Summary:
Des Moines Municipal Schools is a small New Mexico district serving PK–12 students across just two schools: Des Moines Elementary (grades PK–6, 82 students) and Des Moines High (grades 7–12, 50 students), both at the same Des Moines address for a combined enrollment of 132. The district itself ranks 2nd of 87 in New Mexico, in the 98th percentile with a 5-star rating, so both schools sit inside an unusually strong district.
Des Moines Elementary is the more consistently top-ranked of the two. It placed 2nd of 413 New Mexico schools in 2023–2024 (100th percentile, 5 stars) and 11th of 346 in 2025–2026 (97th percentile, 5 stars). Its 2025–2026 all-grade results are far above state averages: 76.32% in Language Arts versus 43.34% statewide, 81.58% in Mathematics versus 25.54%, and 81.08% in Mathematics on the NM-MSSA versus 27.85%. In 2024–2025 it posted 83.72% in ELA and 88.37% in Mathematics. Fourth grade scored at least 80% proficient in both subjects; fifth grade reached 69.23%; third and sixth grade figures were suppressed by the state.
Des Moines High also outperforms the state widely. Its 2025–2026 all-grade scores were 73.33% in Language Arts (state: 43.34%), 73.33% in Mathematics (state: 25.54%), and 77.78% in Science (state: 33.4%). Its standout figure is Mathematics on the NM-MSSA at at least 90%, above the district's 86.21% and far above the state's 27.85%. Its rank history is strong but more variable, from 2nd of 182 in 2017–2018 to 26th of 172 in 2023–2024. Both schools are very small, with student-teacher ratios of 8.7 and 6.8 and free/reduced-lunch rates of 46.34% and 34%; several grade-level and SAT scores were suppressed for privacy, which is not evidence of low performance.
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