Enrollment
524
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sunland Park, NM
Desert View Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Desert View 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 350108000700
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desert View Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of New Mexico schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most New Mexico schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Sunland Park · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desert View Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desert View Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Sunland Park, NM.
School address
District: Gadsden Independent Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350108000700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desert View Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desert View Elementary
Desert View Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sunland Park, New Mexico, enrolling 524 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger 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 524 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 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #204, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 524 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Gadsden Independent Schools also operates Gadsden High (1,219 students) and Santa Teresa High (1,154 students) alongside Desert View 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 View Elementary compares
Desert View 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 21% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
524
Bigger than 65% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 81% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$14,189
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 524 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 98.1%
White 1.3%
Asian 0.4%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.7, Desert View Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gadsden Independent Schools, which includes Desert View Elementary.
$14,189
Per student
-15%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.1%
State 68.2%
Federal 21.7%
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 Desert View Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Teresa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gadsden Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverside Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desert View Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,219
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,154
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- 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 (~524 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desert View Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Desert View Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gadsden Independent 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 View Elementary
How many students attend Desert View Elementary?
Desert View Elementary has 524 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sunland Park, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert View Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Desert View Elementary is 16.9:1, which is 21% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desert View Elementary?
100.0% of students at Desert View Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desert View Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Desert View Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.1% of enrollment, in Sunland Park, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desert View Elementary?
Desert View 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 View Elementary rank among public schools in Sunland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Desert View Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Sunland Park, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sunland Park on the city page.
Is Desert View Elementary a good school?
Desert View Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of New Mexico schools. It is also less 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 Gadsden Independent Schools?
Besides Desert View Elementary, Gadsden Independent Schools also operates Gadsden High (1,219 students), Santa Teresa High (1,154 students), and Chaparral High (1,067 students). See the Gadsden Independent 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.