Enrollment
590
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rio Rancho, NM
Shining Stars Preschool
Federal NCES profile for Shining Stars Preschool, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350001000953
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shining Stars Preschool earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of New Mexico schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Rio Rancho · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 590
- students enrolled
Shining Stars Preschool has class sizes larger than 78% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shining Stars Preschool ranks #4 of 4 schools in Rio Rancho, NM.
School address
District: Rio Rancho Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350001000953 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shining Stars Preschool compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shining Stars Preschool
Shining Stars Preschool is a large combined-grade school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, enrolling 590 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 590 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (28%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1180 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Rio Rancho Public Schools spends $11,377 per pupil, 32% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students) and Rio Rancho High (2,568 students) alongside Shining Stars Preschool.
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 Shining Stars Preschool compares
Shining Stars Preschool 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 17% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 590 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
590
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 78% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.3%
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
$11,377
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Mexico avg of $16,652
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 61.9%
White 27.5%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, Shining Stars Preschool is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rio Rancho Public Schools, which includes Shining Stars Preschool.
$11,377
Per student
-32%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 74.5%
Federal 10.7%
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 Shining Stars Preschool Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rio Rancho Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shining Stars Preschool's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,596
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,568
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~590 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shining Stars Preschool's federal record.
- Compare Shining Stars Preschool against another school. Compare schools
- Rio Rancho Public 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 Shining Stars Preschool
How many students attend Shining Stars Preschool?
Shining Stars Preschool has 590 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Rio Rancho, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shining Stars Preschool?
The student-teacher ratio at Shining Stars Preschool is 16.4:1, which is 17% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shining Stars Preschool?
The largest demographic group at Shining Stars Preschool is Hispanic or Latino at 61.9% of enrollment, in Rio Rancho, NM. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shining Stars Preschool?
Shining Stars Preschool has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower 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 Shining Stars Preschool rank among schools in Rio Rancho?
By Resource Investment Index, Shining Stars Preschool ranks #4 of 4 schools in Rio Rancho, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rio Rancho on the city page.
Is Shining Stars Preschool a good school?
Shining Stars Preschool earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Rio Rancho Public Schools?
Besides Shining Stars Preschool, Rio Rancho Public Schools also operates Cleveland High School (2,596 students), Rio Rancho High (2,568 students), and Rio Rancho Middle School (1,024 students). See the Rio Rancho Public 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.