Enrollment
332
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Portales, NM
Brown Early Childhood Center
Federal NCES profile for Brown Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350210000485
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brown Early Childhood Center earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Portales · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 18.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Brown Early Childhood Center has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brown Early Childhood Center ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Portales, NM.
School address
District: Portales Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350210000485 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.3%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brown Early Childhood Center compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brown Early Childhood Center
Brown Early Childhood Center is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Portales, New Mexico, enrolling 332 students.
At 12.8:1, 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, 18.3% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the New Mexico average.
With 332 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Among 44 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #40, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Portales Municipal Schools spends $13,291 per pupil, 20% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students) and Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students) alongside Brown Early Childhood Center.
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 Brown Early Childhood Center compares
Brown Early Childhood Center 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.3% | ▼ 77% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
332
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 43% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.1%
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
$13,291
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 332 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 65.7%
White 27.1%
African American 3.3%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Brown Early Childhood Center is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portales Municipal Schools, which includes Brown Early Childhood Center.
$13,291
Per student
-20%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.8%
State 68.0%
Federal 22.2%
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 Brown Early Childhood Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lindsey-Steiner Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portales Jr High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brown Early Childhood Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~332 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brown Early Childhood Center's federal record.
- Compare Brown Early Childhood Center against another school. Compare schools
- Portales 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 Brown Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Brown Early Childhood Center?
Brown Early Childhood Center has 332 students enrolled. It is a public school in Portales, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brown Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Brown Early Childhood Center is 12.8:1, which is 9% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 18% 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 Brown Early Childhood Center?
18.3% of students at Brown Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brown Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Brown Early Childhood Center is Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment, in Portales, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brown Early Childhood Center?
Brown Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Brown Early Childhood Center rank among public schools in Portales?
By Resource Investment Index, Brown Early Childhood Center ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Portales, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Portales on the city page.
Is Brown Early Childhood Center a good school?
Brown Early Childhood Center earns 34/100 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 Portales Municipal Schools?
Besides Brown Early Childhood Center, Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students), Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students), and Valencia Elementary (366 students). See the Portales 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.