PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS operates 3 public schools serving 284 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 276 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Taos County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,855 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 9.5% local, 77.5% state, and 13.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $83,909 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 60/100, ranked #29 of 98 in New Mexico against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 116.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 40.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.1% Hispanic or Latino, 4.3% White across the district's schools.
Penasco Elementary accounts for 46.0% of all PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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.
PENASCO INDEPENDENT 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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants 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.
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS student-counselor ratio is 117:1 — 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.
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS chronic absenteeism rate is 40.1% — 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 PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS?
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 284 students.
How much does PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS spend per student?
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS spends $19,855 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #29 in New Mexico.
What is the average teacher salary in PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS?
The average teacher salary in PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS is $83,909 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Taos County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS?
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS students are 85.1% Hispanic or Latino, 4.3% White, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS?
PENASCO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #29 out of 98 districts in New Mexico. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.