Enrollment
1,244
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 350111000545
Gallup Central Alternative — Gallup, NM
Federal NCES profile for Gallup Central Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 48/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 64
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools · New Mexico
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gallup Central Alternative compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Gallup Central Alternative reports 1,244 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% below the New Mexico state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 31% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 24% above the New Mexico average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 1244 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools spends $17,740 per pupil district-wide, below the New Mexico average of $19,045 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 3.9% from local sources (property taxes), 50.8% from the state, and 45.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Gallup Central Alternative compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Mexico state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.9:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,244 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
10.9:1
students per teacher
— 24% below state mean
Top 19% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
14.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$17,740
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Mexico avg of $19,045
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1244 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,244 Top 97% in New Mexico — larger than 3% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 10.9:1 -24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +24% vs state
NCES ID 350111000545
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 57.1%
White 21.0%
Two or More 10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.4%
African American 2.9%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 1244:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.3%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 18
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools, which includes Gallup Central Alternative.
$17,740
Per student
-7%
vs New Mexico
Avg $19,045
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 3.9%
State 50.8%
Federal 45.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,237
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
Similar other schools in Gallup
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hozho Academy
Standard public school
781 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Del Norte Elementary
Standard public school
424 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary
Standard public school
414 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Tobe Turpen Elementary
Standard public school
397 students 17:1 students per teacher
Stagecoach Elementary
Standard public school
340 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Gallup Central Alternative
How many students attend Gallup Central Alternative?
Gallup Central Alternative has 1,244 students enrolled. It is a other school in GALLUP, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gallup Central Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Gallup Central Alternative is 10.9:1, which is 24% lower than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gallup Central Alternative?
100.0% of students at Gallup Central Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gallup Central Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Gallup Central Alternative is Hispanic or Latino at 57.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in GALLUP, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gallup Central Alternative?
Gallup Central Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.