Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rio Rancho, NM

Lincoln Middle

Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 350001000682
0/100100/10041/100
👥 S:T ratio
42
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
20
📋 Attendance
31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Lincoln Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.

#2 of 4
middle schools in Rio Rancho · Resource Index
41
Resource Index · Typical
14.6:1
students per teacher
20.2%
free-lunch eligible

Lincoln Middle has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Rio Rancho, NM.

Enrollment

805

New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

55.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

14.6:1

vs 14:1 New Mexico avg

+4% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

20.2%

vs 80.8% New Mexico avg

-75% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Lincoln Middle compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Lincoln Middle

Lincoln Middle is a large middle school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, enrolling 805 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.2% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the New Mexico average.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Mexico, bigger than 93% of state schools at 805 students.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.

Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #19.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and White (28%) (diversity index 57/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Rio Rancho Public Schools spends $11,377 per pupil, 32% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Discipline events run high: 259 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 805 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.

Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students) and Rio Rancho High (2,568 students) alongside Lincoln 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 Lincoln Middle compares

Lincoln 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 14.6:1 ▲ 4% 14:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 20.2% ▼ 75% 80.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 805 top 7% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
805
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
20.2%
free-lunch eligible - 75% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher - 4% above state mean
Top 64% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.6%
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
$11,377
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
160
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.2 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 58.3%
White 27.5%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 1.1%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.3% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 57.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Lincoln Middle is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rio Rancho Public Schools, which includes Lincoln Middle.

$11,377
Per student
-32%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 74.5%
Federal 10.7%

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 Lincoln Middle Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Cleveland High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Rio Rancho High Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Rio Rancho Middle School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Mountain View Middle Similar size Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Ernest Stapleton Elementary Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Rio Rancho Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Middle's federal record.

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 Lincoln Middle

How many students attend Lincoln Middle?

Lincoln Middle has 805 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rio Rancho, NM.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Middle is 14.6:1, which is 4% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lincoln Middle?

20.2% of students at Lincoln Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lincoln Middle?

The largest demographic group at Lincoln Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 58.3% of enrollment, in Rio Rancho, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Middle?

Lincoln Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lincoln Middle rank among middle schools in Rio Rancho?

By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Rio Rancho, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Rio Rancho on the city page.

Is Lincoln Middle a good school?

Lincoln Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. 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 Rio Rancho Public Schools?

Besides Lincoln Middle, Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students), Rio Rancho High (2,568 students), and Rio Rancho Middle School (1,024 students). See the Rio Rancho Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.