Enrollment
182
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Las Cruces, NM
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350150000379
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 25
- schools in Las Cruces · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes smaller than 72% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #4 of 25 schools in Las Cruces, NM.
School address
District: Las Cruces Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350150000379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, enrolling 182 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the New Mexico typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 182 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 160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 182 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Las Cruces Public Schools spends $12,237 per pupil, 27% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Las Cruces Public Schools also operates Organ Mountain High School (2,128 students) and Centennial High School (1,713 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 182 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
182
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 28% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$12,237
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 182 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 80.8%
White 15.4%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Central Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Las Cruces Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$12,237
Per student
-27%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 69.4%
Federal 17.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organ Mountain High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Las Cruces High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfield High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camino Real Middle | Larger | Similar 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
- 2,128
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,327
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~182 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Las Cruces 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 182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Las Cruces, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 19% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 27% 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?
100.0% 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 80.8% of enrollment, in Las Cruces, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among schools in Las Cruces?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #4 of 25 schools in Las Cruces, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Las Cruces on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Las Cruces Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Las Cruces Public Schools also operates Organ Mountain High School (2,128 students), Centennial High School (1,713 students), and Las Cruces High (1,703 students). See the Las Cruces 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.