Enrollment
74
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Penasco, NM
Penasco Middle
Federal NCES profile for Penasco Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 350204000695
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 70
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penasco Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of New Mexico schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Penasco · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 37:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Penasco Middle has class sizes larger than 99% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penasco Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Penasco, NM.
School address
District: Penasco Independent Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350204000695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
37:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+164% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penasco Middle compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penasco Middle
Penasco Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in Penasco, New Mexico, enrolling 74 students.
Class loads run heavy: 37:1 is larger than about 99% of New Mexico schools and 164% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 74 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 80 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #51.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 148 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Penasco Independent Schools also operates Penasco Elementary (127 students) and Penasco High (75 students) alongside Penasco 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 Penasco Middle compares
Penasco 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 | 37:1 | ▲ 164% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 74 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
37:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
74
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
37:1
students per teacher
- 164% above state mean
Top 99% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 86.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.4%
White 4.1%
Two or More 4.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Penasco Middle is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Penasco Independent Schools, which includes Penasco Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penasco Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Penasco High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penasco Middle'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
- 75
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~74 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penasco Middle's federal record.
- Compare Penasco Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Penasco Middle?
Penasco Middle has 74 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Penasco, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penasco Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Penasco Middle is 37:1, which is 164% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 136% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Penasco Middle?
100.0% of students at Penasco Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penasco Middle?
The largest demographic group at Penasco Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 86.5% of enrollment, in Penasco, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penasco Middle?
Penasco Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Penasco Middle rank among public schools in Penasco?
By Resource Investment Index, Penasco Middle ranks #2 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 Middle a good school?
Penasco Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of New Mexico schools. 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 Middle, Penasco Independent Schools also operates Penasco Elementary (127 students) and Penasco High (75 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.