Enrollment
472
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hobbs, NM
Southern Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southern Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 350126000355
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Heights Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New Mexico schools.
- #7 of 10
- schools in Hobbs · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for New Mexico
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Heights Elementary has class sizes larger than 92% of New Mexico schools. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Heights Elementary ranks #7 of 10 schools in Hobbs, NM.
School address
District: Hobbs Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350126000355 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Heights Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Heights Elementary
Southern Heights Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hobbs, New Mexico, enrolling 472 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.7:1 is larger than about 92% of New Mexico schools and 41% 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 472 puts it in the larger third of New Mexico schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 867 New Mexico schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 242 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Mexico schools statewide, it ranks #223, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Hobbs Municipal Schools spends $11,533 per pupil, 31% below the New Mexico average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Hobbs Municipal Schools also operates Hobbs High (2,312 students) and Houston Middle School (822 students) alongside Southern Heights 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 Southern Heights Elementary compares
Southern Heights 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 | 19.7:1 | ▲ 41% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 472 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
472
Bigger than 58% 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
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 92% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$11,533
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
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 89.2%
White 10.0%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.4, Southern Heights Elementary is less mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hobbs Municipal Schools, which includes Southern Heights Elementary.
$11,533
Per student
-31%
vs New Mexico
Avg $16,652
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.5%
Federal 9.3%
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 Southern Heights Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houston Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hobbs Freshman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heizer Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Heights Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,312
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~472 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southern Heights Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hobbs 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 Southern Heights Elementary
How many students attend Southern Heights Elementary?
Southern Heights Elementary has 472 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hobbs, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Heights Elementary is 19.7:1, which is 41% higher than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southern Heights Elementary?
100.0% of students at Southern Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southern Heights Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 89.2% of enrollment, in Hobbs, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Heights Elementary?
Southern Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Southern Heights Elementary rank among schools in Hobbs?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Heights Elementary ranks #7 of 10 schools in Hobbs, NM. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hobbs on the city page.
Is Southern Heights Elementary a good school?
Southern Heights Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Hobbs Municipal Schools?
Besides Southern Heights Elementary, Hobbs Municipal Schools also operates Hobbs High (2,312 students), Houston Middle School (822 students), and Highland Middle School (808 students). See the Hobbs 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.