Magdalena Municipal 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.

Magdalena, New Mexico - 3 schools

An equity score of 93/100 ranks Magdalena Municipal Schools #2 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $28,154 per pupil, Magdalena Municipal Schools ranks #8 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

285
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$28,154
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Magdalena Municipal Schools operates 3 public schools serving 285 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 Socorro County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,154 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 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 8.8% local, 61.8% state, and 29.3% 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 93/100, ranked #2 of 98 in New Mexico against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 99:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 40.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% White, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Magdalena Middle, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.

Its largest campus is Magdalena Elementary, enrolling 128 students (43% of the district's total enrollment).

Magdalena Elementary accounts for 43.1% of all Magdalena Municipal Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Magdalena Municipal 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

Magdalena Municipal Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.6% 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

Magdalena Municipal Schools student-counselor ratio is 99:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Magdalena Municipal 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

29.3%
Federal
61.8%
State
8.8%
Local

Funding Equity

93
Equity Score
2 / 98
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Magdalena Municipal Schools.

White 19.1%
Hispanic or Latino 48.6%
Multiracial 2.9%
Other 29.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 63.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Magdalena Municipal Schools's schools, above the New Mexico average of 39.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Magdalena Middle 66.6
  2. 2 Magdalena Elementary 63.2
  3. 3 Magdalena High 62.0

Programs & Resources

99:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
40.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Magdalena Municipal Schools

School Enrollment
Magdalena Elementary
128
Magdalena High
100
Magdalena Middle
69

How Magdalena Municipal Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Penasco Independent Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Tierra Encantada Charter School Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Sw Aeronautics Mathematics and Science Academy Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Melrose Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Taos Academy Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Magdalena Municipal 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 Magdalena Municipal Schools?

Magdalena Municipal Schools has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 285 students.

How much does Magdalena Municipal Schools spend per student?

Magdalena Municipal Schools spends $28,154 per student. The district has an equity score of 93/100, ranking #2 in New Mexico.

What is the demographic composition of Magdalena Municipal Schools?

Magdalena Municipal Schools students are 48.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% White, 0.3% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Magdalena Municipal Schools?

Magdalena Municipal Schools has an equity score of 93/100, ranking #2 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.