Summary:
Magdalena, New Mexico is served by three schools — Magdalena Elementary (PK–5), Magdalena Middle (6–8), and Magdalena High (9–12) — all part of Magdalena Municipal Schools. All three share one campus at 201 Duggins Dr and together enroll 297 students, with 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility at every school. The district is rated 3 stars, ranked 38 of 87 districts.
Among the three, Magdalena Elementary is the clear standout: a 4-star rating, 88th percentile (43 of 346), and results above both district and state in ELA and math. Magdalena Middle is the most stable, holding 3 stars each of the last three reported years, but sits just below district and state in ELA and math. Magdalena High shows the widest contradiction: 2 stars and 11th-grade ELA 28% versus the state's 36.78%, yet a graduation rate of 85.5% (2023-24) that exceeds the state's 80.6% (2024-25) — figures from different school years, so that comparison is directional rather than exact.
Three patterns matter most for families. First, proficiency drops as students move up: roughly 51–53% in ELA at the elementary, 37% at the middle, and 28% in 11th grade. Second, math trails ELA everywhere by 15–20 points, and the high school's math results are entirely suppressed by the state — unknown, not zero. Third, the smaller the school, the more data is hidden, including all grade-level math at the middle school. Grade-level bright spots exist, such as 7th-grade ELA at 57.69% versus the state's 46.63%, but they are isolated rather than consistent.
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