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Questa, New Mexico - 4 schools
An equity score of 76/100 ranks Questa Independent Schools #13 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,027 per pupil, Questa Independent Schools ranks #41 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
326
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$18,027
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Questa Independent Schools operates 4 public schools serving 326 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary 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 Taos County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,027 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 15.3% local, 69.5% state, and 15.2% 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 76/100, ranked #13 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 91.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 27.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 83.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% White, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Questa High, with a diversity index of 34.0/100.
Its largest campus is Alta Vista Elementary, enrolling 106 students (34% of the district's total enrollment).
Alta Vista Elementary accounts for 32.5% of all Questa Independent Schools student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Questa Independent 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.
Questa Independent Schools school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities
Questa Independent Schools school enrollment ranges from 40 students (lowest) to 106 students (highest), a spread of 66 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.
Questa 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). 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.
Questa Independent Schools student-counselor ratio is 92:1 — 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.
Questa Independent Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 27.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Questa Independent Schools is typically wider than the Questa Independent Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Questa Independent Schools?
Questa Independent Schools has 4 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 326 students.
How much does Questa Independent Schools spend per student?
Questa Independent Schools spends $18,027 per student. The district has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #13 in New Mexico.
What is the demographic composition of Questa Independent Schools?
Questa Independent Schools students are 83.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% White, 0.3% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Questa Independent Schools?
Questa Independent Schools has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #13 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.