Enrollment
364
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portales, NM
James Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350210000486
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of New Mexico schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Portales · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
James Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Portales, NM.
School address
District: Portales Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350210000486 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Elementary
James Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Portales, New Mexico, enrolling 364 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 62.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 364 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 19 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (24%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Portales Municipal Schools spends $13,291 per pupil, 20% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students) and Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students) alongside James 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 James Elementary compares
James 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▼ 23% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 30% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$13,291
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 364 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 71.4%
White 24.2%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.1, James Elementary is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portales Municipal Schools, which includes James Elementary.
$13,291
Per student
-20%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.8%
State 68.0%
Federal 22.2%
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 James Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lindsey-Steiner Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brown Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portales Jr High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Portales Municipal 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 James Elementary
How many students attend James Elementary?
James Elementary has 364 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portales, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James Elementary is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 25% 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 James Elementary?
62.0% of students at James Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 71.4% of enrollment, in Portales, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Elementary?
James Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 James Elementary rank among elementary schools in Portales?
By Resource Investment Index, James Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Portales, 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 Portales on the city page.
Is James Elementary a good school?
James Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Portales Municipal Schools?
Besides James Elementary, Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students), Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students), and Valencia Elementary (366 students). See the Portales Municipal 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.