United StatesNMLas Cruces Public Schools

School district or education agency · NCES 3501500

Las Cruces Public Schools

Las Cruces, NM

Students23,404

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools39

operational schools · 2023–24

Students23,404

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$14,613

per student

Student outcomes

How are students doing?

Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.

Nationally comparable trend · 2022–2025

Are results improving over time?

31stlatest estimated national standing
2022202320242025

2 percentile points higher than 2022.

Annual dropout · 2023–24

How many high-school students left during the year?

6.2%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District6.2%
NM5.1%
U.S.2.6%

Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.

State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.

Graduation · 2022–23

How many students graduated within four years?

Loading the district's official graduation record…

What has changed?

The district’s recent direction

Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.

Academic standing1 percentile point

Higher than the first comparable year.

2022–2025 · Stanford research estimate
Chronic absence29.4 points

Higher than the first year. More students were chronically absent.

2020–21–2022–23
Enrollment-1.5%

Student enrollment declined.

2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCES
Operating spending+19.4%

Spending per student increased before adjusting for inflation.

FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33
Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K958 students
4.1%
Kindergarten–grade 59,763 students
41.7%
Grades 6–85,027 students
21.5%
Grades 9–127,656 students
32.7%
See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten958
Kindergarten1,488
Grade 11,581
Grade 21,702
Grade 31,660
Grade 41,615
Grade 51,717
Grade 61,652
Grade 71,672
Grade 81,703
Grade 92,190
Grade 101,905
Grade 111,875
Grade 121,686

Students by race and ethnicity

Hispanic/Latino18,505 (79.1%)
White3,759 (16.1%)
Black or African American461 (2.0%)
Two or more races254 (1.1%)
Asian218 (0.9%)
American Indian or Alaska Native150 (0.6%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander57 (0.2%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Early learning · 2023–24

How much public pre-K is reported?

958Students enrolled in pre-K
67.6Pre-K teachers, full-time equivalent
14.2:1Reported pre-K students per pre-K teacher

Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment

District4.1%
NM3.5%
United States2.9%

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

2,337All district staff, full-time equivalent
1,571.5Teachers, full-time equivalent
42School counselors, full-time equivalent
1School psychologists, full-time equivalent
295.5Instructional aides, full-time equivalent
11Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent
93School administrators, full-time equivalent
13Student support staff, full-time equivalent
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers67.6 FTE
Kindergarten teachers64 FTE
Elementary teachers570.5 FTE
Secondary teachers580.4 FTE
Ungraded teachers288.9 FTE
Elementary school counselors17 FTE
Secondary school counselors25 FTE
Instructional coordinators23 FTE
District administrators1 FTE
School administrative support108 FTE
Library and media support23 FTE
Other support staff155 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

High-school outcomes · 2023–24

How many students completed school or dropped out?

1,528Total completers
1,528Regular diplomas
478Reported dropouts, grades 9–12

Regular diplomas among completers

District100.0%
NM99.8%
United States99.0%

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12

District6.2%
NM5.1%
United States2.6%

Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.

Teachers and staff

Teacher workforce

Loading the district’s workforce comparison…

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

26,025children ages 5 to 17
6,321estimated to live in families below the poverty line
24.3%about 1 in 4 school-age children
District24.3%
NM19.4%
United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in NM receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictNMUnited States
Academic standing2025
31st percentile30th percentile45th percentile

This district is 1 percentile points higher than the state figure and 14 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23
39.9%43.1%27.8%

This district is 3.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 12.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023
$16,648$19,286$19,509

This district is $2,638 per student lower than the state figure and $2,861 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023
$14,613$15,582$15,859

This district is $969 per student lower than the state figure and $1,246 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,549$2,413$1,964

This district is $864 per student lower than the state figure and $415 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$334$272$336

This district is $62 per student higher than the state figure and $2 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$2,467$2,361$1,793

This district is $106 per student higher than the state figure and $674 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023
$8,741$8,747$8,742

This district is $6 per student lower than the state figure and $1 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023
$3,164$3,178$3,769

This district is $14 per student lower than the state figure and $605 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$5,856$7,352$11,715

This district is $1,496 per student lower than the state figure and $5,859 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$508$1,172$869

This district is $664 per student lower than the state figure and $361 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24
15:114:115:1

This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24
557:1440:1376:1

This district is 117 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 181 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
99.9115.3138.9

This district is 15.4 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 39.0 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
12.614.418.5

This district is 1.8 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 5.9 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.00.10.9

This district is 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
100.0%99.8%99.0%

This district is 0.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
6.2%5.1%2.6%

This district is 1.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
4.1%3.5%2.9%

This district is 0.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
16.6%19.6%12.0%

This district is 3.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
14.8%16.4%14.0%

This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.2%1.8%3.9%

This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
97.2%95.4%95.8%

This district is 1.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
-1.5%-2.5%+0.5%

This district is 1.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
82.3%74.8%50.6%

This district is 7.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 31.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.6%5.9%4.5%

This district is 2.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.8%9.2%9.0%

This district is 3.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
0.0%6.0%6.7%

This district is 6.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
17.0%8.2%5.1%

This district is 8.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 11.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
24.3%19.4%14.4%

This district is 4.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 9.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

16.6%Students learning English3,821 students · 41 of 41 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District16.6%
NM19.6%
U.S.12.0%
14.8%Students receiving IDEA special-education services3,387 students · 41 of 41 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District14.8%
NM16.4%
U.S.14.0%
1.2%Students with Section 504 plans243 students · 32 of 41 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District1.2%
NM1.8%
U.S.3.9%
3.3%English learners also receiving IDEA services754 students · 41 of 41 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District3.3%
NM4.0%
U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

97.2%Teachers reported as certified
826Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District97.2%
NM95.4%
United States95.8%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Academic results · 2025

How do results differ among student groups?

Fem9,282 assessments
32 out of 100
Economically disadvantaged students18,801 assessments
31 out of 100
Mal9,550 assessments
29 out of 100

A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

25Elementary schools
7High schools
8Middle schools
25City setting
9Suburb setting
6Rural setting
3Magnet schools
2Alternative schools

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

17.5%Federal
69.4%State
13.1%Local
Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$14,613Total current spending per student
$8,546Instruction per student
$5,426Support services per student
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
$68.9MFederal revenue17.5% of total revenue
$273MState revenue69.4% of total revenue
$51.5MLocal revenue13.1% of total revenue
How operating money was used
$8,546Instructionper student
$5,426Student and instructional supportper student
$2,467Special educationper student
$1,199Building operations and maintenanceper student
$395Student transportationper student
$642Food servicesper student
$24Technologyper student
People costs
$206.6MSalaries$8,741 per student
$74.8MEmployee benefits$3,164 per student
Equipment, buildings and debt
$7.9MEquipmentFY 2023
$36.6MCapital outlay$1,549 per student
$24.7MConstructionincluded in capital outlay
$138.4MDebt outstanding at year end$5,856 per student
$12.5MNew debt issuedFY 2023
$12MDebt principal retiredFY 2023
$4.4MInterest paid on debtFY 2023
Selected federal program revenue
$11.9MTitle I$503 per student
$6.8MIDEA special education$290 per student
$265KCareer and technical education$11 per student
$12.4MChild nutrition$523 per student
What changed since FY 2022
Operating spending per student
FY 2022$12,237
FY 2023$14,613+19.4% year over year
Capital spending per student
FY 2022$740
FY 2023$1,549+109.3% year over year
Debt outstanding per student
FY 2022$5,801
FY 2023$5,856+0.9% year over year

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–2110.5%

2,405 of 22,901 students

2021–2241.2%

9,459 of 22,951 students

2022–2339.9%

8,864 of 22,213 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

12Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE40 reporting schools
59Security staff FTE40 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Algebra I7 reporting schools
100%
Calculus7 reporting schools
57%
Biology7 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry7 reporting schools
100%
Physics7 reporting schools
86%
Computer science7 reporting schools
57%
Advanced Placement7 reporting schools
86%
Dual enrollment7 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs40 reporting schools
95%
International Baccalaureate7 reporting schools
0%
Athletics7 reporting schools
57%

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Six questions parents ask

What the available data says

Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →