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Rio Rancho, New Mexico - 21 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Rio Rancho Public Schools #80 of 98 districts in New Mexico (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,377 per pupil, Rio Rancho Public Schools ranks #125 of 141 New Mexico districts by per-pupil spending (New Mexico districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
17,272
Total Enrollment
21
Schools
$11,377
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Rio Rancho Public Schools operates 21 public schools serving 17,272 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Mexico. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high, 3 combined 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 Sandoval County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,377 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 14.8% local, 74.5% state, and 10.7% 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 31/100, ranked #80 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 21 schools offering Advanced Placement (44 AP courses district-wide), a 414:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 27.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.5% White, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Vista Grande Elementary, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
Its largest campus is Cleveland High School, enrolling 2,596 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sparrk Online Academy, at 86 students, a 30x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Cleveland High School accounts for 15.0% of all Rio Rancho Public Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Rio Rancho Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.
Rio Rancho Public Schools school enrollment varies 30× across entities
Rio Rancho Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 86 students (lowest) to 2,596 students (highest), a spread of 2,510 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.
Rio Rancho Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 414:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Rio Rancho Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 27.1% — 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 Rio Rancho Public Schools is typically wider than the Rio Rancho Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Rio Rancho Public Schools has 21 schools, including 3 high, 4 middle, 11 elementary, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 17,272 students.
How much does Rio Rancho Public Schools spend per student?
Rio Rancho Public Schools spends $11,377 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #80 in New Mexico.
What is the demographic composition of Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Rio Rancho Public Schools students are 60.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.5% White, 1.6% African American, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 21 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Rio Rancho Public Schools has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #80 out of 98 districts in New Mexico.