Enrollment
149
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Artesia, NM
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350012000128
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Artesia · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 55.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Artesia, NM.
School address
District: Artesia Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350012000128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-11% 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
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Artesia, New Mexico, enrolling 149 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 55.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 149 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (24%) (diversity index 42/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Artesia Public Schools spends $11,580 per pupil, 30% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Artesia Public Schools also operates Artesia High (806 students) and Artesia Zia Intermediate (550 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▼ 31% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 149 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
149
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 38% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$11,580
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Central Elementary is about as mixed as the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Artesia Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$11,580
Per student
-30%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artesia High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Artesia Zia Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Artesia Park Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yeso Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yucca Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~149 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Artesia 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 149 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Artesia, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 11% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 21% 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 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% of enrollment, in Artesia, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary rank among elementary schools in Artesia?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Artesia, 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 Artesia on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 55/100 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 Artesia Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Artesia Public Schools also operates Artesia High (806 students), Artesia Zia Intermediate (550 students), and Artesia Park Junior High (539 students). See the Artesia 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.