Enrollment
75
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Penasco, NM
Penasco High
Federal NCES profile for Penasco High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 350204000481
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 85
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penasco High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Penasco · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Penasco High has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penasco High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Penasco, NM.
School address
District: Penasco Independent Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350204000481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penasco High compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penasco High
Penasco High is a high-poverty, small high school in Penasco, New Mexico, enrolling 75 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the New Mexico typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 75 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 82 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 75 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Penasco Independent Schools also operates Penasco Elementary (127 students) and Penasco Middle (74 students) alongside Penasco High.
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 Penasco High compares
Penasco High 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 7% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 75 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
75
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
15:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,897
per pupil, district-wide
- above New Mexico avg of $16,652
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 75 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: 2.7 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 81.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 14.7%
White 4.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.6, Penasco High is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Penasco Independent Schools, which includes Penasco High.
$18,897
Per student
+13%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.5%
State 77.5%
Federal 13.0%
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.
How Penasco High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penasco Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Penasco Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penasco High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 127
- Students per teacher
- 42.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 37:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high 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 (~75 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penasco High's federal record.
- Compare Penasco High against another school. Compare schools
- Penasco Independent 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 Penasco High
How many students attend Penasco High?
Penasco High has 75 students enrolled. It is a high school in Penasco, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penasco High?
The student-teacher ratio at Penasco High is 15:1, which is 7% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Penasco High?
100.0% of students at Penasco High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penasco High?
The largest demographic group at Penasco High is Hispanic or Latino at 81.3% of enrollment, in Penasco, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penasco High?
Penasco High has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Penasco High rank among public schools in Penasco?
By Resource Investment Index, Penasco High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Penasco, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Penasco on the city page.
Is Penasco High a good school?
Penasco High earns 57/100 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 Penasco Independent Schools?
Besides Penasco High, Penasco Independent Schools also operates Penasco Elementary (127 students) and Penasco Middle (74 students). See the Penasco Independent 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.