Enrollment
294
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Belen, NM
Dennis Chavez Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dennis Chavez Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350018000143
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dennis Chavez Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Belen · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dennis Chavez Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dennis Chavez Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Belen, NM.
School address
District: Belen Consolidated Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350018000143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dennis Chavez Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dennis Chavez Elementary
Dennis Chavez Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Belen, New Mexico, enrolling 294 students.
At 13.4:1, 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.
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.
With 294 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 264 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #106.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Belen Consolidated Schools spends $13,063 per pupil, 22% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Belen Consolidated Schools also operates Belen High (958 students) and Belen Middle (475 students) alongside Dennis Chavez 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 Dennis Chavez Elementary compares
Dennis Chavez 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 294 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
294
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 51% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$13,063
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 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 80.6%
White 14.6%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.8, Dennis Chavez 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 Belen Consolidated Schools, which includes Dennis Chavez Elementary.
$13,063
Per student
-22%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.3%
State 70.9%
Federal 15.8%
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 Dennis Chavez Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belen High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belen Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Merced Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Grande Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gil Sanchez Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dennis Chavez Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~294 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dennis Chavez Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dennis Chavez Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Belen Consolidated 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 Dennis Chavez Elementary
How many students attend Dennis Chavez Elementary?
Dennis Chavez Elementary has 294 students enrolled. It is a public school in Belen, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dennis Chavez Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dennis Chavez Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 4% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 15% 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 Dennis Chavez Elementary?
100.0% of students at Dennis Chavez Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dennis Chavez Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dennis Chavez Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 80.6% of enrollment, in Belen, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dennis Chavez Elementary?
Dennis Chavez Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Dennis Chavez Elementary rank among schools in Belen?
By Resource Investment Index, Dennis Chavez Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Belen, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Belen on the city page.
Is Dennis Chavez Elementary a good school?
Dennis Chavez Elementary earns 41/100 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 Belen Consolidated Schools?
Besides Dennis Chavez Elementary, Belen Consolidated Schools also operates Belen High (958 students), Belen Middle (475 students), and La Merced Elementary (463 students). See the Belen Consolidated 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.