Enrollment
69
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Santa Fe, NM
Desert Sage Academy
Federal NCES profile for Desert Sage Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 79/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350237000788
👥 S:T ratio 87
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Sage Academy earns 79/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of New Mexico schools.
- #1 of 24
- schools in Santa Fe · Resource Index
- 79
- Resource Index · Higher
- 3.3:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Sage Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Academy ranks #1 of 24 schools in Santa Fe, NM.
School address
District: Santa Fe Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350237000788 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.3:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-76% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Sage Academy compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Sage Academy
Desert Sage Academy is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, enrolling 69 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.3:1, Desert Sage Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of New Mexico schools and 76% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 69 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 76 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 99 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Santa Fe Public Schools spends $12,912 per pupil, 22% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Santa Fe Public Schools also operates Santa Fe High (1,491 students) and Capital High (1,388 students) alongside Desert Sage Academy.
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 Desert Sage Academy compares
Desert Sage Academy 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 | 3.3:1 | ▼ 76% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 69 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
69
Bigger than 7% 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
3.3:1
students per teacher
- 76% below state mean
Top 1% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 100% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,912
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
Counselors0.7 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 85.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.7%
White 5.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.8, Desert Sage Academy is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Fe Public Schools, which includes Desert Sage Academy.
$12,912
Per student
-22%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 57.1%
Federal 12.5%
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 Desert Sage Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capital High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Camino Real Academy Community | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Nina Otero Community School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pinon Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Sage Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,491
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~69 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Sage Academy's federal record.
- Compare Desert Sage Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Fe 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 Desert Sage Academy
How many students attend Desert Sage Academy?
Desert Sage Academy has 69 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Santa Fe, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sage Academy is 3.3:1, which is 76% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 79% 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 Desert Sage Academy?
100.0% of students at Desert Sage Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Sage Academy?
The largest demographic group at Desert Sage Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 85.5% of enrollment, in Santa Fe, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Sage Academy?
Desert Sage Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 79/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desert Sage Academy rank among schools in Santa Fe?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Sage Academy ranks #1 of 24 schools in Santa Fe, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Santa Fe on the city page.
Is Desert Sage Academy a good school?
Desert Sage Academy earns 79/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Santa Fe Public Schools?
Besides Desert Sage Academy, Santa Fe Public Schools also operates Santa Fe High (1,491 students), Capital High (1,388 students), and El Camino Real Academy Community (704 students). See the Santa Fe 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.