Jal 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Jal, New Mexico - 3 schools

An equity score of 25/100 ranks Jal Public Schools #87 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,624 per pupil, Jal Public Schools ranks #78 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

527
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$14,624
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Jal Public Schools operates 3 public schools serving 527 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lea County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,624 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 88.5% local, 10.8% state, and 0.7% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 25/100, ranked #87 of 98 in New Mexico against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 189:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 34.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% White, 0.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jal High, with a diversity index of 29.1/100.

Its largest campus is Jal Elementary, enrolling 290 students (51% of the district's total enrollment).

Jal Elementary accounts for 51.1% of all Jal Public Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Jal Public Schools a distant remainder — means Jal Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Jal Public Schools school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities

Jal Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 119 students (lowest) to 290 students (highest), a spread of 171 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Jal Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 189:1 — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Jal Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 34.3% — 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?

0.7%
Federal
10.8%
State
88.5%
Local

Funding Equity

25
Equity Score
87 / 98
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Jal Public Schools.

White 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 85.6%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 24.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jal High 29.1
  2. 2 Jal Elementary 26.0
  3. 3 Jal Jr High 19.6

Programs & Resources

189:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Jal Public Schools

School Enrollment
Jal Elementary
290
Jal High
158
Jal Jr High
119

How Jal Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Dulce Independent Schools Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Estancia Municipal Schools Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Mccurdy Charter School Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Pecos Independent Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Texico Municipal Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Jal 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 · $12,964/pupil
Compare vs Jal Public Schools →
Las Cruces Public Schools
23,631 students · 40 schools · $12,237/pupil
Compare vs Jal Public Schools →
Rio Rancho Public Schools
17,272 students · 21 schools · $11,377/pupil
Compare vs Jal Public Schools →
Gadsden Independent Schools
12,551 students · 28 schools · $14,189/pupil
Compare vs Jal Public Schools →
Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools
12,224 students · 33 schools · $16,054/pupil
Compare vs Jal Public Schools →

Compare Jal 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 Jal Public Schools?

Jal Public Schools has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 527 students.

How much does Jal Public Schools spend per student?

Jal Public Schools spends $14,624 per student. The district has an equity score of 25/100, ranking #87 in New Mexico.

What is the demographic composition of Jal Public Schools?

Jal Public Schools students are 85.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% White, 0.2% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Jal Public Schools?

Jal Public Schools has an equity score of 25/100, ranking #87 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.