Enrollment
621
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 350030001123
Ocotillo Elementary — Carlsbad, NM
Federal NCES profile for Ocotillo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 63/100.
👥 Class size 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 92
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: Carlsbad Municipal 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)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 14.4:1 New Mexico avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.2%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ocotillo 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
Ocotillo Elementary reports 621 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 39.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% 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 14% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 23.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 71% below the New Mexico average and 55% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 3.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Carlsbad Municipal Schools spends $15,882 per pupil district-wide, below the New Mexico average of $19,045 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 50.9% from local sources (property taxes), 41.9% from the state, and 7.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (C+), calculated from 3 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 Ocotillo 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.2% | ▼ 71% | 80.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 621 | top 88% | — | — |
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
23.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 71% below the New Mexico average of 80.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
— 26% above state mean
Top 88% in New Mexico — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$15,882
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 621 Top 88% in New Mexico — larger than 12% of 873 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 39.0
Students per teacher 18.2:1 +26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 23.2% -71% vs state
NCES ID 350030001123
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 62.5%
White 30.9%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 3.1%
In-school suspensions 13
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Municipal Schools, which includes Ocotillo Elementary.
$15,882
Per student
-17%
vs New Mexico
Avg $19,045
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 50.9%
State 41.9%
Federal 7.3%
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
- 1,685
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Carlsbad
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cottonwood Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Desert Willow Elementary
Standard public school
667 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Sunset Elementary
Standard public school
438 students 17:1 students per teacher
Monterrey Elementary
Standard public school
366 students 16.5:1 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 Ocotillo Elementary
How many students attend Ocotillo Elementary?
Ocotillo Elementary has 621 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in CARLSBAD, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ocotillo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ocotillo Elementary is 18.2:1, which is 26% higher than the New Mexico average of 14.4:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ocotillo Elementary?
23.2% of students at Ocotillo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ocotillo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ocotillo Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 62.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in CARLSBAD, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ocotillo Elementary?
Ocotillo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (C+) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.