Enrollment
259
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Silver City, NM
La Plata Middle
Federal NCES profile for La Plata Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 350243000563
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Plata Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Silver City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
La Plata Middle has class sizes smaller than 77% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Plata Middle ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Silver City, NM.
School address
District: Silver Consolidated Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350243000563 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Plata Middle compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Plata Middle
La Plata Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Silver City, New Mexico, enrolling 259 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.8:1 puts it in the smaller 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.
With 259 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Among 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #172, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and White (20%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 154 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 259 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Silver Consolidated Schools also operates Silver High (618 students) and Harrison Schmitt Elementary (337 students) alongside La Plata Middle.
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 Plata Middle compares
La Plata Middle 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 23% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 259 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
259
Bigger than 27% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 23% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
49.0%
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
$13,911
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 259 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 31.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 59.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 76.1%
White 19.7%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.1, La Plata Middle is about as mixed as the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Silver Consolidated Schools, which includes La Plata Middle.
$13,911
Per student
-16%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.4%
State 68.9%
Federal 18.7%
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 Plata Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrison Schmitt Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| G.W.Stout Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jose Barrios Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sixth Street Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Plata Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 123
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle 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 (~259 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Plata Middle's federal record.
- Compare La Plata Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Silver Consolidated 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 Plata Middle
How many students attend La Plata Middle?
La Plata Middle has 259 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Silver City, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Plata Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at La Plata Middle is 10.8:1, which is 23% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 31% 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 La Plata Middle?
100.0% of students at La Plata Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Plata Middle?
The largest demographic group at La Plata Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 76.1% of enrollment, in Silver City, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Plata Middle?
La Plata Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 La Plata Middle rank among public schools in Silver City?
By Resource Investment Index, La Plata Middle ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Silver City, 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 Silver City on the city page.
Is La Plata Middle a good school?
La Plata Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Silver Consolidated Schools?
Besides La Plata Middle, Silver Consolidated Schools also operates Silver High (618 students), Harrison Schmitt Elementary (337 students), and G.W.Stout Elementary (334 students). See the Silver Consolidated 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.