Enrollment
376
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portales, NM
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lindsey-Steiner Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350210001073
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Portales · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 65.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lindsey-Steiner Elementary ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Portales, NM.
School address
District: Portales Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350210001073 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.5%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lindsey-Steiner Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Portales, New Mexico, enrolling 376 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Mexico median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 65.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 376 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (64%) and White (26%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 376 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% 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 Valencia Elementary (366 students) alongside Lindsey-Steiner 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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary compares
Lindsey-Steiner 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.5% | ▼ 19% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 376 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 56% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.9%
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 376 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 63.6%
White 26.3%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 3.7%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Lindsey-Steiner 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 Lindsey-Steiner 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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brown Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portales Jr High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lindsey-Steiner 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
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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 (~376 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lindsey-Steiner Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lindsey-Steiner 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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary
How many students attend Lindsey-Steiner Elementary?
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary has 376 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portales, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 1% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 11% 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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary?
65.5% of students at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lindsey-Steiner Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lindsey-Steiner Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.6% of enrollment, in Portales, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lindsey-Steiner Elementary?
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary rank among elementary schools in Portales?
By Resource Investment Index, Lindsey-Steiner Elementary ranks #3 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 Lindsey-Steiner Elementary a good school?
Lindsey-Steiner Elementary earns 35/100 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 Portales Municipal Schools?
Besides Lindsey-Steiner Elementary, Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students), Valencia Elementary (366 students), and James Elementary (364 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.