Sierra Middle

Summary:

Sierra Middle is a public middle school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 799 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. Sierra Middle has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, indicating it is performing at an average level compared to other middle schools in New Mexico.

Sierra Middle's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science are generally on par with or slightly above the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, Sierra Middle's ELA proficiency rate was 39%, matching the district and state averages, while its Mathematics proficiency rate of 25% was higher than the district's 23% but on par with the state's 25%. The school has shown strong performance for certain student subgroups, particularly Native American and Pacific Islander students, but has struggled with the performance of Multi-racial and English Language Learner students. Additionally, Sierra Middle has consistently had a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Sierra Middle performs on par with the district and state averages, there is room for improvement, particularly in Mathematics and Science proficiency rates, which lag behind the state's performance. Targeted interventions and support for underperforming student subgroups could help address achievement gaps and improve overall school performance. Interestingly, Camino Real Middle and Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy, both located within a few miles of Sierra Middle, significantly outperform Sierra Middle in terms of overall academic achievement and student group performance.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1700 E Spruce Ave
       Las Cruces, NM  88001


(575) 527-9640

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
94th of 235 New Mexico Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,018 Help


Students who attend Sierra Middle usually attend:

High:    Arrowhead Park Early College High School
    Centennial High School

Feeder schools for Sierra Middle:

Elementary:    Booker T. Washington
    Loma Heights Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  799

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
82.7%
White:
13.3%
African American:
1.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Sierra Middle ranks better than 60% of middle schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 3rd among 8 ranked middle schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.54. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (82.7%), White (13.3%), African American (1.9%). (See more...)
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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
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sierra Middle is 16.1, which is the 4th best among 8 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)
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Compare Sierra Middle employs 49.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sierra Middle is $8,018. 6 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sierra Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Middle 94th of 235 New Mexico public middle schools. (See Sierra Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Las Cruces:

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


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Rank History for Sierra Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 68.64 39th 157 75.2%
2006 75.09 33rd 156 78.8%
2007 67.30 44th 171 74.3%
2008 60.11 57th 172 66.9%
2009 52.97 70th 178 60.7%
2010 51.32 75th 179 58.1%
2011 63.48 53rd 173 69.4%
2012 71.58 41st 178 77.0%
2013 67.44 54th 193 72.0%
2014 64.83 58th 222 73.9%
2015 54.62 72nd 207 65.2%
2016 40.76 108th 208 48.1%
2017 49.18 79th 176 55.1%
2018 38.33 109th 186 41.4%
2019 46.52 90th 200 55.0%
2022 39.75 117th 232 49.6%
2023 50.53 97th 239 59.4%
2024 50.54 94th 235 60.0%
See the entire list of New Mexico Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 33.73 51st 65 21.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.45 41st 97 57.7%
2024 23.59 65th 91 28.6%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 85.90 2nd 44 95.5%
2023 25.41 65th 100 35.0%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.13 134th 168 20.2%
2019 37.84 104th 175 40.6%
2022 49.29 81st 223 63.7%
2023 60.28 68th 227 70.0%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.92 90th 156 42.3%
2019 47.12 75th 160 53.1%
2022 44.24 83rd 220 62.3%
2023 51.73 81st 213 62.0%
2024 50.92 86th 217 60.4%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.33 27th 52 48.1%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.03 102nd 151 32.5%
2019 41.88 80th 152 47.4%
2022 29.54 122nd 213 42.7%
2023 43.58 110th 221 50.2%
2024 46.65 96th 219 56.2%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 56.97 21st 55 61.8%
2023 50.35 16th 38 57.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.25 108th 149 27.5%
2019 43.45 73rd 150 51.3%
2022 32.35 113th 214 47.2%
2023 44.59 97th 204 52.5%
2024 47.63 85th 206 58.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 99.68 1st 67 98.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 51.03 2nd 6 66.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Sierra Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.94 35th 120 70.8%
2019 60.21 33rd 121 72.7%
2022 62.84 55th 187 70.6%
2023 43.63 119th 229 48.0%
2024 57.85 61st 181 66.3%
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.

Sierra Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 330 34 3 625 3 n/a n/a 0 995
1995 319 25 10 621 6 n/a n/a 0 981
1996 319 25 10 621 6 n/a n/a 0 981
1997 306 18 8 654 9 n/a n/a 0 995
1998 142 19 10 524 5 n/a n/a 0 700
1999 132 19 3 499 5 n/a n/a 0 658
2000 192 30 6 554 4 n/a n/a 0 786
2001 267 33 9 554 7 n/a n/a 0 870
2002 351 33 9 622 12 n/a n/a 0 1027
2003 351 33 9 622 12 n/a n/a 0 1027
2004 303 26 11 669 11 n/a n/a 0 1020
2005 288 28 15 629 7 n/a n/a 0 967
2006 263 30 21 605 6 n/a n/a 0 925
2007 264 22 12 589 2 n/a n/a 0 889
2008 221 24 13 596 1 n/a n/a 0 855
2009 211 23 11 612 4 n/a n/a 0 861
2010 196 27 19 623 4 0 0 0 869
2011 207 22 25 620 5 1 3 0 883
2012 197 28 24 597 6 1 2 0 855
2013 197 21 18 579 4 0 1 0 820
2014 179 25 17 622 3 0 0 0 846
2015 172 29 16 621 8 0 2 0 848
2016 189 28 15 650 8 1 3 0 894
2017 175 23 16 668 7 3 0 0 892
2018 170 15 11 688 5 5 7 0 901
2019 155 19 6 704 8 7 6 0 905
2020 144 22 3 705 10 8 10 0 902
2021 124 16 5 713 7 9 12 0 886
2022 113 17 5 681 5 8 9 0 838
2023 106 15 5 661 1 3 8 0 799

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 Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 995 53.5 18.6 n/a
1995 981 57.8 17.0 n/a
1996 981 57.8 17.0 n/a
1997 995 63.0 15.8 n/a
1998 700 45.1 15.5 n/a
1999 658 48.1 13.7 49.7
2000 786 56.8 13.8 62.8
2001 870 58.8 14.8 52.6
2002 1027 66.1 15.5 54.7
2003 1027 66.1 15.5 54.7
2004 1020 67.2 15.2 54.7
2005 967 63.3 15.3 55.6
2006 925 56.4 16.4 58.4
2007 889 59.1 15.0 51.9
2008 855 52.1 16.4 53.8
2009 861 51.9 16.6 56.1
2010 869 52.3 16.6 57.1
2011 883 56.8 15.5 56.6
2012 855 51.6 16.5 58.5
2013 820 54.7 14.9 61.2
2014 846 54.0 15.6 55.9
2015 848 56.0 15.1 56.5
2016 894 52.0 17.1 60.7
2017 892 50.0 17.8 54.4
2018 901 49.0 18.3 62.7
2019 905 47.0 19.2 63.6
2020 902 50.2 17.9 100
2021 886 50.0 17.7 100
2022 838 52.4 15.9 100
2023 799 49.5 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 Sierra Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 995 53.5 18.6 n/a
1995 981 57.8 17.0 n/a
1996 981 57.8 17.0 n/a
1997 995 63.0 15.8 n/a
1998 700 45.1 15.5 n/a
1999 658 48.1 13.7 49.7
2000 786 56.8 13.8 62.8
2001 870 58.8 14.8 52.6
2002 1027 66.1 15.5 54.7
2003 1027 66.1 15.5 54.7
2004 1020 67.2 15.2 54.7
2005 967 63.3 15.3 55.6
2006 925 56.4 16.4 58.4
2007 889 59.1 15.0 51.9
2008 855 52.1 16.4 53.8
2009 861 51.9 16.6 56.1
2010 869 52.3 16.6 57.1
2011 883 56.8 15.5 56.6
2012 855 51.6 16.5 58.5
2013 820 54.7 14.9 61.2
2014 846 54.0 15.6 55.9
2015 848 56.0 15.1 56.5
2016 894 52.0 17.1 60.7
2017 892 50.0 17.8 54.4
2018 901 49.0 18.3 62.7
2019 905 47.0 19.2 63.6
2020 902 50.2 17.9 100
2021 886 50.0 17.7 100
2022 838 52.4 15.9 100
2023 799 49.5 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 Sierra Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $8,018

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sierra 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 90th of 200 Middle schoolsRanks 97th of 239 Middle schools
 4.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Language Arts (Sierra Middle)3432.4
 1.6%
   6th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)3329.7
 3.3%
   6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3132.9
 1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Middle)2324.1
 1.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)1725.5
 8.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)1932.5
 13.5%
7th Grade Language Arts (Sierra Middle)2635.7
 9.7%
   7th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)3031.3
 1.3%
   7th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3134.8
 3.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Middle)1824.9
 6.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)1618.4
 2.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)1924.8
 5.8%
8th Grade Language Arts (Sierra Middle)2735.8
 8.8%
   8th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces)3131.8
 0.8%
   8th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3133.2
 2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Middle)2320.4
 2.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)1717.4
 0.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2019.7
 0.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students905799
 11.7%
African American1915
 21.1%
American Indian81
 87.5%
Asian65
 16.7%
Hispanic704661
 6.1%
Pacific Islander73
 57.1%
White155106
 31.6%
Two or More Races68
 33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients63.6%100%
 36.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Sierra Middle

In the 2022-23 school year, 799 students attended Sierra Middle.

Students at Sierra Middle are 83% Hispanic, 13% White, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Sierra Middle ranks 94th of 235 New Mexico middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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