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Dennis Chavez Elementary

Q: Is Dennis Chavez Elementary a good school?

Dennis Chavez Elementary ranks 42 nd of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Dennis Chavez Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 294 students attended Dennis Chavez Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Dennis Chavez Elementary?

Students at Dennis Chavez Elementary are 81% Hispanic, 15% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Dennis Chavez Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dennis Chavez Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belen Middle High : Belen High

Public Grades PK, KG-6

42^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 88% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Dennis Chavez Elementary is a PK–6 school with 294 students in Belen, New Mexico, part of Belen Consolidated Schools, and it is one of the state's top-ranked elementary schools. In 2025–2026 it placed 42nd of 346 elementary schools statewide — the 88th percentile with 4 stars — while its district ranks 52nd of 87 (40th percentile, 2 stars). Its improvement has been steady: 29th percentile with 1 star in 2016–2017, and at or above the 69th percentile every year since 2021–2022. About 100% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, and the student–teacher ratio is a low 13.3.

In 2025–2026, 63.16% of students were proficient in Language Arts and 50.29% in Mathematics, versus district averages of 42.35% and 24.43% and state averages of 43.34% and 25.54%; Math is more than double the district rate. Upper grades are strongest: 5th grade reached 72.73% in Language Arts, 68.18% in Math and 56.82% in Science, and 6th grade hit 60.00% in Language Arts and 51.11% in Math. Third-grade Math was lower at 33.33% but still above district and state. Effectiveness rankings for low-income students were in the top 4% statewide (5 stars), and results for English language learners and special education students have improved in recent years.

Among nearby schools with 2025–2026 data, Dennis Chavez leads in overall rank and in all-grade Language Arts and Math. Belen Family School (79th percentile, 4 stars) and Katherine Gallegos Elementary (77th, 4 stars) are also strong; Sundance Elementary (56th), Raymond Gabaldon Elementary (42nd), La Merced Elementary (29th), Tome Elementary (27th), Valencia Elementary (25th), Los Lunas Elementary (23rd) and Desert View Elementary (12th) rank lower. Rio Grande Elementary has no 2025–2026 rank listed and the only lower student–teacher ratio (11.6). Belen Family School's 5th grade is impressive, but its ratio is 29.0. Some nearby scores are suppressed or shown as bounds — for instance, several Los Lunas schools report Math as "under 20%" — so treat those as unknown rather than exact.

294

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,163

Per pupil spending ?

50.0%

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.

19670 Hwy 314
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-1800

District: Belen Consolidated Schools

Students who attend Dennis Chavez Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.6%

White:

14.6%

Two or more races:

2.7%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Dennis Chavez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 44th percentile in 2015 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (57% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 44 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg36%

42^nd of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 56 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Belen Consolidated Schools

52^nd of 87Belen Consolidated 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	82.0	42 of 346	87.9%	★★★★☆
2025	60.4	98 of 345	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.8	107 of 413	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	121 of 435	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	57.5	132 of 420	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.0	260 of 396	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	163 of 383	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	29.4	267 of 374	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	32.6	281 of 410	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.5	237 of 421	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	27.0	350 of 442	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.5	263 of 412	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.3	210 of 398	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.3	167 of 402	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.9	224 of 419	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.1	258 of 411	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.7	193 of 405	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	40.5	233 of 398	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	62.2	129 of 390	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	45.3	210 of 389	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	37.1	26 of 35	25.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	76.7	45 of 223	79.8%	★★★★☆
2023	69.2	56 of 191	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	47.2	107 of 203	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	44 of 252	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.4	88 of 398	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	62.9	131 of 390	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.1	132 of 395	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.9	193 of 343	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.3	141 of 339	58.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	90.0	21 of 273	92.3%	★★★★★
2025	67.6	54 of 255	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	81.7	53 of 384	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	76 of 395	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	52.9	125 of 389	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.3	195 of 320	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.4	158 of 329	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	35.7	23 of 36	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	11 of 256	95.7%	★★★★★
2025	63.6	79 of 325	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	88 of 356	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	80.3	74 of 426	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	68.0	66 of 410	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	40.7	212 of 361	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.9	103 of 356	71.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	75.7	46 of 251	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	77 of 397	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	87 of 414	79.0%	★★★★☆
2022	53.4	127 of 392	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.0	236 of 337	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.2	170 of 333	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	69.3	20 of 99	79.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	50.8	61 of 158	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.4	52 of 165	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	82 of 132	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	80.1	43 of 304	85.9%	★★★★☆
2025	56.0	109 of 304	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	120 of 339	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.7	107 of 413	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	68.1	75 of 325	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	53.4	88 of 187	52.9%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)96th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)83rd percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)82nd percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)80th percentile+6 vs school

Native American (2022)80th percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2024)61st percentile-13 vs school

Homeless (2022)36th percentile-32 vs school

Disabled (2018)26th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts64%+19 vs state

Science57%+25 vs state

Mathematics51%+23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dennis Chavez 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
Dennis Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	19670 Hwy 314	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1800	294	22	13.3	50.0%	43 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	237 (80.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	82	42^nd of 346 public elementary schools	87.9%		60.4	98^th of 345 public elementary schools	71.6%	56	56.8			62.9	58.7	72.7	60.0			63.5	34.3	45.7	68.2	51.1			50.6	$9,163
Tome Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	46 Chacon Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	340	23	14.7	56.8%	27 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	302 (88.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	27.5	252^nd of 346 public elementary schools	27.2%		15.8	321^st of 345 public elementary schools	7.0%	69	< 20%		< 20%	35.9	39.6	31.3	41.9			37.5	< 20%	< 20%	28.1	20.9			15.3	$9,366
La Merced Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Alame Loop	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2100	463	30	15.6	48.6%	86 (18.6%)	3 (0.6%)	366 (79.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29.6	244^th of 346 public elementary schools	29.5%		31.1	215^th of 345 public elementary schools	37.7%	29	13.6			60.9	52.3	31.7	19.7			40.8	29.7	20.0	18.6	18.3			21.6	$9,239
Desert View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	49 Camino La Canada	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	393	24	16.3	46.6%	37 (9.4%)	4 (1.0%)	339 (86.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	18.7	304^th of 346 public elementary schools	12.1%		22.9	274^th of 345 public elementary schools	20.6%	30	< 20%		< 20%	27.9	33.3	18.8	30.6			27.8	16.3	13.0	< 20%	38.0			20.0	$9,849
Belen Family School	Public	1-8	4 Eastside School Road	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 966-2270	154	5	29.0	15.6%	43 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (66.9%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)	69.6	71^st of 346 public elementary schools	79.5%		85	37^th of 345 public elementary schools	89.3%	34	66.7		53.3	50.0	57.1	73.3	46.4	69.2	66.7	57.9	31.8		73.3	42.9	53.9		43.9	$8,877
Rio Grande Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	15 Eastside School Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2200	332	29	11.6	59.0%	38 (11.4%)	3 (0.9%)	281 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)				44.6							30.4							$10,150
Raymond Gabaldon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	454 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	365	20	18.2	51.8%	57 (15.6%)	6 (1.6%)	291 (79.7%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	39.3	200^th of 346 public elementary schools	42.2%		35.1	205^th of 345 public elementary schools	40.6%	5	25.0			24.4	53.9	25.0	51.5			39.2	< 20%	28.9	27.8	54.6			27.7	$9,064
Los Lunas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	800 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	458	26	17.6	52.6%	43 (9.4%)	2 (0.4%)	399 (87.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	25.6	265^th of 346 public elementary schools	23.4%		21.4	286^th of 345 public elementary schools	17.1%	21	27.1			51.9	37.9	28.8	29.8			36.8	< 20%	19.0	25.4	17.5			18.4	$9,475
Katherine Gallegos Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	236 Dom Pasqual Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	605	32	18.9	30.9%	99 (16.4%)	2 (0.3%)	470 (77.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.0%)	67.4	80^th of 346 public elementary schools	76.9%		73.7	62^nd of 345 public elementary schools	82.0%	18	31.8			60.5	67.5	50.6	48.0			56.8	37.0	56.6	51.7	30.1			44.4	$7,700
Sundance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3701 Sundance SW	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	617	35	17.6	30.8%	86 (13.9%)	3 (0.5%)	431 (69.9%)	6 (1.0%)	65 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.2%)	48.7	153^rd of 346 public elementary schools	55.8%		48.5	147^th of 345 public elementary schools	57.4%	6	30.0			53.4	54.3	43.8	32.9			47.0	40.9	35.1	25.0	31.4			33.4	$7,964

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