Enrollment
698
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Las Cruces, NM
Sierra Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 350150000455
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #3 of 8
- middle schools in Las Cruces · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Middle has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle ranks #3 of 8 middle schools in Las Cruces, NM.
School address
District: Las Cruces Public Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350150000455 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
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 Sierra Middle compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Middle
Sierra Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, enrolling 698 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Mexico, bigger than 91% of state schools at 698 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 867 scored New Mexico schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Las Cruces Public Schools spends $12,237 per pupil, 27% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Las Cruces Public Schools also operates Organ Mountain High School (2,128 students) and Centennial High School (1,713 students) alongside Sierra 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 Sierra Middle compares
Sierra 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 698 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
698
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 59% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
55.3%
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
$12,237
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.6 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 82.2%
White 13.8%
African American 2.1%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.5, Sierra Middle is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Las Cruces Public Schools, which includes Sierra Middle.
$12,237
Per student
-27%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 69.4%
Federal 17.0%
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 Sierra Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organ Mountain High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Las Cruces High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfield High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camino Real Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,128
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,327
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~698 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Las Cruces 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 Sierra Middle
How many students attend Sierra Middle?
Sierra Middle has 698 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Las Cruces, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle is 14.2:1, 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 Sierra Middle?
100.0% of students at Sierra Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment, in Las Cruces, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Middle?
Sierra Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sierra Middle rank among middle schools in Las Cruces?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle ranks #3 of 8 middle schools in Las Cruces, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Las Cruces on the city page.
Is Sierra Middle a good school?
Sierra Middle earns 38/100 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 Las Cruces Public Schools?
Besides Sierra Middle, Las Cruces Public Schools also operates Organ Mountain High School (2,128 students), Centennial High School (1,713 students), and Las Cruces High (1,703 students). See the Las Cruces 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.