Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Rio Grande Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

Rio Grande Elementary is a public elementary school in Belen, New Mexico, serving grades PK-6 with 357 students. The school is part of the Belen school district, which is ranked 61 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rio Grande Elementary consistently ranks among the top 25% of elementary schools in New Mexico, with a current ranking of 112 out of 433 schools. The school's performance in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics is significantly higher than the district and state averages, with 43% of students proficient or better in ELA and 37% in Mathematics, compared to 38% and 25% in the district and state, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students (ranked 65 out of 390 schools) and English Language Learners (ranked 22 out of 203 schools). Additionally, Rio Grande Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14 students per teacher, compared to the district average of 13.5.

Within the Belen school district, there are several other high-performing elementary schools located near Rio Grande Elementary, such as Dennis Chavez Elementary and Gil Sanchez Elementary, suggesting a concentration of educational excellence in the region. However, the fact that 100% of Rio Grande Elementary's students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population, which may present unique challenges and require specialized resources and support to ensure continued academic success.

332

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,150

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

15 Eastside School Rd
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-2200

District: Belen

Students who attend Rio Grande Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

84.6%

White:

11.4%

American Indian:

2.1%

See top rated New Mexico public schools

Compare Rio Grande Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 22nd percentile in 2013 → 76th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (44% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 54 percentile points since 2013

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

Not ranked this year

Rio Grande Elementary did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

48^th of 82Belen 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
2024	69.6	99 of 413	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	59.2	166 of 435	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.9	91 of 420	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	47.2	188 of 396	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.4	271 of 383	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	42.4	197 of 374	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.5	220 of 410	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.9	222 of 421	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	30.7	328 of 442	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	27.9	320 of 412	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.3	295 of 398	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.8	263 of 402	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	32.9	303 of 419	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.9	275 of 411	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	31.3	301 of 405	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	33.5	271 of 398	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.8	195 of 390	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	31.8	288 of 389	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	82.6	33 of 223	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	22 of 203	89.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	55.6	132 of 398	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.0	198 of 390	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.0	103 of 395	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	67.9	80 of 343	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	35.6	212 of 339	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	80.7	60 of 384	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	83.1	63 of 395	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	81 of 389	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	51.3	140 of 320	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	27.9	245 of 329	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	78.6	62 of 356	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	132 of 426	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.5	41 of 410	90.0%	★★★★★
2019	53.2	148 of 361	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.8	228 of 356	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	64.8	114 of 397	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	110 of 414	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	67.5	74 of 392	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	53.7	129 of 337	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.5	223 of 333	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	67.7	49 of 165	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	48.8	60 of 132	54.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	55.7	125 of 339	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	164 of 413	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.9	234 of 325	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.8	128 of 199	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)85th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2024)84th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)83rd percentile+7 vs school

Male (2024)71st percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2023)70th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2024)67th percentile-9 vs school

White (2024)63rd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts55%+11 vs state

Mathematics32%+6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Rio Grande Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Rio Grande Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Rio Grande 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 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
Rio Grande Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	15 Eastside School Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2200	332	29	11.6	100.0%	38 (11.4%)	3 (0.9%)	281 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)				54.9						54.9	32.4						32.4	$10,150
Belen Family School	Public	1-8	4 Eastside School Road	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 966-2270	154	5	29.0	100.0%	43 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (66.9%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)	85	37^th of 345 public elementary schools	89.3%		86.9	40^th of 413 public elementary schools	90.3%	3		38.7	28.3	53.9	55.6	68.2	68.8	62.5	61.3	62.1		55.6			43.8	45.2	49.1	$8,877
La Merced Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Alame Loop	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2100	463	30	15.6	100.0%	86 (18.6%)	3 (0.6%)	366 (79.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31.1	215^th of 345 public elementary schools	37.7%		39.4	222^nd of 413 public elementary schools	46.2%	7				36.2	50.0	15.1	45.3			36.0	26.1	20.7		22.7			19.3	$9,239
Gil Sanchez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	376 Jarales Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1900	316	22	14.3	100.0%	56 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	253 (80.1%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	60.6	96^th of 345 public elementary schools	72.2%		70.8	94^th of 413 public elementary schools	77.2%	2	25.5			43.9	45.5	45.1	61.7			49.4	34.2	30.3	49.0	66.0			46.5	$9,486
Dennis Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	19670 Hwy 314	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1800	294	22	13.3	100.0%	43 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	237 (80.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	60.4	98^th of 345 public elementary schools	71.6%		67.8	107^th of 413 public elementary schools	74.1%	9	22.2			36.4	62.2	46.7	63.4			52.0	20.5	53.3	42.2	63.4			44.6	$9,163
Tome Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	46 Chacon Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	340	23	14.7	100.0%	27 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	302 (88.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	15.8	321^st of 345 public elementary schools	7.0%		18.8	341^st of 413 public elementary schools	17.4%	20	17.1			22.7	41.2	29.3	22.2			28.1			19.5				11.0	$9,366
Desert View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	49 Camino La Canada	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	393	24	16.3	100.0%	37 (9.4%)	4 (1.0%)	339 (86.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	22.9	274^th of 345 public elementary schools	20.6%		17.3	353^rd of 413 public elementary schools	14.5%	79	13.0			28.8	29.2	29.6	40.9			31.7	26.7		13.0	34.0			20.8	$9,849
La Promesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	898 Hwy 304	Belen	87002	Socorro County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2400	230	18	12.7	100.0%	41 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	181 (78.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	25.5	256^th of 345 public elementary schools	25.8%		33.5	250^th of 413 public elementary schools	39.5%	6				25.0	52.4	27.8	36.1			33.6				25.0			18.4	$9,643
Raymond Gabaldon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	454 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	365	20	18.2	100.0%	57 (15.6%)	6 (1.6%)	291 (79.7%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	35.1	205^th of 345 public elementary schools	40.6%		33	255^th of 413 public elementary schools	38.3%	50	23.4			37.7	45.0	36.2	47.9			41.5		25.0	27.7	27.1			20.2	$9,064
Los Lunas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	800 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	458	26	17.6	100.0%	43 (9.4%)	2 (0.4%)	399 (87.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	21.4	286^th of 345 public elementary schools	17.1%		33.2	252^nd of 413 public elementary schools	39.0%	34				21.3	46.3	22.8	34.0			31.5	14.8	23.9	20.7	23.4			20.6	$9,475

Frequently Asked Questions about Rio Grande Elementary

What schools do graduates of Rio Grande Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rio Grande Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Belen Middle
High : Belen High

What district is Rio Grande Elementary in?

Belen

How many students attend Rio Grande Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 332 students attended Rio Grande Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Rio Grande Elementary?

Students at Rio Grande Elementary are 85% Hispanic, 11% White, 2% American Indian.

Rate Rio Grande Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NMNew Mexico Elementary School Rankings

NMNew Mexico District Rankings

Schools in Belen, NM

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Rio Grande Elementary!

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.