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Penasco High

Summary:

Penasco High is a public high school located in Penasco, New Mexico, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 76 students. The school is part of the Penasco District, which is ranked 50 out of 119 districts in New Mexico and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Penasco High has shown a fluctuating performance in its statewide ranking over the years, ranging from 28th out of 190 high schools in 2023-2024 to 142nd out of 158 in 2016-2017. However, the school's performance is particularly strong in certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students (ranked 12th out of 142 in 2023-2024) and Special Education students (ranked 3rd out of 62 in 2018-2019). Additionally, Penasco High's test scores are generally higher than the state averages, with 61% of students proficient or better in NM-ASR/Science for All Grades in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 36%. The school has also maintained a relatively stable four-year graduation rate, ranging from 74.8% to 76.8% over the past few years, which is close to the state average.

One unique characteristic of Penasco High is that 100% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. The school's student-teacher ratio has fluctuated, ranging from 11.9 to 22.6 students per teacher over the past few years, which is generally lower than the nearby Taos, Vista Grande High School, and Taos Academy schools. While Penasco High's performance is generally stronger than the state averages, it is interesting to note that the nearby schools have similar or even higher test scores and graduation rates, which could provide valuable insights for Penasco High to further improve its performance.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 13 School Rd
       Penasco, NM  87553

(575) 587-2230

District: Penasco

SchoolDigger Rank:
28th of 190 New Mexico High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,459 Help


Feeder schools for Penasco High:

Elementary:    Penasco Elementary
Middle:    Penasco Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  68

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
89.7%
American Indian:
7.4%
White:
2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Penasco High ranks better than 85.3% of high schools in New Mexico. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.33. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Penasco High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (89.7%), American Indian (7.4%), White (2.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penasco High is 15.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Penasco High employs 4.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penasco High is $17,459.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Penasco High:

SchoolDigger ranks Penasco High 28th of 190 New Mexico public high schools. (See Penasco High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Penasco:

SchoolDigger ranks Penasco 50th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Penasco High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 34.60 86th 129 33.3%
2006 39.83 83rd 134 38.1%
2007 43.96 86th 150 42.7%
2008 38.44 92nd 146 37.0%
2009 40.34 88th 151 41.7%
2010 53.80 69th 154 55.2%
2011 26.41 121st 157 22.9%
2012 58.61 62nd 163 62.0%
2013 47.74 95th 177 46.3%
2014 46.77 106th 198 46.5%
2015 36.00 108th 193 44.0%
2016 35.08 110th 185 40.5%
2017 17.65 142nd 158 10.1%
2018 28.50 117th 182 35.7%
2019 60.09 56th 181 69.1%
2022 19.77 131st 177 26.0%
2023 67.18 44th 170 74.1%
2024 82.33 28th 190 85.3%
See the entire list of New Mexico High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 95.51 3rd 62 95.2%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.69 93rd 164 43.3%
2019 72.46 29th 161 82.0%
2022 23.85 102nd 154 33.8%
2023 72.37 24th 157 84.7%
2024 87.96 15th 154 90.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.51 62nd 145 57.2%
2019 81.42 17th 144 88.2%
2022 7.83 156th 157 0.6%
2023 60.54 43rd 143 69.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 73.66 33rd 151 78.1%
2022 24.94 128th 159 19.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.21 85th 133 36.1%
2019 75.13 30th 139 78.4%
2023 70.70 29th 132 78.0%
2024 88.17 12th 142 91.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 73.87 10th 44 77.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Penasco High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 64.75 45th 157 71.3%
2024 83.24 19th 155 87.7%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico High 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.

Penasco High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Penasco High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 17 1 0 244 1 n/a n/a 0 263
1991 17 0 0 212 3 n/a n/a 0 232
1992 22 0 0 216 4 n/a n/a 0 242
1993 25 0 0 222 6 n/a n/a 0 253
1994 16 0 0 216 13 n/a n/a 0 245
1995 20 1 0 205 8 n/a n/a 0 234
1996 20 1 0 205 8 n/a n/a 0 234
1997 27 0 0 218 9 n/a n/a 0 254
1998 25 0 0 204 12 n/a n/a 0 241
1999 20 0 0 188 9 n/a n/a 0 217
2000 15 0 0 188 14 n/a n/a 0 217
2001 16 0 0 158 11 n/a n/a 0 185
2002 12 2 0 168 9 n/a n/a 0 191
2003 12 2 0 168 9 n/a n/a 0 191
2004 9 0 0 164 10 n/a n/a 0 183
2005 5 0 0 176 11 n/a n/a 0 192
2006 5 0 0 187 9 n/a n/a 0 201
2007 4 0 0 175 14 n/a n/a 0 193
2008 7 0 0 182 14 n/a n/a 0 203
2009 5 0 0 171 13 n/a n/a 0 189
2010 3 0 0 156 8 0 0 0 167
2011 4 0 0 157 7 0 0 0 168
2012 4 0 0 141 3 0 0 0 148
2013 3 0 0 130 7 0 0 0 140
2014 1 0 0 127 7 0 0 0 135
2015 3 1 0 110 6 0 0 0 120
2016 2 1 0 106 4 0 0 0 113
2017 10 1 0 87 6 0 1 0 105
2018 15 0 0 74 8 0 1 0 98
2019 7 0 0 87 13 0 1 0 108
2020 4 0 0 88 15 0 1 0 108
2021 4 0 0 83 15 0 0 0 102
2022 4 0 0 85 8 0 0 0 97
2023 3 0 0 65 8 0 0 0 76
2024 2 0 0 61 5 0 0 0 68

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 High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 263 15.4 17.0 n/a
1991 232 15.4 15.0 n/a
1992 242 14.9 16.2 n/a
1993 253 14.3 17.7 n/a
1994 245 15.5 15.8 n/a
1995 234 14.6 16.0 n/a
1996 234 14.6 16.0 n/a
1997 254 14.5 17.5 n/a
1998 241 13.8 17.5 n/a
1999 217 14.3 15.2 81.1
2000 217 13.4 16.2 71
2001 185 14.7 12.6 65.9
2002 191 14.1 13.5 69.6
2003 191 14.1 13.5 69.6
2004 183 14.0 13.1 69.4
2005 192 16.0 12.0 78.6
2006 201 15.2 13.2 80.6
2007 193 11.8 16.4 81.3
2008 203 14.6 13.9 79.3
2009 189 13.6 13.9 75.7
2010 167 14.4 11.5 87.4
2011 168 11.7 14.3 81.5
2012 148 12.0 12.3 79.1
2013 140 10.4 13.4 72.9
2014 135 9.7 13.8 74.1
2015 120 12.0 10.0 90.8
2016 113 12.0 9.4 97.3
2017 105 10.3 10.1 97.1
2018 98 10.3 9.5 96.9
2019 108 12.8 8.3 100
2020 108 9.9 10.8 100
2021 102 8.5 11.9 100
2022 97 4.2 22.6 100
2023 76 5.4 14.0 100
2024 68 4.4 15.3 100

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 Penasco High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 263 15.4 17.0 n/a
1991 232 15.4 15.0 n/a
1992 242 14.9 16.2 n/a
1993 253 14.3 17.7 n/a
1994 245 15.5 15.8 n/a
1995 234 14.6 16.0 n/a
1996 234 14.6 16.0 n/a
1997 254 14.5 17.5 n/a
1998 241 13.8 17.5 n/a
1999 217 14.3 15.2 81.1
2000 217 13.4 16.2 71
2001 185 14.7 12.6 65.9
2002 191 14.1 13.5 69.6
2003 191 14.1 13.5 69.6
2004 183 14.0 13.1 69.4
2005 192 16.0 12.0 78.6
2006 201 15.2 13.2 80.6
2007 193 11.8 16.4 81.3
2008 203 14.6 13.9 79.3
2009 189 13.6 13.9 75.7
2010 167 14.4 11.5 87.4
2011 168 11.7 14.3 81.5
2012 148 12.0 12.3 79.1
2013 140 10.4 13.4 72.9
2014 135 9.7 13.8 74.1
2015 120 12.0 10.0 90.8
2016 113 12.0 9.4 97.3
2017 105 10.3 10.1 97.1
2018 98 10.3 9.5 96.9
2019 108 12.8 8.3 100
2020 108 9.9 10.8 100
2021 102 8.5 11.9 100
2022 97 4.2 22.6 100
2023 76 5.4 14.0 100
2024 68 4.4 15.3 100

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 Penasco High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $17,459

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Penasco High

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 56th of 181 High schoolsRanks 44th of 170 High schools
 5.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
11th Grade Language Arts (Penasco High)5621.7
 34.3%
   11th Grade Language Arts (Penasco)5621.7
 34.3%
   11th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)4033.1
 6.9%
11th Grade Science (Penasco High)3721.7
 15.3%
   11th Grade Science (Penasco)3721.7
 15.3%
   11th Grade Science (New Mexico)2540.2
 15.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students10876
 29.6%
African American00
American Indian138
 38.5%
Asian00
Hispanic8765
 25.3%
Pacific Islander00
White73
 57.1%
Two or More Races10
 100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%

Schools Near Penasco High








Frequently Asked Questions about Penasco High

Students at Penasco High are 90% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 3% White.

In the 2023-24 school year, 68 students attended Penasco High.

Penasco High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Penasco Elementary
Middle : Penasco Middle

Penasco High ranks 28th of 190 New Mexico high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 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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