Enrollment
550
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sunland Park, NM
Riverside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350108000719
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most New Mexico schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Sunland Park · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Sunland Park, NM.
School address
District: Gadsden Independent Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350108000719 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Elementary
Riverside Elementary is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Sunland Park, New Mexico, enrolling 550 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Mexico median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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 550 puts it in the larger 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 213 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 550 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Gadsden Independent Schools also operates Gadsden High (1,219 students) and Santa Teresa High (1,154 students) alongside Riverside Elementary.
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 Riverside Elementary compares
Riverside Elementary 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.4%
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
$14,189
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 550 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 98.2%
White 0.9%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.6, Riverside Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gadsden Independent Schools, which includes Riverside Elementary.
$14,189
Per student
-15%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.1%
State 68.2%
Federal 21.7%
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 Riverside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Teresa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gadsden Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,219
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,154
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 546
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other 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 (~550 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gadsden 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 Riverside Elementary
How many students attend Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has 550 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sunland Park, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Riverside Elementary?
100.0% of students at Riverside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 98.2% of enrollment, in Sunland Park, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Riverside Elementary rank among schools in Sunland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Sunland Park, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sunland Park on the city page.
Is Riverside Elementary a good school?
Riverside Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Gadsden Independent Schools?
Besides Riverside Elementary, Gadsden Independent Schools also operates Gadsden High (1,219 students), Santa Teresa High (1,154 students), and Chaparral High (1,067 students). See the Gadsden 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.