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Ernest Stapleton Elementary

Q: Is Ernest Stapleton Elementary a good school?

Ernest Stapleton Elementary ranks 51 st of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Ernest Stapleton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 798 students attended Ernest Stapleton Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ernest Stapleton Elementary?

Students at Ernest Stapleton Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 31% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Ernest Stapleton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ernest Stapleton Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Rio Rancho High

Public Grades K-5

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Ernest Stapleton Elementary is a public elementary school located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade with a total enrollment of 801 students. The school has consistently performed well, ranking in the top 20% of New Mexico elementary schools over the past decade and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2024-2025 school year.

Ernest Stapleton Elementary's academic performance is particularly impressive, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics that consistently outpace the Rio Rancho district and the state of New Mexico. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rate for all grades was 60.89%, compared to 54.06% for the Rio Rancho district and 44.19% for the state. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was 45.33%, compared to 37.1% for the Rio Rancho district and 26.81% for the state. The school's performance is especially strong in 4th grade ELA, where 74.83% of students were proficient or better, compared to 56.56% for the Rio Rancho district and 47.55% for the state.

Ernest Stapleton Elementary's success extends beyond overall academic performance, as the school also demonstrates a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. The school's performance across diverse student subgroups, including Native American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students, is particularly noteworthy, with several groups ranking in the top quartile of New Mexico elementary schools. This suggests that the school has implemented effective strategies and programs to support the academic and social-emotional needs of all students, regardless of their background or demographic characteristics.

798

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,890

Per pupil spending ?

33.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3100 Stapleton Ave NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124

(505) 891-8473

District: Rio Rancho

Students who attend Ernest Stapleton Elementary usually attend:

High:

Rio Rancho High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.3%

White:

31.3%

Two or more races:

9.0%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Ernest Stapleton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 88th percentile in 2014 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (52% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Rio Rancho

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg45%

New Mexico avg35%

51^st of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 10Elementary Schools in the Rio Rancho

30^th of 82Rio Rancho among New Mexico districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	78.3	51 of 345	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	55 of 413	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	80.2	81 of 435	81.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.2	86 of 420	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	74.5	82 of 396	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	68 of 383	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	73.5	72 of 374	80.7%	★★★★☆
2016	77.0	72 of 410	82.4%	★★★★☆
2015	84.2	46 of 421	89.1%	★★★★☆
2014	81.4	55 of 442	87.6%	★★★★☆
2013	77.1	77 of 412	81.3%	★★★★☆
2012	78.4	65 of 398	83.7%	★★★★☆
2011	84.2	48 of 402	88.1%	★★★★☆
2010	80.9	56 of 419	86.6%	★★★★☆
2009	77.8	58 of 411	85.9%	★★★★☆
2008	80.2	57 of 405	85.9%	★★★★☆
2007	74.3	76 of 398	80.9%	★★★★☆
2006	83.4	47 of 390	87.9%	★★★★☆
2005	78.5	63 of 389	83.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	55.9	21 of 34	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.3	21 of 56	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	40.3	24 of 35	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	49.9	93 of 203	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	70.5	82 of 398	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	98 of 390	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	66.8	86 of 395	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	96 of 343	72.0%	★★★★☆
2018	68.9	80 of 339	76.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	38 of 255	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.2	67 of 384	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	62.6	137 of 395	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	94 of 389	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	61.1	96 of 320	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.0	93 of 329	71.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	81.4	36 of 325	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	48 of 356	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	85 of 426	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	51.3	147 of 410	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	177 of 361	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	132 of 356	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	83.2	48 of 397	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.7	68 of 414	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	85 of 392	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.8	51 of 337	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	36 of 333	89.2%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	16.4	48 of 50	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	29.6	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.7	24 of 45	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.7	20 of 83	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	46.2	50 of 91	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	93.1	6 of 90	93.3%	★★★★★
2023	77.6	22 of 92	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	35.2	61 of 99	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	86.5	3 of 64	95.3%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	37.0	4 of 6	33.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.1	90 of 158	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.0	58 of 165	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	85 of 132	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	29 of 47	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	78.4	47 of 304	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	52 of 339	84.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.4	80 of 413	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.8	117 of 325	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	52 of 199	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	70.8	38 of 187	79.7%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Native American (2024)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2024)88th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)85th percentile~ school

White (2025)85th percentile~ school

Female (2024)79th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)54th percentile-25 vs school

African American (2023)38th percentile-43 vs school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile-52 vs school

Disabled (2018)31st percentile-51 vs school

Military Connected (2022)4th percentile-76 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)<1st percentile-85 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts61%+17 vs state

Mathematics45%+19 vs state

Science43%+14 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 8, 2016

Extremely over crowded! Parents are not welcome at the school and communication with parents is also not welcome. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, June 18, 2012

My Son went to kindergarten at this school, I was highly impressed with the teachers, staff and the principals. The school is new, clean, and nice. My son enjoyed going to school and I loved the schedule for the school hours. Highly recommend this school! Close Quote

Schools Near Ernest Stapleton Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NM-ASR Science (2025)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2025)						NM-MSSA Mathematics (2025)						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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	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 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 All Grades	Total
Ernest Stapleton Elementary	Public	K-5	3100 Stapleton Ave NE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 891-8473	798	42	18.9		250 (31.3%)	3 (0.4%)	449 (56.3%)	3 (0.4%)	21 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (9.0%)	78.3	51^st of 345 public elementary schools	85.2%		83.6	55^th of 413 public elementary schools	86.7%	4	43.5	59.1	74.8	48.3			60.9	43.5	39.7	53.1			45.3	$8,890
Rio Rancho Elementary	Public	K-5	4601 Pepe Ortiz Rd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 892-0220	486	30	15.9	100.0%	109 (22.4%)	6 (1.2%)	305 (62.8%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.8%)	41.6	182^nd of 345 public elementary schools	47.2%		37.9	233^rd of 413 public elementary schools	43.6%	51	19.0	51.1	52.3	35.4			46.7	19.6	34.1	27.9			27.0	$9,461
Martin King Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	1301 Nicklaus Dr SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 892-2575	569	31	18.1	100.0%	138 (24.3%)	16 (2.8%)	347 (61.0%)	24 (4.2%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.9%)	58.9	106^th of 345 public elementary schools	69.3%		72	88^th of 413 public elementary schools	78.7%	18	32.7	59.5	57.8	44.9			54.0	35.7	31.2	35.7			34.0	$7,579
Enchanted Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	5400 Obregon Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 891-8526	673	42	16.0		207 (30.8%)	6 (0.9%)	384 (57.1%)	3 (0.4%)	15 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.6%)	75.2	55^th of 345 public elementary schools	84.1%		83.1	57^th of 413 public elementary schools	86.2%	2	45.2	51.3	60.2	61.3			57.7	31.0	39.8	62.1			44.9	$7,891
Maggie Cordova Elementary School	Public	K-5	1500 Veranda Rd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 994-0229	608	41	14.6	100.0%	136 (22.4%)	9 (1.5%)	415 (68.3%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (5.8%)	45.8	163^rd of 345 public elementary schools	52.8%		61.7	129^th of 413 public elementary schools	68.8%	34	31.6	38.1	53.1	45.3			44.7	27.7	18.5	39.3			29.7	$8,930
Colinas Del Norte Elementary	Public	K-5	1001 Night Sky Ave NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 896-3378	540	34	15.9	100.0%	130 (24.1%)	10 (1.9%)	358 (66.3%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.7%)	22.9	275^th of 345 public elementary schools	20.3%		29.4	279^th of 413 public elementary schools	32.4%	4	21.1	33.0	43.7	32.2			36.2	13.6	16.1	23.3			17.7	$8,935
Explore Academy - Rio Rancho	Public, Charter	K-7	6090 Zenith Court	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Explore Academy - Rio Rancho	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(505) 306-5283	430	31	13.8	33.0%	150 (34.9%)	8 (1.9%)	201 (46.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (15.1%)	64.8	88^th of 345 public elementary schools	74.5%		61.3	130^th of 413 public elementary schools	68.5%	42	40.5	60.9	67.7	59.5	61.0	50.0	58.9	34.8	38.7	27.0	28.8	25.9	30.3
Cielo Azul Elementary	Public	K-5	3804 Shiloh Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 338-2320	640	38	16.7	100.0%	152 (23.8%)	21 (3.3%)	368 (57.5%)	14 (2.2%)	22 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (9.7%)	39	192^nd of 345 public elementary schools	44.3%		51.8	164^th of 413 public elementary schools	60.3%	28	26.2	34.7	48.0	47.1			42.7	23.1	20.4	37.5			26.9	$8,635
Puesta Del Sol Elementary	Public	K-5	450 Southern Blvd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 994-3305	539	29	18.3	99.8%	106 (19.7%)	4 (0.7%)	377 (69.9%)	3 (0.6%)	17 (3.2%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (5.6%)	24.7	262^nd of 345 public elementary schools	24.1%		34.9	243^rd of 413 public elementary schools	41.2%	19	29.1	33.7	33.0	30.9			32.5	15.8	17.5	29.1			21.0	$8,908
Joe Harris Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 10th Street SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 896-0706	574	32	17.9		131 (22.8%)	7 (1.2%)	371 (64.6%)	10 (1.7%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.7%)	67.5	82^nd of 345 public elementary schools	76.2%		78.8	67^th of 413 public elementary schools	83.8%	15	52.2	49.0	64.7	54.4			56.1	26.5	36.4	42.2			34.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Ernest Stapleton Elementary

Is Ernest Stapleton Elementary a good school?

Ernest Stapleton Elementary ranks 51^st of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ernest Stapleton Elementary?

Students at Ernest Stapleton Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 31% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

How many students attend Ernest Stapleton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 798 students attended Ernest Stapleton Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ernest Stapleton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ernest Stapleton Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Rio Rancho High

What district is Ernest Stapleton Elementary in?

Rio Rancho

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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.