Penasco Elementary

Summary:

Penasco Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the small town of Penasco, New Mexico, with a student population of 136. The school faces several challenges, including a high percentage of Hispanic and low-income students, declining academic performance, and lower-than-average test scores compared to the state.

Penasco Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (88.24%) and Native American students (6.62%) compared to the state average. The school consistently ranks in the bottom half of New Mexico elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, and its students perform below the state average in both language arts and mathematics proficiency. In 2022-2023, only 32% of Penasco Elementary students were proficient or better in language arts, compared to the state average of 38%, and only 9% were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to the state average of 24%. The school also has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 35.1, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools.

However, Penasco Elementary's female students and Native American students perform better than the overall school, ranking 187 out of 390 and 19 out of 99 New Mexico elementary schools, respectively, in the 2022-2023 school year. In comparison to nearby schools, Penasco Elementary's performance is generally lower than high-performing charter schools like Taos Integrated School Of Arts and Taos Municipal Charter, but it performs better than some of the other nearby public schools, such as Chimayo Elementary and Velarde Elementary, which are part of the low-performing Espanola Public Schools district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

13 School Rd
Penasco, NM 87553

(575) 587-2230

District: Penasco

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,409

Students who attend Penasco Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Penasco Middle
High:	Penasco High

Student/teacher ratio: 35.1

Number of students: 136

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.2%

American Indian:

6.6%

White:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Penasco Elementary ranks worse than 75.2% of elementary schools in New Mexico. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.91. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (88.2%), American Indian (6.6%), White (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penasco Elementary is 35.1. (See more...)

Compare Penasco Elementary employs 3.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penasco Elementary is $14,409.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Penasco Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Penasco Elementary 327^th of 435 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Penasco 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:

Penasco:

SchoolDigger ranks Penasco 61^st of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Penasco Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	40.94	238^th	389	38.8%
2006	53.29	169^th	390	56.7%
2007	52.09	186^th	398	53.3%
2008	66.22	109^th	405	73.1%
2009	53.15	182^nd	411	55.7%
2010	38.53	279^th	419	33.4%
2011	43.71	226^th	402	43.8%
2012	36.97	262^nd	398	34.2%
2013	37.85	259^th	412	37.1%
2014	51.86	200^th	442	54.8%
2015	44.12	202^nd	421	52.0%
2016	29.99	298^th	410	27.3%
2017	27.63	279^th	374	25.4%
2018	25.48	295^th	383	23.0%
2022	44.69	190^th	420	54.8%
2023	26.91	327^th	435	24.8%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	31.91	257^th	356	27.8%
2022	50.11	153^rd	410	62.7%
2023	30.32	308^th	426	27.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	65.07	90^th	395	77.2%
2023	49.50	187^th	390	52.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	28.84	253^rd	333	24.0%
2023	11.95	396^th	414	4.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	35.59	213^th	329	35.3%
2022	44.34	172^nd	389	55.8%
2023	28.98	288^th	395	27.1%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	69.77	19^th	99	80.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Penasco Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.54	313^th	413	24.2%

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 Penasco Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	44	0	0	345	25	n/a	n/a	414
1991	39	0	0	351	31	n/a	n/a	421
1992	49	2	0	321	23	n/a	n/a	395
1993	50	2	0	322	27	n/a	n/a	401
1994	32	0	0	340	23	n/a	n/a	395
1995	32	1	0	336	19	n/a	n/a	388
1996	32	1	0	336	19	n/a	n/a	388
1997	20	1	0	348	30	n/a	n/a	399
1998	21	1	0	329	21	n/a	n/a	372
1999	19	0	0	343	23	n/a	n/a	385
2000	19	0	0	323	27	n/a	n/a	369
2001	21	1	0	333	26	n/a	n/a	381
2002	22	0	0	323	21	n/a	n/a	366
2003	22	0	0	323	21	n/a	n/a	366
2004	10	1	1	277	19	n/a	n/a	308
2005	9	0	1	280	13	n/a	n/a	303
2006	5	0	1	272	13	n/a	n/a	291
2007	2	0	1	261	14	n/a	n/a	278
2008	3	0	0	240	18	n/a	n/a	261
2009	5	0	0	221	23	n/a	n/a	249
2010	6	0	0	230	21	0	0	257
2011	7	0	0	209	21	0	0	237
2012	41	0	0	157	17	0	0	215
2013	18	0	0	169	17	1	0	205
2014	18	0	0	130	11	1	0	160
2015	13	0	0	141	17	0	0	171
2016	11	0	0	157	22	0	0	190
2017	8	0	0	161	20	0	0	189
2018	9	0	0	168	24	0	0	201
2019	8	0	0	174	23	0	0	205
2020	9	0	0	159	25	0	0	193
2021	11	0	0	142	17	0	0	170
2022	11	0	0	160	18	0	0	189
2023	7	0	0	120	9	0	0	136

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 Penasco Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	414	23.8	17.3	n/a
1991	421	23.3	18.0	n/a
1992	395	23.1	17.0	n/a
1993	401	22.8	17.6	n/a
1994	395	22.8	17.3	n/a
1995	388	21.3	18.2	n/a
1996	388	21.3	18.2	n/a
1997	399	22.2	18.0	n/a
1998	372	23.2	16.0	n/a
1999	385	23.1	16.7	90.1
2000	369	24.5	15.1	80.2
2001	381	23.5	16.2	76.9
2002	366	23.0	15.9	82
2003	366	23.0	15.9	82
2004	308	22.6	13.6	78.9
2005	303	18.3	16.6	79.5
2006	291	17.5	16.6	83.5
2007	278	17.1	16.3	81.3
2008	261	18.0	14.5	75.9
2009	249	18.0	13.8	61.4
2010	257	19.0	13.5	63
2011	237	18.9	12.4	54
2012	215	18.9	11.3	57.7
2013	205	18.0	11.3	71.7
2014	160	16.1	9.9	63.1
2015	171	13.0	13.1	84.2
2016	190	13.0	14.6	98.4
2017	189	11.7	16.0	98.4
2018	201	16.0	12.5	98.5
2019	205	12.4	16.5	100
2020	193	17.2	11.1	99.5
2021	170	14.5	11.6	100
2022	189	n/a	n/a	100
2023	136	3.8	35.1	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 Penasco Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	414	23.8	17.3	n/a
1991	421	23.3	18.0	n/a
1992	395	23.1	17.0	n/a
1993	401	22.8	17.6	n/a
1994	395	22.8	17.3	n/a
1995	388	21.3	18.2	n/a
1996	388	21.3	18.2	n/a
1997	399	22.2	18.0	n/a
1998	372	23.2	16.0	n/a
1999	385	23.1	16.7	90.1
2000	369	24.5	15.1	80.2
2001	381	23.5	16.2	76.9
2002	366	23.0	15.9	82
2003	366	23.0	15.9	82
2004	308	22.6	13.6	78.9
2005	303	18.3	16.6	79.5
2006	291	17.5	16.6	83.5
2007	278	17.1	16.3	81.3
2008	261	18.0	14.5	75.9
2009	249	18.0	13.8	61.4
2010	257	19.0	13.5	63
2011	237	18.9	12.4	54
2012	215	18.9	11.3	57.7
2013	205	18.0	11.3	71.7
2014	160	16.1	9.9	63.1
2015	171	13.0	13.1	84.2
2016	190	13.0	14.6	98.4
2017	189	11.7	16.0	98.4
2018	201	16.0	12.5	98.5
2019	205	12.4	16.5	100
2020	193	17.2	11.1	99.5
2021	170	14.5	11.6	100
2022	189	n/a	n/a	100
2023	136	3.8	35.1	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 Penasco Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$14,409

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Penasco 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Language Arts (Penasco Elementary)	25	60.9	35.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (Penasco)	25	60.9	35.9%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	205	136	33.7%
African American	0	0
American Indian	23	9	60.9%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	174	120	31%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	8	7	12.5%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Penasco 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
Penasco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13 School Rd	Penasco	87553	Taos County	Penasco	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 587-2230	136	4	35.1	100.0%	7 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26.9	327^th of 435 public elementary schools	24.8%		44.7	190^th of 420 public elementary schools	54.8%	137	32.0	9.0		$14,409
Dixon Elementary	Public	K-6	220 New Mexico Highway 75	Dixon	87527	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 579-4325	48	6	7.7	100.0%	6 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	85.8	62^nd of 435 public elementary schools	85.7%					(n/a)	52.0	44.0		$12,218
Ranchos De Taos Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Ranchos Elementary Rd	Ranchos De Taos	87557	Taos County	Taos	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-5202	272	24	11.4	100.0%	17 (6.3%)	2 (0.7%)	238 (87.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	35.4	283^rd of 435 public elementary schools	34.9%		31.9	267^th of 420 public elementary schools	36.4%	16	27.0	22.0	28.0	$12,003
Taos International School	Public, Charter	K-8	118 Este Es Road	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos International School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 776-2469	177	15	11.5	100.0%	10 (5.6%)	2 (1.1%)	160 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25.4	336^th of 435 public elementary schools	22.8%					(n/a)	23.0	17.0	23.0	$13,101
Taos Municipal Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1303 Paseo Del Canon East	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 751-7222	218	17	12.5	52.8%	81 (37.2%)	3 (1.4%)	129 (59.2%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	90.9	43^rd of 435 public elementary schools	90.1%		76.1	70^th of 420 public elementary schools	83.3%	27	63.0	44.0	52.0	$8,687
Taos Integrated School Of Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	118 Toalne Street	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos Integrated School Of Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-7755	206	15	14.0	100.0%	86 (41.7%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (47.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	71.3	118^th of 435 public elementary schools	72.9%		62.5	116^th of 420 public elementary schools	72.4%	2	51.0	27.0	56.0	$9,341
Velarde Elementary	Public	K-6	State Road 68 County Road 51	Espanola	87582	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 852-4331	63	6	9.8	100.0%	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	40.0			$14,322
Enos Garcia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	305 Don Fernando	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-5202	375	33	11.4	100.0%	38 (10.1%)	1 (0.3%)	315 (84.0%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	25.3	338^th of 435 public elementary schools	22.3%		23.4	322^nd of 420 public elementary schools	23.3%	16	26.0	14.0	24.0	$10,374
Chimayo Elementary	Public	K-6	State Rd 76 County Rd 93 Buil	Espanola	87522	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 351-4207	126	11	11.2	100.0%	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	117 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.5	290^th of 435 public elementary schools	33.3%		40.6	218^th of 420 public elementary schools	48.1%	72	29.0	19.0		$13,418
Taos Day School	Public	K-8	200 Rotten Tree Rd	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos Day School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(575) 758-3652	104	8	13.0	97.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Penasco Elementary

What district is Penasco Elementary in?

Penasco

What schools do graduates of Penasco Elementary attend?

Students who attend Penasco Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Penasco Middle
High : Penasco High

What is the racial makeup of Penasco Elementary?

Students at Penasco Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 5% White.

How many students attend Penasco Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 136 students attended Penasco Elementary.

Is Penasco Elementary a good school?

Penasco Elementary ranks in the bottom 24.8% of New Mexico elementary schools.

Rate Penasco Elementary!

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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.