Enrollment
429
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Los Alamos, NM
Barranca Mesa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Barranca Mesa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350165000428
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barranca Mesa Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Los Alamos · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 15.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Barranca Mesa Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barranca Mesa Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Los Alamos, NM.
School address
District: Los Alamos Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350165000428 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barranca Mesa Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barranca Mesa Elementary
Barranca Mesa Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Los Alamos, New Mexico, enrolling 429 students.
At 12.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Mexico median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.0% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the New Mexico average.
Enrollment of 429 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #28.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 429 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Alamos Public Schools spends $12,646 per pupil, 24% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Los Alamos Public Schools also operates Los Alamos High (1,181 students) and Los Alamos Middle (543 students) alongside Barranca Mesa Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Barranca Mesa Elementary compares
Barranca Mesa Elementary on the metrics families compare, against New Mexico and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.0% | ▼ 81% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 41% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,646
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 429 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 56.9%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
Asian 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
African American 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, Barranca Mesa Elementary is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Alamos Public Schools, which includes Barranca Mesa Elementary.
$12,646
Per student
-24%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 61.1%
Federal 18.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Barranca Mesa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Los Alamos Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aspen Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pinon Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barranca Mesa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Mexico, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~429 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barranca Mesa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Barranca Mesa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Los Alamos Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Barranca Mesa Elementary
How many students attend Barranca Mesa Elementary?
Barranca Mesa Elementary has 429 students enrolled. It is a public school in Los Alamos, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barranca Mesa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Barranca Mesa Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 10% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Barranca Mesa Elementary?
15.0% of students at Barranca Mesa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barranca Mesa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Barranca Mesa Elementary is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Los Alamos, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barranca Mesa Elementary?
Barranca Mesa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barranca Mesa Elementary rank among schools in Los Alamos?
By Resource Investment Index, Barranca Mesa Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Los Alamos, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Los Alamos on the city page.
Is Barranca Mesa Elementary a good school?
Barranca Mesa Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Los Alamos Public Schools?
Besides Barranca Mesa Elementary, Los Alamos Public Schools also operates Los Alamos High (1,181 students), Los Alamos Middle (543 students), and Mountain Elementary (435 students). See the Los Alamos Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.