Belen Consolidated Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Belen, New Mexico - 10 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Belen Consolidated Schools #56 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,063 per pupil, Belen Consolidated Schools ranks #94 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,602
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$13,063
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Belen Consolidated Schools operates 10 public schools serving 3,602 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 2 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Valencia County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,063 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Mexico compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 13.3% local, 70.9% state, and 15.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 45/100, ranked #56 of 98 in New Mexico against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 284.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% White, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Belen Family School, with a diversity index of 47.3/100.

Its largest campus is Belen High, enrolling 958 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Belen Infinity High, at 112 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Belen High accounts for 26.6% of all Belen Consolidated Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Belen Consolidated Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Belen Consolidated Schools school enrollment varies 8.6× across entities

Belen Consolidated Schools school enrollment ranges from 112 students (lowest) to 958 students (highest), a spread of 846 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Belen Consolidated Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Belen Consolidated Schools student-counselor ratio is 285:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Belen Consolidated Schools is typically wider than the Belen Consolidated Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Belen Consolidated Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 41.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

15.8%
Federal
70.9%
State
13.3%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
56 / 98
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Belen Consolidated Schools.

White 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 78.3%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 1.6%
Other 1.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Belen Consolidated Schools's schools, below the New Mexico average of 39.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Belen Family School 47.3
  2. 2 Belen Infinity High 41.7
  3. 3 Belen High 35.7
  4. 4 La Promesa Elementary 34.8
  5. 5 La Merced Elementary 34.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 10
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
284.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Belen Consolidated Schools

School Enrollment
Belen High
958
Belen Middle
475
La Merced Elementary
463
Rio Grande Elementary
332
Gil Sanchez Elementary
316
Dennis Chavez Elementary
294
La Promesa Elementary
230
Central Elementary
166
Belen Family School
154
Belen Infinity High
112

How Belen Consolidated Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Mexico districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Artesia Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Los Alamos Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lovington Municipal Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Grants-Cibola County Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Espanola Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Belen Consolidated Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New Mexico

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Albuquerque Public Schools
79,805 students · 176 schools · $12,964/pupil
Compare vs Belen Consolidated Schools →
Las Cruces Public Schools
23,631 students · 40 schools · $12,237/pupil
Compare vs Belen Consolidated Schools →
Rio Rancho Public Schools
17,272 students · 21 schools · $11,377/pupil
Compare vs Belen Consolidated Schools →
Gadsden Independent Schools
12,551 students · 28 schools · $14,189/pupil
Compare vs Belen Consolidated Schools →
Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools
12,224 students · 33 schools · $16,054/pupil
Compare vs Belen Consolidated Schools →

Compare Belen Consolidated Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Albuquerque Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Belen Consolidated Schools?

Belen Consolidated Schools has 10 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 5 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,602 students.

How much does Belen Consolidated Schools spend per student?

Belen Consolidated Schools spends $13,063 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #56 in New Mexico.

What is the demographic composition of Belen Consolidated Schools?

Belen Consolidated Schools students are 78.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% White, 0.8% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Belen Consolidated Schools?

Belen Consolidated Schools has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #56 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.