How equitable is school funding in New Mexico?

The average funding equity score for New Mexico school districts is 51 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

New Mexico · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in New Mexico

98 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

Compiled by PlainSchools, Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Magdalena Municipal Schools ranks first in New Mexico for funding equity at 93/100, in a state whose districts average 51 against a national average of 49.

93/100
top score (Magdalena Municipal Schools): $29,460
per-pupil spending in the top district: 20
districts scoring 70 or higher: 16
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Magdalena Municipal Schools	285	$29,460	99.6%	8.8%	93
2	Zuni Public Schools	1,095	$24,091	100.0%	2.1%	92
3	Mora Independent Schools	433	$24,554	100.0%	4.7%	91
4	Central Consolidated Schools	5,037	$23,470	100.0%	8.0%	89
5	Mountainair Public Schools	210	$31,371	100.0%	11.7%	88
6	Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools	603	$21,955	99.7%	8.2%	86
7	Grants-Cibola County Schools	3,211	$20,276	100.0%	8.9%	83
8	Cobre Consolidated Schools	1,023	$22,582	100.0%	9.5%	82
9	Chama Valley Indep. Schools	363	$23,025	99.5%	12.9%	81
10	Cuba Independent Schools	746	$27,430	100.0%	14.2%	79
11	Jemez Valley Public Schools	359	$22,585	100.0%	15.1%	76
12	Questa Independent Schools	326	$22,301	100.0%	15.3%	76
13	Tularosa Municipal Schools	890	$19,238	92.5%	9.4%	75
14	Hatch Valley Public Schools	1,166	$18,437	98.4%	7.8%	74
15	Dulce Independent Schools	521	$28,599	100.0%	38.5%	74
16	Espanola Public Schools	2,954	$16,809	100.0%	9.0%	73
17	Estancia Municipal Schools	539	$20,957	100.0%	13.0%	72
18	Hagerman Municipal Schools	368	$21,060	99.1%	17.5%	72
19	Fort Sumner Municipal Schools	273	$22,593	100.0%	16.4%	72
20	Floyd Municipal Schools	228	$16,754	75.4%	5.6%	71
21	Albuquerque Bilingual Academy	379	$16,237	99.2%	8.7%	69
22	Cimarron Municipal Schools	401	$23,214	53.9%	26.8%	68
23	Bernalillo Public Schools	2,786	$19,085	99.7%	16.1%	67
24	School of Dreams Academy	606	$15,193	100.0%	4.2%	67
25	Penasco Independent Schools	284	$26,106	100.0%	9.5%	66
26	Amy Biehl Charter High School	222	$19,333	40.1%	10.7%	66
27	Gadsden Independent Schools	12,551	$18,250	100.0%	10.1%	65
28	Gallup-Mckinley Cty Schools	12,224	$18,936	99.4%	3.9%	64
29	Socorro Consolidated Schools	1,438	$18,631	95.1%	10.0%	64
30	Silver Consolidated Schools	2,273	$16,057	100.0%	12.4%	61
31	Taos Municipal Schools	2,267	$17,919	86.1%	18.1%	60
32	Mission Achievement and Success	2,105	$14,845	100.0%	8.7%	60
33	Dexter Consolidated Schools	812	$20,081	100.0%	20.4%	60
34	Pecos Independent Schools	511	$18,971	89.9%	9.7%	59
35	Clayton Municipal Schools	395	$19,699	58.6%	15.5%	59
36	Solare Collegiate Charter School	259	$15,313	100.0%	2.5%	59
37	Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools	246	$22,728	100.0%	15.9%	59
38	Tierra Adentro	243	$14,263	100.0%	8.0%	58
39	Las Vegas City Public Schools	1,202	$18,154	100.0%	17.5%	57
40	West Las Vegas Public Schools	1,555	$17,994	99.9%	10.3%	56
41	Raton Public Schools	844	$16,353	43.6%	9.4%	56
42	North Valley Academy Charter	380	$14,129	50.3%	9.0%	56
43	Tucumcari Public Schools	907	$15,530	100.0%	9.9%	55
44	Taos Academy	274	$14,223	47.4%	7.8%	55
45	Deming Public Schools	5,366	$14,958	99.9%	8.0%	54
46	Portales Municipal Schools	2,610	$15,691	54.4%	9.8%	53
47	Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education	228	$13,553	75.4%	3.8%	53
48	Hozho Academy	616	$15,076	100.0%	0.9%	51
49	Capitan Municipal Schools	471	$16,953	41.2%	17.0%	51
50	Roswell Independent Schools	9,701	$14,716	100.0%	7.0%	50
51	T or C Municipal Schools	1,287	$17,577	100.0%	16.9%	50
52	Tatum Municipal Schools	298	$19,735	38.7%	35.1%	46
53	Dora Municipal Schools	219	$18,954	38.0%	37.2%	46
54	Belen Consolidated Schools	3,602	$15,218	100.0%	13.3%	45
55	Albuquerque Public Schools	79,805	$15,108	74.7%	17.5%	44
56	Las Cruces Public Schools	23,631	$14,613	100.0%	13.6%	44
57	Lordsburg Municipal Schools	425	$20,358	57.2%	22.1%	44
58	Cloudcroft Municipal Schools	379	$19,069	35.8%	20.6%	44
59	Taos Integrated School of the Arts	206	$12,272	100.0%	5.2%	43
60	Lovington Municipal Schools	3,382	$15,348	98.9%	16.1%	42
61	Loving Municipal Schools	647	$16,145	100.0%	57.3%	42
62	Melrose Public Schools	295	$16,166	31.7%	9.6%	42
63	Bloomfield Schools	2,584	$15,195	100.0%	25.5%	41
64	Clovis Municipal Schools	7,664	$13,451	100.0%	8.4%	40
65	Ruidoso Municipal Schools	1,820	$15,052	100.0%	22.9%	40
66	The Ask Academy	625	$9,182	16.8%	3.8%	39
67	Moriarty-Edgewood School District	2,331	$14,977	100.0%	19.8%	38
68	Pojoaque Valley Public Schools	1,630	$14,768	52.8%	10.0%	38
69	Mccurdy Charter School	540	$12,678	62.4%	4.1%	38
70	Santa Fe Public Schools	11,769	$14,817	74.1%	30.4%	37
71	21st Century Public Academy	393	$11,779	40.2%	10.5%	37
72	Aztec Municipal Schools	2,562	$14,624	100.0%	23.5%	35
73	Estancia Valley Classical Academy	626	$11,078	21.7%	5.7%	35
74	Rio Rancho Public Schools	17,272	$13,392	41.8%	14.8%	33
75	Texico Municipal Schools	551	$14,646	36.5%	16.1%	33
76	Farmington Municipal Schools	11,201	$12,791	75.1%	12.9%	32
77	Alamogordo Public Schools	5,575	$13,655	43.1%	12.4%	32
78	Explore Academy	1,204	$12,548	17.8%	9.6%	32
79	Los Lunas Public Schools	8,234	$13,753	100.0%	13.5%	31
80	Turquoise Trail Charter School	677	$13,796	30.4%	17.9%	31
81	Logan Municipal Schools	317	$16,779	44.2%	17.0%	31
82	Eunice Municipal Schools	726	$15,978	54.1%	69.4%	30
83	Los Alamos Public Schools	3,724	$14,624	12.0%	20.6%	29
84	Altura Preparatory School	222	$12,234	13.1%	5.5%	29
85	Jal Public Schools	527	$17,529	39.7%	88.5%	27
86	Monte Del Sol Charter	369	$12,905	47.2%	17.2%	27
87	Artesia Public Schools	3,722	$13,325	39.8%	29.7%	24
88	Hobbs Municipal Schools	9,990	$13,294	100.0%	32.2%	23
89	Horizon Academy West	481	$10,272	29.1%	9.8%	22
90	Abq School of Excellence	910	$11,355	45.7%	10.7%	21
91	Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science	342	$10,787	8.5%	11.1%	21
92	Sw Aeronautics Mathematics and Science Academy	278	$10,788	19.1%	9.1%	21
93	Tierra Encantada Charter School	289	$13,903	19.7%	17.5%	20
94	Nm School for Arts	329	$11,435	17.0%	20.5%	19
95	New Mexico Connections Academy	1,401	$9,919	43.4%	10.6%	18
96	Montessori Elementary School	439	$10,952	-	14.1%	15
97	The Masters Program	242	$11,888	30.6%	21.2%	14
98	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	7,102	$13,304	29.1%	50.9%	12

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to New Mexico

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.