Espanola Public 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Espanola, New Mexico - 13 schools

An equity score of 73/100 ranks Espanola Public Schools #16 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,809 per pupil, Espanola Public Schools ranks #72 of 143 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,954
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$16,809
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Espanola Public Schools operates 13 public schools serving 2,954 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 3 combined, 1 high, 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 Rio Arriba County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,809 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 143 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Mexico compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 9.0% local, 69.3% state, and 21.7% 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 73/100, ranked #16 of 98 in New Mexico against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 240:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 55.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% White, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is San Juan Elementary, with a diversity index of 48.6/100.

Its largest campus is Espanola Valley High, enrolling 869 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Velarde Elementary, at 39 students, a 22x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Espanola Valley High accounts for 29.4% of all Espanola Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Espanola Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Espanola Public Schools school enrollment varies 22× across entities

Espanola Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 39 students (lowest) to 869 students (highest), a spread of 830 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Espanola Public Schools reports 100.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Espanola Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 240:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Espanola Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 55.3% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

21.7%
Federal
69.3%
State
9.0%
Local

Funding Equity

73
Equity Score
16 / 98
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 13 schools in Espanola Public Schools.

White 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 89.5%
Multiracial 1.2%
Other 6.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 18.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 San Juan Elementary 48.6
  2. 2 Dixon Elementary 42.5
  3. 3 Tony Quintana Elementary 19.6
  4. 4 Abiquiu Elementary 18.9
  5. 5 Carlos F. Vigil Middle 16.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 13
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
240:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
55.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Espanola Public Schools

School Enrollment
Espanola Valley High
869
Carlos F. Vigil Middle
379
Eutimio Salazar Elementary
339
James Rodriguez Elementary
233
Tony Quintana Elementary
208
Alcalde Elementary
151
San Juan Elementary
141
Chimayo Elementary
112
Hernandez Elementary
85
Los Ninos Elementary
71
Abiquiu Elementary
68
Dixon Elementary
50
Velarde Elementary
39

How Espanola Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bernalillo Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Grants-Cibola County Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Portales Municipal Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Bloomfield Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Aztec Municipal Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Espanola Public 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 · $15,108/pupil
Compare vs Espanola Public Schools →
Las Cruces Public Schools
23,631 students · 40 schools · $14,613/pupil
Compare vs Espanola Public Schools →
Rio Rancho Public Schools
17,272 students · 21 schools · $13,392/pupil
Compare vs Espanola Public Schools →
Gadsden Independent Schools
12,551 students · 28 schools · $18,250/pupil
Compare vs Espanola Public Schools →
Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools
12,224 students · 33 schools · $18,936/pupil
Compare vs Espanola Public Schools →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Espanola Public 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 Espanola Public Schools?

Espanola Public Schools has 13 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 combined, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,954 students.

How much does Espanola Public Schools spend per student?

Espanola Public Schools spends $16,809 per student. The district has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #16 in New Mexico.

What is the demographic composition of Espanola Public Schools?

Espanola Public Schools students are 89.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Espanola Public Schools?

Espanola Public Schools has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #16 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.