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Best Public Schools in Des Moines, NM

At a glance

Schools

132

Students

5-star school

Top rankedDes Moines Elementary11^th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools

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Newly ranked this year

Des Moines Elementary

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Summary:

Des Moines, New Mexico is served by a small, two-school public district, Des Moines Municipal Schools, made up of Des Moines Elementary (PK–6) and Des Moines High (grades 7–12), so there is no standalone middle school. Together the two schools enroll 132 students — 82 at the elementary and 50 at the high school — and the district as a whole ranks 2 of 87 in New Mexico, at the 98th percentile with 5 stars.

Both schools score far above New Mexico averages in every reported all-grade subject. On 2025–2026 NM-MSSA all-grade ELA, Des Moines Elementary reported 78.38 and Des Moines High 76.19, against a state average of 44.66. In math, the elementary reported 81.08, while the high school reported at least 90% — the highest all-grade proficiency figure in this dataset — compared with a state average of 27.85. Des Moines High also reported science at 77.78 on NM-ASR versus 33.62 statewide. Elementary grade-level results are strong too: 4th grade ELA and math are at least 80%, and 5th grade ELA, math, and science each reported 69.23. The elementary has the more decorated rank history, including 2 of 413 (100th percentile, 5 stars) in 2023–2024 and 11 of 346 (97th percentile, 5 stars) in 2025–2026; the high school's most recent displayed ranking is 26 of 172 (85th percentile, 4 stars) in 2023–2024, with a 5-star, 94th-percentile showing in 2022–2023.

The two schools differ in setting as well as results. Des Moines Elementary has a higher free/reduced-lunch rate (46.34%) and a larger student-teacher ratio (8.7) than Des Moines High (34% and 6.8), yet still posts top-2% state rankings. Recent trends diverge: the elementary's all-grade ELA and math dipped from 2024–2025 (83.72 and 88.37) but remained far above state, while the high school improved in ELA and math with science unchanged at 77.78. Many values are suppressed by the state because of small cohorts — elementary 3rd and 6th grade, high school 8th and 11th grade, and SAT School Day — so those results are unknown, not evidence of weakness.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking ()				SAT School Day English Language Arts (2026)		SAT School Day Mathematics (2026)		NM-ASR Science (2026)				NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2026)							NM-MSSA Mathematics (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT School Day English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT School Day English Language Arts All Grades	SAT School Day Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT School Day Mathematics All Grades	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	NM-ASR Science 8th Grade	NM-ASR Science 11th Grade	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 4th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 5th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Des Moines Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	500 Des Moines Avenue	Des Moines	88418	Union County	Des Moines Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 278-2611	82	9	8.7	46.3%	51 (62.2%)	3 (3.7%)	28 (34.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95.9	11^th of 346 public elementary schools	96.8%					(n/a)					69.2					≥ 80%	69.2				78.4		≥ 80%	69.2				81.1	$25,405
Des Moines High	Public	7-12	500 Des Moines Avenue	Des Moines	88418	Union County	Des Moines Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 278-2611	50	7	6.8	34.0%	37 (74.0%)	1 (2.0%)	12 (24.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								77.8					≥ 80%		76.2					≥ 80%		≥ 90%	$21,539

Cities Near Des Moines

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Raton	35.25 mi	5	62^nd
Maxwell	37.17 mi	3
Clayton	41.42 mi	5	14^th
Springer	43.08 mi	4

See the top NM New Mexico cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.