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Sandia Vista Elementary

Q: Is Sandia Vista Elementary a good school?

Sandia Vista Elementary ranks 52 nd of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

52^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Sandia Vista Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, serving 692 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas.

Sandia Vista Elementary's students significantly outperform their peers in the Rio Rancho and New Mexico state averages on the NM-MSSA tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, 57.83% of Sandia Vista students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 54.06% in Rio Rancho and 44.19% statewide. In mathematics, 48.15% of Sandia Vista students were proficient or better, compared to 37.1% in Rio Rancho and 26.81% statewide. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate was also significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Sandia Vista Elementary's performance is particularly noteworthy across various student subgroups, with rankings in the top quartile of New Mexico elementary schools. However, the school's relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 10.87% to 23.55% over the past three years, suggests that the school serves a more affluent student population compared to nearby schools like Rio Rancho Elementary (60.91%) and Cielo Azul Elementary (43.94%). This raises questions about the school's ability to effectively support students from lower-income backgrounds and ensure equitable access to educational opportunities.

713

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,047

Per pupil spending ?

23.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6800 Franklin Rd NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87144

(505) 338-2526

District: Rio Rancho

Students who attend Sandia Vista Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mountain View Middle
High:	Cleveland High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.2%

White:

25.9%

Two or more races:

7.4%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Sandia Vista Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

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

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (53% 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 school53%

District avg45%

New Mexico avg35%

52^nd of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From top 12% (2015) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	77.4	52 of 345	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	72 of 413	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	84.4	69 of 435	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.8	58 of 420	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	88.6	22 of 396	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	79.4	59 of 383	84.6%	★★★★☆
2017	65.2	99 of 374	73.5%	★★★★☆
2016	59.8	129 of 410	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	83.1	49 of 421	88.4%	★★★★☆
2014	78.6	67 of 442	84.8%	★★★★☆
2013	83.2	47 of 412	88.6%	★★★★☆
2012	88.4	34 of 398	91.5%	★★★★★
2011	80.6	61 of 402	84.8%	★★★★☆
2010	83.5	43 of 419	89.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	84.0	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	89.6	5 of 34	85.3%	★★★★☆
2022	62.0	22 of 56	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	79.2	7 of 24	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	42.0	27 of 40	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	36.8	27 of 35	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	40.9	128 of 203	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	66.8	91 of 398	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	73 of 390	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	60 of 395	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	85.1	25 of 343	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	75.7	58 of 339	82.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	80.9	34 of 255	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	63 of 384	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	89.1	44 of 395	88.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	54 of 389	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	93.9	6 of 320	98.1%	★★★★★
2018	80.0	37 of 329	88.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	80.2	39 of 325	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	69 of 356	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	48.9	214 of 426	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.3	173 of 410	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.2	54 of 361	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	53.3	142 of 356	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	74.1	76 of 397	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	83.9	64 of 414	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	55 of 392	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	85.5	21 of 337	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	77.2	44 of 333	86.8%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	58.9	2 of 5	60.0%	★★★★☆
2024	53.5	8 of 15	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.0	10 of 50	80.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.2	17 of 45	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.6	16 of 83	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	64.6	20 of 91	78.0%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	43.0	43 of 90	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.2	43 of 92	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	49 of 99	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.0	7 of 64	89.1%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	75.3	37 of 165	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	45.1	69 of 132	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.2	13 of 47	72.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	48 of 304	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	66.0	86 of 339	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	76 of 413	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	70.3	64 of 325	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	66.0	55 of 199	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	59.4	68 of 187	63.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)87th percentile~ school

African American (2024)84th percentile~ school

White (2025)84th percentile~ school

Male (2024)81st percentile~ school

Special Education (2023)78th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2024)77th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2023)71st percentile-13 vs school

Military Connected (2025)60th percentile-25 vs school

Native American (2024)52nd percentile-30 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)50th percentile-35 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)37th percentile-49 vs school

Disabled (2018)23rd percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%+14 vs state

Science51%+22 vs state

Mathematics48%+21 vs state

1.0

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★4

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 19, 2020

After eight years (two kids) three principles, and a new one for next year, I wish I had more positive experiences to share. The final straw the made me write this comment was when my sons 1st grade teacher wrote me to explain I shouldn't expect her to use proper grammar, or know how to use a chromebook properly (since they only got Chromebooks this year, 19-20). She continued arguing that because I was the only parent commenting on her mistakes she did not take me seriously. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, December 12, 2018

The school administrators are arrogant, disrespectful and extremely narcissistic. They lack professionalism, common sense and basic fundamental skills needed to run a facility.
The way they communicate with parents are condescending and disrespectful . The only thing this school really cares about is test scores.Don t waste your time here, there are better options. Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Overall going to the school was crap ,I didn't do anything interesting, it was boring I didn't learn anything new ,people there weren't very nice either the teachers were uncreative, though that is not their fault because they are put on very stupid restrictions, except for a few( the people at the front office, gifted teacher and a couple of the teachers that are already gone). I have already graduated the school and move onto a better one, but I think you not to put your kids in to the school unless their gifted students (you will spend most your time doing, you learn more in gifted then in normal) which is good because the rest of school sucks. But I was in the Montessori program, never know if traditional might be better. I hope the school becomes better in the future. Please don't take this personally. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, August 22, 2014

I paid $600/mo each for my 2 kids to attend the Montessori here for ages 3 and 4. After paying a deposit etc... my 3 yr old was kicked out on the first day as "too young." I had built her up about the school for over a month and pulled her from head-start program. She was devastated. My 4 yr old lasted about 4 months but was so stressed out that she wetting her pants and instead of dealing with it, they sent her to the nurse as if she was sick and threatened to kick her out. Her reactions were natural for a new school at her age and ultimately they suspended her for having accidents. Which promptly stopped as soon as we left the school. If you don't want to deal with accidents, then don't teach 3 and 4 yr olds. It is natural. They made it worse. Both Montessori teacher did not have kids of their own. What a nasty environment. If you want your children stressed about education and not enjoying the learning process, go here. I never got all my money back. Never so insulted for paying to be somewhere and then treated with snobbery. We have never had these problems anywhere else. Close Quote

Schools Near Sandia Vista 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-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 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
Sandia Vista Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6800 Franklin Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 338-2526	713	35	20.2		185 (25.9%)	17 (2.4%)	401 (56.2%)	18 (2.5%)	37 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (7.4%)	77.4	52^nd of 345 public elementary schools	84.9%		77.3	72^nd of 413 public elementary schools	82.6%	20	51.2		41.5	66.0	67.2			57.8	37.4	37.9	67.2			48.2	$9,047
Sandoval Academy Of Bilingual Education	Public, Charter	K-8	4321 Fulcrum Way NE Suite A	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Sandoval Academy Of Bilingual Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 771-0555	222	16	13.6	100.0%	27 (12.2%)	4 (1.8%)	178 (80.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)	43.9	173^rd of 345 public elementary schools	49.9%		57.9	139^th of 413 public elementary schools	66.3%	34		30.3	40.9	40.9	47.8	43.8		48.0			30.4			18.6	$7,858
Vista Grande Elementary	Public	K-5	7001 Chayote Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 771-2366	786	34	22.9		186 (23.7%)	13 (1.7%)	444 (56.5%)	13 (1.7%)	45 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	83 (10.6%)	65.2	87^th of 345 public elementary schools	74.8%		76.4	75^th of 413 public elementary schools	81.8%	12	41.2		51.4	56.4	52.9			53.7	30.0	32.9	49.3			37.2	$8,253
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
Wd Carroll Elementary	Public	K-3	842 Camino Don Tomas	Bernalillo	87004	Sandoval County	Bernalillo	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 867-4441	399	32	12.4	100.0%	14 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	292 (73.2%)	3 (0.8%)	73 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)								(n/a)			35.4					35.4	22.2					22.2	$11,950
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
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
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
Corrales Elementary	Public	K-7	200 Target Rd	Corrales	87048	Sandoval County	Albuquerque	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 792-7400	378	29	13.2	99.7%	137 (36.2%)	5 (1.3%)	194 (51.3%)	3 (0.8%)	15 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.3%)	82.9	42^nd of 345 public elementary schools	87.8%		84.4	48^th of 413 public elementary schools	88.4%	6	50.0		55.6	76.9	64.5	60.9	61.1	64.6	40.7	38.5	53.2	69.6	44.4	47.4	$8,540

Frequently Asked Questions about Sandia Vista Elementary

What district is Sandia Vista Elementary in?

Rio Rancho

How many students attend Sandia Vista Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 713 students attended Sandia Vista Elementary.

Is Sandia Vista Elementary a good school?

Sandia Vista Elementary ranks 52^nd of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sandia Vista Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sandia Vista Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountain View Middle
High : Cleveland High School

What is the racial makeup of Sandia Vista Elementary?

Students at Sandia Vista Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 26% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

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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.