Enrollment
450
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 350150000387
Loma Heights Elementary — Las Cruces, NM
Federal NCES profile for Loma Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Las Cruces Public Schools · New Mexico
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Loma Heights Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Loma Heights Elementary reports 450 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the New Mexico state mean of 14.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 24% above the New Mexico average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 450 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 72.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Las Cruces Public Schools spends $13,226 per pupil district-wide, below the New Mexico average of $19,045 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 13.6% from local sources (property taxes), 69.4% from the state, and 17.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Loma Heights Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Mexico state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Mexico | New Mexico avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 77% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 6% above state mean
Top 65% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
72.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,226
per pupil, district-wide
— below New Mexico avg of $19,045
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 450 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 450 Top 77% in New Mexico — larger than 23% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +24% vs state
NCES ID 350150000387
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 88.4%
White 8.7%
African American 2.2%
Two or More 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 450:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 72.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Las Cruces Public Schools, which includes Loma Heights Elementary.
$13,226
Per student
-31%
vs New Mexico
Avg $19,045
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 69.4%
Federal 17.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,128
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,327
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
Similar other schools in Las Cruces
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Monte Vista Elementary
Standard public school
706 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Highland Elementary
Standard public school
704 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Sonoma Elementary
Standard public school
660 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Explore Academy Las Cruces
Standard public school
599 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Tombaugh Elementary
Standard public school
565 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Desert Hills Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Loma Heights Elementary
How many students attend Loma Heights Elementary?
Loma Heights Elementary has 450 students enrolled. It is a other school in LAS CRUCES, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Loma Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Loma Heights Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Loma Heights Elementary?
100.0% of students at Loma Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Loma Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Loma Heights Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 88.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in LAS CRUCES, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Loma Heights Elementary?
Loma Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.