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La Mesa Elementary

Q: Is La Mesa Elementary a good school?

La Mesa Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.6% of New Mexico elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend La Mesa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 415 students attended La Mesa Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of La Mesa Elementary?

Students at La Mesa Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 10% African American, 6% White, 5% American Indian, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of La Mesa Elementary attend?

Students who attend La Mesa Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Hayes Middle High : Highland High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

330^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

La Mesa Elementary is a PK–5 neighborhood school at 7500 Copper Ave NE in Albuquerque, serving about 415 students as part of Albuquerque Public Schools. It is the largest PK–5 school in its immediate neighborhood cluster, and nearly every student is economically disadvantaged — the free/reduced-lunch rate has stayed at or above 98% for three straight years. For 2025–26, La Mesa Elementary ranked 330th of 346 New Mexico schools (5th percentile, 0 stars).

Academically, La Mesa's English/language arts proficiency is 18.24% — the lowest of the 11 nearby schools, about 7.5 points below the neighborhood median and roughly 25 points below both its district and state averages. Math, surprisingly, is its relative strength: 18.24%, which puts La Mesa at the middle of its peer group rather than the bottom, and its 4th-grade math score of 28.57% is the one measure that beats both district (26.65%) and state (27.24%) results. The clearest positive signal is improvement: math climbed from 3.7% to 18.24% between 2024–25 and 2025–26, while ELA rose from 15.34% to 18.24%. Fifth grade is the sharpest weak spot, at 12.28% in both reading and math, with science under 20%.

Comparison with nearby schools is the most useful context. Zia Elementary and Sandia Base Elementary, both with 100% free/reduced lunch, post 50.00% and 51.85% ELA — about 2.7 to 2.8 times La Mesa's rate — with student–teacher ratios similar to or higher than La Mesa's 12.3. Inez Elementary and Bellehaven Elementary also outperform. La Mesa spent a decade in the bottom decile — it finished last of 345 schools in 2024–25 — and has only just edged up to the 5th percentile.

415

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,815

Per pupil spending ?

70.1%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

All students in New Mexico receive free school meals.

7500 Copper Av NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108

(505) 262-1581

District: Albuquerque Public Schools

Students who attend La Mesa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hayes Middle
High:	Highland High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.1%

African American:

9.6%

White:

6.3%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Mexico average (18% vs 36% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg36%

330^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

70^th of 77Elementary Schools in the Albuquerque Public Schools

55^th of 87Albuquerque Public Schools 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
2026	11.5	330 of 346	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.1	345 of 345	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.5	411 of 413	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	431 of 435	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.2	397 of 420	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	354 of 396	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	327 of 383	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.6	305 of 374	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	14.9	388 of 410	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	27.6	317 of 421	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.7	376 of 442	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.1	362 of 412	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	18.3	344 of 398	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	31.1	295 of 402	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.7	294 of 419	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	34.9	287 of 411	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	29.8	308 of 405	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.6	333 of 398	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	31.9	284 of 390	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	23.3	320 of 389	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	42.6	22 of 40	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	72.8	10 of 35	71.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	7.4	221 of 223	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.5	190 of 191	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	91 of 98	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.9	63 of 83	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	5.2	391 of 398	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.8	345 of 395	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	291 of 343	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	289 of 339	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	4.5	255 of 255	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.5	381 of 384	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	393 of 395	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	274 of 320	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	274 of 329	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	16.7	234 of 256	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.9	325 of 325	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.4	354 of 356	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	423 of 426	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.3	359 of 410	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.3	317 of 361	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	300 of 356	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	4.2	396 of 397	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	414 of 414	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.8	325 of 337	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	314 of 333	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	2.2	339 of 339	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	411 of 413	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2018)71st percentile+57 vs school

Asian (2022)45th percentile+40 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2024)2nd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)1st percentile~ school

Male (2024)<1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)<1st percentile~ school

White (2024)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts18%-26 vs state

Mathematics18%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near La Mesa Elementary

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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 (2025)				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	Directly certified (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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	NM-ASR Science 8th 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
La Mesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7500 Copper Av NE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 262-1581	415	34	12.3	70.1%	26 (6.3%)	40 (9.6%)	316 (76.1%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	11.5	330^th of 346 public elementary schools	4.6%		4.1	345^th of 345 public elementary schools	0.0%	15	< 20%		< 20%	15.2	26.8	12.3				18.2	< 20%	28.6	12.3				18.2	$9,815
Alice King Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	8100 Mountain Rd. NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 344-0746	384	37	10.4	19.0%	117 (30.5%)	11 (2.9%)	219 (57.0%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.6%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (6.0%)	38.6	204^th of 346 public elementary schools	41.0%		40.7	186^th of 345 public elementary schools	46.1%	18	32.0	50.0	37.5	33.3	52.1	38.8	43.9	60.6	54.6	46.3	< 20%	27.1	18.4	41.5	33.3		27.1	$8,207
Emerson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	620 Georgia St SE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 255-9091	334	29	11.3	64.7%	19 (5.7%)	17 (5.1%)	256 (76.6%)	7 (2.1%)	22 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.9%)								(n/a)	< 20%		< 20%	< 20%	23.9	25.7				19.1	< 20%	< 20%	< 20%				7.1	$10,700
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6316 Constitution Ave NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 255-8337	285	36	8.0	64.2%	57 (20.0%)	10 (3.5%)	172 (60.4%)	5 (1.8%)	23 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	16 (5.6%)	12.4	327^th of 346 public elementary schools	5.5%		22.1	280^th of 345 public elementary schools	18.8%	47	< 20%		< 20%	27.3	30.4	27.3				28.1	< 20%		< 20%				18.0	$15,929
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	420 General Somervell St NE	Albuquerque	87123	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 299-4424	288	32	8.9	71.5%	13 (4.5%)	5 (1.7%)	239 (83.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.6%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	10.7	334^th of 346 public elementary schools	3.5%		15.4	322^nd of 345 public elementary schools	6.7%	12	14.6			< 20%	35.6	18.8				21.5	< 20%	15.6	16.7				15.6	$13,266
Sandia Base Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	21001 Wyoming SE Kafb East	Albuquerque	87116	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 268-4356	280	21	13.6	20.7%	112 (40.0%)	15 (5.4%)	118 (42.1%)	10 (3.6%)	6 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.4%)	45.6	171^st of 346 public elementary schools	50.6%		67.8	80^th of 345 public elementary schools	76.8%	91	36.8			43.1	58.7	55.3				51.9	15.7	23.9	39.5				25.2	$6,926
Inez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Pennsylvania St NE	Albuquerque	87110	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 299-9010	309	33	9.3	55.7%	65 (21.0%)	10 (3.2%)	184 (59.5%)	16 (5.2%)	16 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.8%)	24.7	269^th of 346 public elementary schools	22.3%		28.9	225^th of 345 public elementary schools	34.8%	44	39.1			35.2	43.6	25.4				33.3	14.8	22.5	18.8				18.4	$9,474
Wherry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	Bldg 25000 - Kafb East	Albuquerque	87116	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 268-2434	240	20	12.0	63.8%	17 (7.1%)	7 (2.9%)	192 (80.0%)	3 (1.3%)	13 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)					29.4					23.8		< 20%					< 10%	$10,027
Bellehaven Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8701 Princess Jeanne St NE	Albuquerque	87112	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 298-7489	216	23	9.3	60.2%	44 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	144 (66.7%)	3 (1.4%)	12 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.0%)	25.8	264^th of 346 public elementary schools	23.7%		53.3	123^rd of 345 public elementary schools	64.3%	141	22.9			42.9	36.0	34.3				37.0			< 20%				16.1	$8,636
Zia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 Jefferson St NE	Albuquerque	87108	Bernalillo County	Albuquerque Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 260-2020	236	19	12.7	46.2%	87 (36.9%)	7 (3.0%)	107 (45.3%)	5 (2.1%)	10 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.5%)	59.2	106^th of 346 public elementary schools	69.4%		62	92^nd of 345 public elementary schools	73.3%	14	47.2			57.1	51.4	44.4				50.9	45.7	34.2	27.8				35.8	$11,794

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