Enrollment
238
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lovington, NM
Ben Alexander Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ben Alexander Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350174000449
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Alexander Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Lovington · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 98.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben Alexander Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Alexander Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Lovington, NM.
School address
District: Lovington Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350174000449 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.8%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Alexander Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Alexander Elementary
Ben Alexander Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lovington, New Mexico, enrolling 238 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 98.8% lands close to the New Mexico typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 238 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 202 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #114.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 238 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Lovington Municipal Schools spends $12,999 per pupil, 22% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lovington Municipal Schools also operates Lovington High (746 students) and Yarbro Elementary (474 students) alongside Ben Alexander 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 Ben Alexander Elementary compares
Ben Alexander 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.8% | ▲ 22% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 238 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
238
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 74% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.5%
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
$12,999
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 238 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
Hispanic or Latino 84.5%
White 12.6%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.0, Ben Alexander Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lovington Municipal Schools, which includes Ben Alexander Elementary.
$12,999
Per student
-22%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.1%
State 69.2%
Federal 14.7%
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 Ben Alexander Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Yarbro Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taylor Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Llano Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lovington Freshman Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Alexander Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary 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 (~238 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Alexander Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ben Alexander Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lovington Municipal 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 Ben Alexander Elementary
How many students attend Ben Alexander Elementary?
Ben Alexander Elementary has 238 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lovington, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Alexander Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Alexander Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 14% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Alexander Elementary?
98.8% of students at Ben Alexander Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Alexander Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ben Alexander Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.5% of enrollment, in Lovington, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Alexander Elementary?
Ben Alexander Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Ben Alexander Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lovington?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Alexander Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Lovington, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Lovington on the city page.
Is Ben Alexander Elementary a good school?
Ben Alexander Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of New Mexico schools. 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 Lovington Municipal Schools?
Besides Ben Alexander Elementary, Lovington Municipal Schools also operates Lovington High (746 students), Yarbro Elementary (474 students), and Taylor Middle (442 students). See the Lovington Municipal 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.