Is Mesa Middle a good school?

Mesa Middle ranks 135 th of 235 New Mexico middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mesa Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 803 students attended Mesa Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Middle?

Students at Mesa Middle are 82% Hispanic, 12% White, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Mesa Middle attend?

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

Mesa Middle

Summary:

Mesa Middle is a public middle school located in North Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 803 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.

Over the past 10 years, Mesa Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New Mexico middle schools, typically between 117-142 out of around 200-235 schools. The school has maintained a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade, with a brief 1-star rating in 2016-2017 and 2015-2016. Test scores at Mesa Middle are generally below the state and district averages across all subjects and grade levels, with only 40% of students proficient or better in ELA, 14% in math, and 28% in science.

While La Academia Dolores Huerta, a nearby public charter school, significantly outperforms Mesa Middle and other district schools, the performance of Zia Middle and Picacho Middle is generally on par with or slightly below Mesa Middle. The school's high poverty rate, with a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, and significant performance gaps between different student subgroups, particularly for Hispanic, White, and English Language Learner students, raise concerns about equity and access to quality education.

Detail:

Public 6-8

7225 Jornada Rd North
Las Cruces, NM 88012

(575) 527-9510

District: Las Cruces

SchoolDigger Rank:
135^th of 235 New Mexico Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,992

Students who attend Mesa Middle usually attend:

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

Feeder schools for Mesa Middle:

Elementary:	Cesar Chavez Elementary
	Monte Vista Elementary
	Sunrise Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 15.9

Number of students: 803

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

82.4%

White:

12.5%

African American:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated New Mexico middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mesa Middle ranks worse than 57.4% of middle schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 4^th among 8 ranked middle schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.03. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (82.4%), White (12.5%), African American (1.9%). (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 Mesa Middle is 15.9, which is the 3^rd best among 8 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District. (See more...)

Compare Mesa Middle employs 50.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mesa Middle is $8,992, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 middle schools in the Las Cruces School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mesa Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa Middle 135^th of 235 New Mexico public middle schools. (See Mesa Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Las Cruces:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mesa Middle.

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Your rating for Mesa Middle?

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Rank History for Mesa Middle

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Rank History for all students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2013	31.06	133^rd	193	31.1%
2014	43.14	124^th	222	44.1%
2015	37.65	117^th	207	43.5%
2016	20.81	175^th	208	15.9%
2017	22.66	141^st	176	19.9%
2018	24.97	139^th	186	25.3%
2019	32.10	136^th	200	32.0%
2022	30.41	142^nd	232	38.8%
2023	37.85	138^th	239	42.3%
2024	38.03	135^th	235	42.6%

See the entire list of New Mexico Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	50.52	26^th	53	50.9%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	20.90	50^th	69	27.5%
2023	22.54	63^rd	97	35.1%
2024	13.85	83^rd	91	8.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	48.80	18^th	44	59.1%
2023	27.69	61^st	100	39.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	32.20	115^th	168	31.5%
2019	41.14	96^th	175	45.1%
2022	37.67	107^th	223	52.0%
2023	44.15	117^th	227	48.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	24.19	119^th	156	23.7%
2019	31.65	109^th	160	31.9%
2022	28.18	125^th	220	43.2%
2023	35.64	131^st	213	38.5%
2024	38.83	116^th	217	46.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	54.71	16^th	52	69.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	23.26	117^th	151	22.5%
2019	29.82	106^th	152	30.3%
2022	29.02	125^th	213	41.3%
2023	34.25	136^th	221	38.5%
2024	35.07	126^th	219	42.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.29	29^th	38	23.7%
2024	51.99	13^th	23	43.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	23.18	119^th	149	20.1%
2019	30.81	103^rd	150	31.3%
2022	32.61	111^th	214	48.1%
2023	31.71	134^th	204	34.3%
2024	32.77	129^th	206	37.4%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	50.90	3^rd	6	50.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Mesa Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	28.83	90^th	120	25.0%
2019	40.91	64^th	121	47.1%
2022	16.82	171^st	187	8.6%
2023	31.26	151^st	229	34.1%
2024	35.74	110^th	181	39.2%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, January 17, 2013

This is a brand new school with failing grades, failing staff and failing policies. They don't have programs at all set up to help children who are meeting/exceeding standards. They are too busy trying to help the gangster and low achieving students. The other kids, who want to excel and achieve, are given limited opportunity here. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mesa Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	58	7	2	350	4	0	1	422
2012	94	15	3	569	6	1	1	689
2013	69	12	2	536	6	1	2	628
2014	70	14	2	504	4	3	5	602
2015	86	17	2	511	5	1	1	623
2016	96	19	2	529	2	0	1	649
2017	95	17	1	517	6	0	0	636
2018	80	22	0	502	5	1	1	611
2019	91	13	3	543	6	4	5	665
2020	91	15	3	619	7	6	9	750
2021	94	11	2	627	6	5	8	753
2022	87	13	4	676	4	4	12	800
2023	100	15	4	662	8	2	12	803

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 Mesa Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	422	35.8	11.7	71.8
2012	689	38.1	18.0	99.6
2013	628	40.5	15.5	78.5
2014	602	39.6	15.1	74.9
2015	623	41.0	15.1	65.7
2016	649	39.0	16.6	99.5
2017	636	37.0	17.1	100
2018	611	37.5	16.2	100
2019	665	39.1	16.9	100
2020	750	41.9	17.8	100
2021	753	44.0	17.1	100
2022	800	46.0	17.3	100
2023	803	50.5	15.9	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 Mesa Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	422	35.8	11.7	71.8
2012	689	38.1	18.0	99.6
2013	628	40.5	15.5	78.5
2014	602	39.6	15.1	74.9
2015	623	41.0	15.1	65.7
2016	649	39.0	16.6	99.5
2017	636	37.0	17.1	100
2018	611	37.5	16.2	100
2019	665	39.1	16.9	100
2020	750	41.9	17.8	100
2021	753	44.0	17.1	100
2022	800	46.0	17.3	100
2023	803	50.5	15.9	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 Mesa Middle

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,992

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa 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 136^th of 200 Middle schools	Ranks 138^th of 239 Middle schools	10.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Language Arts (Mesa Middle)	35	27.4	7.6%
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 (Mesa Middle)	9	33.6	24.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	17	25.5	8.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	32.5	13.5%
7th Grade Language Arts (Mesa Middle)	21	23	2%
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 (Mesa Middle)	8	14.1	6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces)	16	18.4	2.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	24.8	5.8%
8th Grade Language Arts (Mesa Middle)	36	30.8	5.2%
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 (Mesa Middle)	14	19.1	5.1%
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	665	803	20.8%
African American	13	15	15.4%
American Indian	6	8	33.3%
Asian	3	4	33.3%
Hispanic	543	662	21.9%
Pacific Islander	4	2	50%
White	91	100	9.9%
Two or More Races	5	12	140%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Mesa Middle

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
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%)	38	135^th of 235 public middle schools	42.6%		37.9	138^th of 239 public middle schools	42.3%	3	28.0	40.0	14.0	$8,992
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%)	74.3	50^th of 235 public middle schools	78.7%		69.3	65^th of 239 public middle schools	72.8%	15	47.0	55.0	30.0	$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%)	31.3	154^th of 235 public middle schools	34.5%		38.5	136^th of 239 public middle schools	43.1%	18	19.0	36.0	14.0	$8,507
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	94^th of 235 public middle schools	60.0%		50.5	97^th of 239 public middle schools	59.4%	3	35.0	39.0	25.0	$8,018
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%)	84.2	33^rd of 235 public middle schools	86.0%		86.1	35^th of 239 public middle schools	85.4%	2	65.0	63.0	33.0	$10,283
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%)	24.1	184^th of 235 public middle schools	21.7%		27.9	168^th of 239 public middle schools	29.7%	16	22.0	28.0	14.0	$8,523
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%)	26.8	177^th of 235 public middle schools	24.7%		31.3	157^th of 239 public middle schools	34.3%	20	17.0	31.0	15.0	$9,072
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%)	26.8	176^th of 235 public middle schools	25.1%		39.7	130^th of 239 public middle schools	45.6%	46	28.0	31.0	12.0	$10,699
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%)	23.9	185^th of 235 public middle schools	21.3%		30	160^th of 239 public middle schools	33.1%	25	21.0	29.0	13.0	$8,805

Mesa Middle

Mesa Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Las Cruces:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Mesa Middle

Rank History for all students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for African American students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Mesa Middle

Rank History for White students at Mesa Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Mesa Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mesa Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Mesa Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mesa Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mesa Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Middle

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