Enrollment
326
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Portales, NM
Portales Jr High
Federal NCES profile for Portales Jr High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 350210000489
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portales Jr High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of New Mexico schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Portales · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.9:1
- small classes for New Mexico
- 59.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Portales Jr High has class sizes smaller than 76% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portales Jr High ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Portales, NM.
School address
District: Portales Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350210000489 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.8%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portales Jr High compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portales Jr High
Portales Jr High is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Portales, New Mexico, enrolling 326 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 59.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 326 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Mexico median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 23 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (21%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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.
Discipline events run high: 115 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 326 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students) and Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students) alongside Portales Jr 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 Portales Jr High compares
Portales Jr 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.8% | ▼ 26% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 24% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.9%
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 326 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.3 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 70.6%
White 20.9%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 2.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, Portales Jr High is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portales Municipal Schools, which includes Portales Jr High.
$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 Portales Jr High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portales High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lindsey-Steiner Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brown Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portales Jr High'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
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- 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
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 (~326 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portales Jr High's federal record.
- Compare Portales Jr High 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 Portales Jr High
How many students attend Portales Jr High?
Portales Jr High has 326 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Portales, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portales Jr High?
The student-teacher ratio at Portales Jr High is 10.9:1, which is 22% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 31% 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 Portales Jr High?
59.8% of students at Portales Jr High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portales Jr High?
The largest demographic group at Portales Jr High is Hispanic or Latino at 70.6% of enrollment, in Portales, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portales Jr High?
Portales Jr High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Portales Jr High rank among public schools in Portales?
By Resource Investment Index, Portales Jr High ranks #2 of 6 public 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 public schools in Portales on the city page.
Is Portales Jr High a good school?
Portales Jr High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Portales Municipal Schools?
Besides Portales Jr High, Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students), Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students), and Valencia Elementary (366 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.