Is Zia Middle a good school?

Zia Middle ranks 160 th of 239 New Mexico middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Zia Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 688 students attended Zia Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Zia Middle?

Students at Zia Middle are 77% Hispanic, 18% White, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Zia Middle attend?

Students who attend Zia Middle usually go on to attend Arrowhead Park Early College High School

Zia Middle

Summary:

Zia Middle is a public middle school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 688 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Las Cruces Public Schools district, which is ranked 60 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Zia Middle shares a similar district and demographic context with nearby schools like Mesa Middle and Camino Real Middle, its academic performance is consistently lower. Zia Middle's proficiency rates in Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly below the state and district averages, and its performance for specific student groups, such as Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Special Education students, is also lagging behind. Additionally, Zia Middle has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Despite these challenges, the data suggests that there may be opportunities for Zia Middle to improve its academic performance and better serve its student population. By identifying and implementing effective practices from higher-performing schools in the area, as well as addressing the specific needs of the school's student subgroups, Zia Middle could potentially drive improvement and provide a stronger educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1300 West University Ave
Las Cruces, NM 88005

(575) 527-9475

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
160^th of 239 New Mexico Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,805

Students who attend Zia Middle usually attend:

High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Las Cruces High

Feeder schools for Zia Middle:

Elementary:	Central Elementary
	Mesilla Elementary
	Mesilla Park Elementary
	Tombaugh Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 688

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.5%

White:

17.9%

African American:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico middle schools

Compare Zia Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Zia Middle ranks worse than 66.9% of middle schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked middle schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (77.5%), White (17.9%), African American (2.3%). (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 Zia Middle is 17.4. 5 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Zia Middle employs 39.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Zia Middle is $8,805, which is the 4^th highest among 8 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Zia Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Zia Middle 160^th of 239 New Mexico public middle schools. (See Zia Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American 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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Your rating for Zia Middle?

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Rank History for Zia Middle

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Rank History for all students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	69.92	38^th	157	75.8%
2006	65.83	43^rd	156	72.4%
2007	58.34	60^th	171	64.9%
2008	50.59	75^th	172	56.4%
2009	42.16	99^th	178	44.4%
2010	51.91	72^nd	179	59.8%
2011	48.06	80^th	173	53.8%
2012	50.77	78^th	178	56.2%
2013	52.61	75^th	193	61.1%
2014	60.48	69^th	222	68.9%
2015	44.17	96^th	207	53.6%
2016	41.26	106^th	208	49.0%
2017	42.27	97^th	176	44.9%
2018	40.81	100^th	186	46.2%
2019	28.93	142^nd	200	29.0%
2022	17.04	191^st	232	17.7%
2023	30.00	160^th	239	33.1%

See the entire list of New Mexico Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.84	96^th	97	1.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2019	46.73	22^nd	44	50.0%
2022	19.21	53^rd	58	8.6%
2023	28.50	56^th	100	44.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	32.84	114^th	168	32.1%
2019	20.59	150^th	175	14.3%
2022	20.84	167^th	223	25.1%
2023	34.45	143^rd	227	37.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	37.30	97^th	156	37.8%
2019	31.66	108^th	160	32.5%
2022	16.48	172^nd	220	21.8%
2023	21.32	181^st	213	15.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	58.26	12^th	52	76.9%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	40.91	82^nd	151	45.7%
2019	22.53	122^nd	152	19.7%
2022	15.34	170^th	213	20.2%
2023	34.58	135^th	221	38.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.36	21^st	38	44.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	36.38	95^th	149	36.2%
2019	25.65	117^th	150	22.0%
2022	12.02	178^th	214	16.8%
2023	20.57	167^th	204	18.1%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	36.45	5^th	6	16.7%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Zia Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	53.29	49^th	120	59.2%
2019	34.38	85^th	121	29.8%
2022	25.37	146^th	187	21.9%
2023	25.32	169^th	229	26.2%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle 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 Zia Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	378	14	8	603	10	n/a	n/a	1013
1991	405	13	13	659	9	n/a	n/a	1099
1992	433	16	17	666	4	n/a	n/a	1136
1993	423	18	23	707	9	n/a	n/a	1180
1994	370	9	15	601	5	n/a	n/a	1000
1995	363	8	26	649	10	n/a	n/a	1056
1996	363	8	26	649	10	n/a	n/a	1056
1997	348	12	24	671	8	n/a	n/a	1063
1998	314	16	9	616	17	n/a	n/a	972
1999	330	14	1	617	19	n/a	n/a	981
2000	299	13	14	584	2	n/a	n/a	912
2001	292	8	17	556	3	n/a	n/a	876
2002	252	11	10	593	12	n/a	n/a	878
2003	252	11	10	593	12	n/a	n/a	878
2004	219	7	8	620	8	n/a	n/a	862
2005	242	9	16	583	6	n/a	n/a	856
2006	218	5	19	601	7	n/a	n/a	850
2007	211	8	12	626	7	n/a	n/a	864
2008	226	13	11	626	9	n/a	n/a	885
2009	205	16	15	638	8	n/a	n/a	882
2010	207	15	19	642	13	0	0	896
2011	198	15	15	643	14	1	0	886
2012	182	24	10	615	14	1	0	846
2013	168	22	9	610	11	0	0	820
2014	160	14	7	591	12	0	0	784
2015	158	7	5	592	12	2	0	776
2016	155	12	6	604	8	5	0	790
2017	135	9	7	571	8	2	0	732
2018	126	11	5	549	7	2	1	701
2019	137	13	3	567	5	3	2	730
2020	141	13	2	543	3	6	3	711
2021	130	18	3	550	2	4	8	715
2022	109	15	2	533	3	4	6	672
2023	123	16	3	533	4	2	7	688

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 Zia Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	1013	53.0	19.1	n/a
1991	1099	56.5	19.4	n/a
1992	1136	60.1	18.9	n/a
1993	1180	64.6	18.3	n/a
1994	1000	51.5	19.4	n/a
1995	1056	59.5	17.7	n/a
1996	1056	59.5	17.7	n/a
1997	1063	64.5	16.5	n/a
1998	972	59.5	16.3	n/a
1999	981	59.0	16.6	47.2
2000	912	60.6	15.0	44.4
2001	876	60.1	14.6	48.4
2002	878	55.1	15.9	59.5
2003	878	55.1	15.9	59.5
2004	862	54.0	16.0	61.5
2005	856	55.2	15.5	58.4
2006	850	55.5	15.3	60.4
2007	864	58.1	14.9	49.3
2008	885	56.0	15.8	53.4
2009	882	57.9	15.2	57
2010	896	56.9	15.7	59.3
2011	886	57.9	15.2	58.7
2012	846	51.0	16.5	59.1
2013	820	49.7	16.4	63.2
2014	784	50.2	15.6	63
2015	776	51.0	15.2	64.6
2016	790	49.0	16.1	65.9
2017	732	45.1	16.2	61.2
2018	701	42.7	16.3	67.9
2019	730	42.8	17.0	66.6
2020	711	44.8	15.8	100
2021	715	40.3	17.7	100
2022	672	41.9	16.0	100
2023	688	39.4	17.4	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 Zia Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	1013	53.0	19.1	n/a
1991	1099	56.5	19.4	n/a
1992	1136	60.1	18.9	n/a
1993	1180	64.6	18.3	n/a
1994	1000	51.5	19.4	n/a
1995	1056	59.5	17.7	n/a
1996	1056	59.5	17.7	n/a
1997	1063	64.5	16.5	n/a
1998	972	59.5	16.3	n/a
1999	981	59.0	16.6	47.2
2000	912	60.6	15.0	44.4
2001	876	60.1	14.6	48.4
2002	878	55.1	15.9	59.5
2003	878	55.1	15.9	59.5
2004	862	54.0	16.0	61.5
2005	856	55.2	15.5	58.4
2006	850	55.5	15.3	60.4
2007	864	58.1	14.9	49.3
2008	885	56.0	15.8	53.4
2009	882	57.9	15.2	57
2010	896	56.9	15.7	59.3
2011	886	57.9	15.2	58.7
2012	846	51.0	16.5	59.1
2013	820	49.7	16.4	63.2
2014	784	50.2	15.6	63
2015	776	51.0	15.2	64.6
2016	790	49.0	16.1	65.9
2017	732	45.1	16.2	61.2
2018	701	42.7	16.3	67.9
2019	730	42.8	17.0	66.6
2020	711	44.8	15.8	100
2021	715	40.3	17.7	100
2022	672	41.9	16.0	100
2023	688	39.4	17.4	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 Zia Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,805

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Zia Middle

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 142^nd of 200 Middle schools	Ranks 160^th of 239 Middle schools	4.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Language Arts (Zia Middle)	29	20.2	8.8%
6th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	33	29.7	3.3%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Zia Middle)	12	17.2	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	17	25.5	8.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	32.5	13.5%
7th Grade Language Arts (Zia Middle)	22	26.7	4.7%
7th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	30	31.3	1.3%
7th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	34.8	3.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Zia Middle)	10	10.9	0.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	16	18.4	2.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	24.8	5.8%
8th Grade Language Arts (Zia Middle)	21	17.7	3.3%
8th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)	31	31.8	0.8%
8th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	33.2	2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Zia Middle)	14	11.1	2.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	17	17.4	0.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	20	19.7	0.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	730	688	5.8%
African American	13	16	23.1%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	3	3
Hispanic	567	533	6%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	137	123	10.2%
Two or More Races	2	7	250%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.6%	100%	33.4%

Schools Near Zia Middle

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
Zia Middle	Public	6-8	1300 West University Ave	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9475	688	39	17.4	100.0%	123 (17.9%)	16 (2.3%)	533 (77.5%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	30	160^th of 239 public middle schools	33.1%		17	191^st of 232 public middle schools	17.7%	31	31.0	15.0	21.0	$8,805
La Academia Dolores Huerta	Public, Charter	6-8	400 West Bell Ave	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	La Academia Dolores Huerta	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-5800	66	11	5.9	100.0%	2 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (97.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.7	130^th of 239 public middle schools	45.6%		30.2	145^th of 232 public middle schools	37.5%	15	37.0	16.0	30.0	$10,699
Lynn Middle	Public	6-8	950 South Walnut St	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9445	534	39	13.6	100.0%	65 (12.2%)	20 (3.7%)	422 (79.0%)	7 (1.3%)	13 (2.4%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.7%)	27.9	168^th of 239 public middle schools	29.7%		21.8	175^th of 232 public middle schools	24.6%	7	29.0	16.0	17.0	$8,523
Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy	Public	6-8	950 South Walnut St	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-6059	100	5	20.0	100.0%	37 (37.0%)	2 (2.0%)	59 (59.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	86.1	35^th of 239 public middle schools	85.4%		71.8	48^th of 232 public middle schools	79.3%	13	61.0	38.0	50.0	$10,283
Picacho Middle	Public	6-8	1040 North Motel Blvd	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9455	727	45	16.1	100.0%	107 (14.7%)	10 (1.4%)	599 (82.4%)	3 (0.4%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	31.3	157^th of 239 public middle schools	34.3%		20.8	182^nd of 232 public middle schools	21.6%	25	32.0	16.0	19.0	$9,072
Sierra Middle	Public	6-8	1700 E Spruce Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9640	799	50	16.1	100.0%	106 (13.3%)	15 (1.9%)	661 (82.7%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	8 (1.0%)	50.5	97^th of 239 public middle schools	59.4%		39.7	117^th of 232 public middle schools	49.6%	20	41.0	22.0	32.0	$8,018
Camino Real Middle	Public	6-8	2961 Roadrunner Pkwy	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-6030	965	55	17.6	100.0%	237 (24.6%)	14 (1.5%)	681 (70.6%)	14 (1.5%)	8 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	8 (0.8%)	69.3	65^th of 239 public middle schools	72.8%		52.6	84^th of 232 public middle schools	63.8%	19	49.0	32.0	35.0	$7,720
Vista Middle	Public	6-8	4465 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88007	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9465	602	40	15.2	100.0%	68 (11.3%)	14 (2.3%)	512 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	38.5	136^th of 239 public middle schools	43.1%		29.7	148^th of 232 public middle schools	36.2%	12	38.0	16.0	23.0	$8,507
Mesa Middle	Public	6-8	7225 Jornada Rd North	Las Cruces	88012	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9510	803	51	15.9	100.0%	100 (12.5%)	15 (1.9%)	662 (82.4%)	4 (0.5%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	12 (1.5%)	37.9	138^th of 239 public middle schools	42.3%		30.4	142^nd of 232 public middle schools	38.8%	4	39.0	15.0	20.0	$8,992

Zia Middle

Zia Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Las Cruces:

What do you think?

Rank History for Zia Middle

Rank History for all students at Zia Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Female students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Male students at Zia Middle

Rank History for African American students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Zia Middle

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Zia Middle

Rank History for White students at Zia Middle

Enrollment information for Zia Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Zia Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Zia Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Zia Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Zia Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Zia Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Zia Middle

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