Enrollment
231
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lovington, NM
Lea Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lea Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350174000446
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lea Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of New Mexico schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Lovington · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 98.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lea Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lea Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Lovington, NM.
School address
District: Lovington Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350174000446 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lea Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lea Elementary
Lea Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lovington, New Mexico, enrolling 231 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 98.6% lands close to the New Mexico typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 231 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Among 194 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lovington Municipal Schools spends $12,999 per pupil, 22% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lovington Municipal Schools also operates Lovington High (746 students) and Yarbro Elementary (474 students) alongside Lea 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 Lea Elementary compares
Lea 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 22% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 231 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
231
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 70% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,999
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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 84.4%
White 14.3%
African American 0.9%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.7, Lea Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lovington Municipal Schools, which includes Lea Elementary.
$12,999
Per student
-22%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.1%
State 69.2%
Federal 14.7%
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 Lea Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yarbro Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taylor Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Llano Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lovington Freshman Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lea Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~231 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lea Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lea Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lovington 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 Lea Elementary
How many students attend Lea Elementary?
Lea Elementary has 231 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lovington, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lea Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lea Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 10% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lea Elementary?
98.6% of students at Lea Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lea Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lea Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 84.4% of enrollment, in Lovington, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lea Elementary?
Lea Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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).
How does Lea Elementary rank among elementary schools in Lovington?
By Resource Investment Index, Lea Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Lovington, 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 Lovington on the city page.
Is Lea Elementary a good school?
Lea Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Lovington Municipal Schools?
Besides Lea Elementary, Lovington Municipal Schools also operates Lovington High (746 students), Yarbro Elementary (474 students), and Taylor Middle (442 students). See the Lovington 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.