Enrollment
466
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Alamogordo, NM
Desert Star Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Desert Star Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350003000012
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert Star Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Alamogordo · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.4:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 55.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert Star Elementary has class sizes larger than 92% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Star Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Alamogordo, NM.
School address
District: Alamogordo Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350003000012 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.2%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert Star Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert Star Elementary
Desert Star Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Alamogordo, New Mexico, enrolling 466 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.4:1 is larger than about 92% of New Mexico schools and 39% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 55.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 466 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 29 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #27, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (30%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Alamogordo Public Schools spends $11,242 per pupil, 32% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alamogordo Public Schools also operates Alamogordo High (1,440 students) and Holloman Elementary (517 students) alongside Desert Star 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 Desert Star Elementary compares
Desert Star 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 39% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.2% | ▼ 32% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 92% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.8%
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
$11,242
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 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 55.8%
White 29.6%
Two or More 7.9%
African American 4.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Desert Star 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 Alamogordo Public Schools, which includes Desert Star Elementary.
$11,242
Per student
-32%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.4%
State 68.6%
Federal 19.0%
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 Desert Star Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamogordo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Holloman Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Middle | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunset Hills Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert Star Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~466 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert Star Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Desert Star Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alamogordo 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 Star Elementary
How many students attend Desert Star Elementary?
Desert Star Elementary has 466 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Alamogordo, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Star Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert Star Elementary is 19.4:1, which is 39% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert Star Elementary?
55.2% of students at Desert Star Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert Star Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Desert Star Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 55.8% of enrollment, in Alamogordo, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert Star Elementary?
Desert Star Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Desert Star Elementary rank among elementary schools in Alamogordo?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert Star Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Alamogordo, 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 Alamogordo on the city page.
Is Desert Star Elementary a good school?
Desert Star Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Alamogordo Public Schools?
Besides Desert Star Elementary, Alamogordo Public Schools also operates Alamogordo High (1,440 students), Holloman Elementary (517 students), and Chaparral Middle (513 students). See the Alamogordo 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.