Enrollment
149
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 350012000128
Central Elementary — Artesia, NM
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Artesia Public Schools · New Mexico
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.4%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Central Elementary reports 149 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% below the New Mexico state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% below the New Mexico average and 7% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Artesia Public Schools spends $15,172 per pupil district-wide, below the New Mexico average of $19,045 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.7% from local sources (property taxes), 58.2% from the state, and 12.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Mexico state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▼ 31% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 149 | top 28% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
55.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 31% below 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 15% below state mean
Top 31% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,172
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Mexico avg of $19,045
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
Enrollment 149 Top 28% in New Mexico — larger than 72% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 -15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.4% -31% vs state
NCES ID 350012000128
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 72.5%
White 24.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
African American 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Artesia Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$15,172
Per student
-20%
vs New Mexico
Avg $19,045
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 58.2%
Federal 12.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
Similar elementary schools in Artesia
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Yeso Elementary
Standard public school
482 students 19:1 students per teacher
Yucca Elementary
Standard public school
354 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Hermosa Elementary
Standard public school
311 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Roselawn Elementary
Standard public school
171 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 149 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in ARTESIA, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 12.3:1, which is 15% lower than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
55.4% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 72.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in ARTESIA, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.