	54.3%
2023	53.73	187^th	435	57.0%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	70.36	14^th	83	83.1%
2019	77.52	13^th	98	86.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	68.22	73^rd	356	79.5%
2019	45.65	187^th	361	48.2%
2022	53.18	130^th	410	68.3%
2023	64.14	149^th	426	65.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	54.04	134^th	339	60.5%
2019	30.52	244^th	343	28.9%
2022	44.98	168^th	395	57.5%
2023	58.89	146^th	390	62.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	54.99	122^nd	333	63.4%
2019	31.84	233^rd	337	30.9%
2022	34.82	218^th	392	44.4%
2023	41.44	231^st	414	44.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	59.14	113^th	329	65.7%
2019	34.98	211^th	320	34.1%
2022	43.26	176^th	389	54.8%
2023	51.21	178^th	395	54.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	41.14	198^th	325	39.1%
2023	47.15	210^th	413	49.2%

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 Dona Ana Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	114	3	3	421	0	n/a	n/a	541
1991	126	1	2	406	0	n/a	n/a	535
1992	128	1	3	388	0	n/a	n/a	520
1993	124	1	0	406	1	n/a	n/a	532
1994	127	0	0	431	3	n/a	n/a	561
1995	129	4	1	459	2	n/a	n/a	595
1996	129	4	1	459	2	n/a	n/a	595
1997	121	5	0	444	2	n/a	n/a	572
1998	134	3	2	444	1	n/a	n/a	584
1999	108	2	4	465	1	n/a	n/a	580
2000	125	1	0	506	2	n/a	n/a	634
2001	111	0	0	523	0	n/a	n/a	634
2002	91	3	2	552	2	n/a	n/a	650
2003	91	3	2	552	2	n/a	n/a	650
2004	66	4	2	322	4	n/a	n/a	398
2005	75	2	2	359	2	n/a	n/a	440
2006	73	2	2	348	3	n/a	n/a	428
2007	73	0	1	326	3	n/a	n/a	403
2008	71	4	2	339	3	n/a	n/a	419
2009	57	5	1	336	2	n/a	n/a	401
2010	61	8	0	354	1	0	0	424
2011	44	4	0	397	3	1	0	449
2012	35	5	0	397	1	1	0	439
2013	37	8	0	389	1	1	0	436
2014	33	6	0	359	0	1	0	399
2015	33	5	1	340	2	1	0	382
2016	35	3	1	328	2	1	0	370
2017	28	4	1	308	2	0	0	343
2018	33	3	0	292	1	0	0	329
2019	37	3	0	297	2	0	0	339
2020	40	4	0	329	3	0	0	376
2021	37	2	0	337	2	0	0	378
2022	35	0	0	335	0	0	0	370
2023	37	0	0	362	0	0	0	399

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 Dona Ana Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	541	27.3	19.8	n/a
1991	535	26.8	19.9	n/a
1992	520	29.1	17.8	n/a
1993	532	30.7	17.3	n/a
1994	561	28.3	19.8	n/a
1995	595	33.6	17.7	n/a
1996	595	33.6	17.7	n/a
1997	572	36.5	15.7	n/a
1998	584	35.2	16.6	n/a
1999	580	36.0	16.1	67.6
2000	634	36.4	17.4	59.5
2001	634	36.8	17.2	73
2002	650	44.1	14.7	77.2
2003	650	44.1	14.7	77.2
2004	398	34.9	11.4	71.1
2005	440	33.6	13.1	73.2
2006	428	34.7	12.3	75
2007	403	32.2	12.5	70
2008	419	33.1	12.7	66.3
2009	401	34.1	11.8	73.6
2010	424	32.0	13.2	75.5
2011	449	32.1	13.9	78.4
2012	439	32.2	13.6	99.3
2013	436	28.5	15.2	81.7
2014	399	31.0	12.8	82.5
2015	382	29.0	13.1	88.2
2016	370	27.0	13.7	59.2
2017	343	24.8	13.8	100
2018	329	27.0	12.1	100
2019	339	25.4	13.3	100
2020	376	26.5	14.1	100
2021	378	29.5	12.8	100
2022	370	28.9	12.7	100
2023	399	30.0	13.3	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 Dona Ana Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	541	27.3	19.8	n/a
1991	535	26.8	19.9	n/a
1992	520	29.1	17.8	n/a
1993	532	30.7	17.3	n/a
1994	561	28.3	19.8	n/a
1995	595	33.6	17.7	n/a
1996	595	33.6	17.7	n/a
1997	572	36.5	15.7	n/a
1998	584	35.2	16.6	n/a
1999	580	36.0	16.1	67.6
2000	634	36.4	17.4	59.5
2001	634	36.8	17.2	73
2002	650	44.1	14.7	77.2
2003	650	44.1	14.7	77.2
2004	398	34.9	11.4	71.1
2005	440	33.6	13.1	73.2
2006	428	34.7	12.3	75
2007	403	32.2	12.5	70
2008	419	33.1	12.7	66.3
2009	401	34.1	11.8	73.6
2010	424	32.0	13.2	75.5
2011	449	32.1	13.9	78.4
2012	439	32.2	13.6	99.3
2013	436	28.5	15.2	81.7
2014	399	31.0	12.8	82.5
2015	382	29.0	13.1	88.2
2016	370	27.0	13.7	59.2
2017	343	24.8	13.8	100
2018	329	27.0	12.1	100
2019	339	25.4	13.3	100
2020	376	26.5	14.1	100
2021	378	29.5	12.8	100
2022	370	28.9	12.7	100
2023	399	30.0	13.3	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 Dona Ana Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,823

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dona Ana 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 243^rd of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 187^th of 435 Elementary schools	18.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Dona Ana Elementary)	35	25.9	9.1%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	29	31.3	2.3%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dona Ana Elementary)	29	25.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	28	21.3	6.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Dona Ana Elementary)	22	32.8	10.8%
4th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	28	37	9%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dona Ana Elementary)	23	25	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	27	24.6	2.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Dona Ana Elementary)	23	38.1	15.1%
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 (Dona Ana Elementary)	16	33.3	17.3%
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	339	399	17.7%
African American	3	0	100%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	297	362	21.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	37	37
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Dona Ana 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
Dona Ana Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5551 Camino De Flores	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9506	399	30	13.3	100.0%	37 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	362 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.7	187^th of 435 public elementary schools	57.0%		44.6	192^nd of 420 public elementary schools	54.3%	5	36.0	28.0	37.0	$11,823
Columbia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-1561	225	22	10.4	100.0%	17 (7.6%)	9 (4.0%)	195 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	26.1	330^th of 435 public elementary schools	24.1%		26	302^nd of 420 public elementary schools	28.1%	28	25.0	17.0	20.0	$10,474
East Picacho Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4450 North Valley Dr	Las Cruces	88007	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9516	495	32	15.7	100.0%	111 (22.4%)	2 (0.4%)	378 (76.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	58.6	168^th of 435 public elementary schools	61.4%		49.2	165^th of 420 public elementary schools	60.7%	3	39.0	30.0	36.0	$9,519
Jornada Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9536	490	33	14.9	100.0%	58 (11.8%)	5 (1.0%)	416 (84.9%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	51.3	199^th of 435 public elementary schools	54.3%		55.9	137^th of 420 public elementary schools	67.4%	62	37.0	23.0	42.0	$8,912
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%)	38.1	267^th of 435 public elementary schools	38.6%					(n/a)	40.0	11.0
Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Emerald St	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9636	744	45	16.5	100.0%	167 (22.4%)	16 (2.2%)	536 (72.0%)	9 (1.2%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	72	112^th of 435 public elementary schools	74.3%		64	110^th of 420 public elementary schools	73.8%	2	50.0	30.0	47.0	$8,078
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%)	39.7	259^th of 435 public elementary schools	40.5%		31.6	270^th of 420 public elementary schools	35.7%	11	29.0	24.0	29.0	$10,870
Sonoma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Northrise Dr	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 541-7320	748	47	15.9	100.0%	154 (20.6%)	12 (1.6%)	554 (74.1%)	11 (1.5%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	77.3	90^th of 435 public elementary schools	79.3%		78.6	59^th of 420 public elementary schools	86.0%	31	48.0	38.0	45.0	$8,200
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%)	36.5	276^th of 435 public elementary schools	36.6%		16.6	364^th of 420 public elementary schools	13.3%	88	29.0	18.0	38.0	$9,652
Monte Vista Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4675 Peachtree Hills	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9490	718	44	16.3	100.0%	132 (18.4%)	17 (2.4%)	541 (75.3%)	10 (1.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.8%)	69.9	126^th of 435 public elementary schools	71.0%		60.5	126^th of 420 public elementary schools	70.0%		48.0	32.0	38.0	$9,083

Dona Ana Elementary

Dona Ana Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Las Cruces:

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Rank History for Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for all students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dona Ana Elementary

Rank History for White students at Dona Ana Elementary

Enrollment information for Dona Ana Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dona Ana Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Dona Ana Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dona Ana Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Dona Ana Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dona Ana Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Dona Ana Elementary

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