Enrollment
91
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Mesa, NM
La Mesa on Track Prek Center
Federal NCES profile for La Mesa on Track Prek Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350108001130
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Mesa on Track Prek Center earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New Mexico schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most New Mexico schools.
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 91
- students enrolled
La Mesa on Track Prek Center has class sizes larger than 89% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Gadsden Independent Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350108001130 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Mesa on Track Prek Center compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Mesa on Track Prek Center
La Mesa on Track Prek Center is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in La Mesa, New Mexico, enrolling 91 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 89% of New Mexico schools and 30% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 91 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Among 89 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #72, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center.
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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center compares
La Mesa on Track Prek Center 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 30% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 91 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
91
Bigger than 9% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 89% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.2%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 98.9%
White 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.2, La Mesa on Track Prek Center 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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center.
$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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santa Teresa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gadsden Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Riverside Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Mesa on Track Prek Center'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 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 (~91 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Mesa on Track Prek Center's federal record.
- Compare La Mesa on Track Prek Center 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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center
How many students attend La Mesa on Track Prek Center?
La Mesa on Track Prek Center has 91 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Mesa, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Mesa on Track Prek Center?
The student-teacher ratio at La Mesa on Track Prek Center is 18.2:1, which is 30% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at La Mesa on Track Prek Center?
100.0% of students at La Mesa on Track Prek Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Mesa on Track Prek Center?
The largest demographic group at La Mesa on Track Prek Center is Hispanic or Latino at 98.9% of enrollment, in La Mesa, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Mesa on Track Prek Center?
La Mesa on Track Prek Center has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is La Mesa on Track Prek Center a good school?
La Mesa on Track Prek Center earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 La Mesa on Track Prek Center, 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.