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Las Cruces, New Mexico - 38 schools
An equity score of 45/100 ranks Las Cruces Public Schools #55 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,237 per pupil, Las Cruces Public Schools ranks #109 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
23,631
Total Enrollment
38
Schools
$12,237
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Las Cruces Public Schools operates 38 public schools serving 23,631 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 24 combined, 8 middle, 5 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Doña Ana County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,237 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 13.6% local, 69.4% state, and 17.0% 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 #55 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 4 of 38 schools offering Advanced Placement (117 AP courses district-wide), a 516.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 40.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% White, 1.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is White Sands Elementary, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
Its largest campus is Organ Mountain High School, enrolling 2,128 students (10% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rio Grande Preparatory Institute, at 46 students, a 46x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Las Cruces Public Schools school enrollment varies 46× across entities
Las Cruces Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 46 students (lowest) to 2,128 students (highest), a spread of 2,082 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Las Cruces Public 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.
Las Cruces Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 516:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
Las Cruces Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 40.6% — 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.
How many schools are in Las Cruces Public Schools?
Las Cruces Public Schools has 38 schools, including 5 high, 8 middle, 24 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 23,631 students.
How much does Las Cruces Public Schools spend per student?
Las Cruces Public Schools spends $12,237 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #55 in New Mexico.
What is the demographic composition of Las Cruces Public Schools?
Las Cruces Public Schools students are 80.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% White, 1.8% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 38 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Las Cruces Public Schools?
Las Cruces Public Schools has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #55 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.