Enrollment
640
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rio Rancho, NM
Cielo Azul Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cielo Azul Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350001001034
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cielo Azul Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 12
- elementary schools in Rio Rancho · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cielo Azul Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Azul Elementary ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Rio Rancho, NM.
School address
District: Rio Rancho Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350001001034 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cielo Azul Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cielo Azul Elementary
Cielo Azul Elementary is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, enrolling 640 students.
At 13.1:1, 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, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the New Mexico average.
Enrollment of 640 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 42 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #10.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and White (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Rio Rancho Public Schools spends $11,377 per pupil, 32% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students) and Rio Rancho High (2,568 students) alongside Cielo Azul 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 Cielo Azul Elementary compares
Cielo Azul 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 6% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 78% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 640 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
640
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 47% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,377
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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 57.5%
White 23.8%
Two or More 9.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.4%
African American 3.3%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Cielo Azul Elementary is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rio Rancho Public Schools, which includes Cielo Azul Elementary.
$11,377
Per student
-32%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 74.5%
Federal 10.7%
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 Cielo Azul Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cielo Azul Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,596
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,568
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~640 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cielo Azul Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cielo Azul Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rio Rancho 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 Cielo Azul Elementary
How many students attend Cielo Azul Elementary?
Cielo Azul Elementary has 640 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rio Rancho, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cielo Azul Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cielo Azul Elementary is 13.1:1, which is 6% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 17% 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 Cielo Azul Elementary?
18.1% of students at Cielo Azul Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cielo Azul Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cielo Azul Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 57.5% of enrollment, in Rio Rancho, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cielo Azul Elementary?
Cielo Azul Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Cielo Azul Elementary rank among elementary schools in Rio Rancho?
By Resource Investment Index, Cielo Azul Elementary ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Rio Rancho, 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 Rio Rancho on the city page.
Is Cielo Azul Elementary a good school?
Cielo Azul Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Besides Cielo Azul Elementary, Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students), Rio Rancho High (2,568 students), and Rio Rancho Middle School (1,024 students). See the Rio Rancho 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.