Enrollment
366
New Mexico · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portales, NM
Valencia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valencia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 350210000417
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valencia Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Mexico median.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Portales · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valencia Elementary has class sizes near the New Mexico median. Computed live against every New Mexico school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valencia Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Portales, NM.
School address
District: Portales Municipal Schools · New Mexico
NCES ID 350210000417 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14:1 New Mexico avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 80.8% New Mexico avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valencia Elementary compares with New Mexico and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valencia Elementary
Valencia Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Portales, New Mexico, enrolling 366 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 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 62.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 366 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 19 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #9.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (25%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students) and Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students) alongside Valencia 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 Valencia Elementary compares
Valencia 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 13% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▼ 23% | 80.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 366 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
366
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 35% in New Mexico - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 68.9%
White 25.1%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 2.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, Valencia Elementary is more mixed than the New Mexico school average of 39.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portales Municipal Schools, which includes Valencia Elementary.
$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 Valencia Elementary 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 |
| James Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brown Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portales Jr High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valencia Elementary'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
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary 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 (~366 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valencia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valencia Elementary 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 Valencia Elementary
How many students attend Valencia Elementary?
Valencia Elementary has 366 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portales, NM.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valencia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valencia Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 13% lower than the New Mexico average of 14:1 and 22% 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 Valencia Elementary?
62.0% of students at Valencia Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Mexico average of 80.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valencia Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valencia Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 68.9% of enrollment, in Portales, NM.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valencia Elementary?
Valencia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Valencia Elementary rank among elementary schools in Portales?
By Resource Investment Index, Valencia Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Portales on the city page.
Is Valencia Elementary a good school?
Valencia Elementary earns 42/100 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 Portales Municipal Schools?
Besides Valencia Elementary, Portales Municipal Schools also operates Portales High (754 students), Lindsey-Steiner Elementary (376 students), and James Elementary (364 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.