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La Merced Elementary

Q: Is La Merced Elementary a good school?

La Merced Elementary ranks 244 th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend La Merced Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 463 students attended La Merced Elementary.

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

Students at La Merced Elementary are 79% Hispanic, 19% White, 2% American Indian.

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

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belen Middle High : Belen High

Public Grades PK, KG-6

244^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

La Merced Elementary is a PK–6 school at 301 Alame Loop in Belen, New Mexico, serving 463 students — the largest enrollment in its local comparison group — as part of Belen Consolidated Schools. Its student-to-teacher ratio was 15.6:1 in 2024-2025, and reported free/reduced-price lunch participation is 100%, in line with every nearby school. For 2025-2026, it ranks 244th of 346 ranked New Mexico elementary schools — 29th percentile, 2 stars — the lowest percentile position in its ten-year history, down from 57th percentile in 2018-2019 and 54th in 2022-2023.

Current proficiency is 40.77% in English language arts and 21.62% in math, both below the district (44.93% and 27.52%) and the state (44.66% and 27.85%); the math gap is roughly 1.5 times the reading gap. La Merced is the lowest-ranked school in its own district, and the comparison is striking because the poverty profile is identical across these schools: Dennis Chavez Elementary reaches 63.53% ELA and 50.59% math, Belen Family School 57.94% and 43.93%, and Gil Sanchez Elementary 51.79% and 38.10%. That is a 23-point ELA gap between La Merced and Dennis Chavez, roughly five miles apart. Fifth-grade science is a severe outlier at 13.56%, less than half the state figure of 32.24% and below every nearby school with a reported score.

The most distinctive pattern is a steep decline from grade to grade. Third-grade ELA stands at 60.94% — second-highest in the region and about 16 points above the state — but falls to 52.31% in 4th, 31.67% in 5th, and 19.72% in 6th, the lowest 6th-grade reading figure in the comparison set, a roughly 41-point internal drop. Math follows a similar path (29.69% in 3rd grade down to 18.31% in 6th). That suggests the school builds a strong early foundation but loses ground as students move up. Notably, the school's English learner and special education students have ranked higher than its overall student body in recent years — a relative strength worth protecting — and year-over-year ELA has improved while math and science have slipped, driving the current rank drop.

463

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,239

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

301 Alame Loop
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-2100

District: Belen Consolidated Schools

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

79.0%

White:

18.6%

American Indian:

1.5%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare La Merced Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2015 → 29th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Mexico average (29% vs 36% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

!Science scores 19 pts below the New Mexico average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg36%

244^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th 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	29.6	244 of 346	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.1	215 of 345	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.4	222 of 413	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.3	201 of 435	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.4	242 of 420	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	172 of 396	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.5	255 of 383	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.3	221 of 374	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.3	260 of 410	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	36.9	250 of 421	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.5	295 of 442	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.0	205 of 412	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	40.9	240 of 398	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.0	218 of 402	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.5	221 of 419	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.2	255 of 411	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.2	231 of 405	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.2	200 of 398	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	46.1	208 of 390	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.2	252 of 389	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	47.8	108 of 223	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	70 of 191	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.3	130 of 203	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	39.0	153 of 252	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.7	186 of 398	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.0	220 of 390	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	188 of 395	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.4	179 of 343	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.5	242 of 339	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	31.2	194 of 273	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.3	147 of 255	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	195 of 384	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.0	184 of 395	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.3	211 of 389	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	184 of 320	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.4	220 of 329	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	175 of 256	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.2	198 of 325	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.1	190 of 356	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.6	164 of 426	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.6	183 of 410	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	100 of 361	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	41.6	205 of 356	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	27.3	187 of 251	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.7	226 of 397	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.3	195 of 414	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.1	274 of 392	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.3	150 of 337	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.3	227 of 333	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	60.2	62 of 165	62.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	237 of 304	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.9	221 of 304	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	233 of 339	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.0	223 of 413	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	283 of 325	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.1	121 of 199	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.0	164 of 187	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2023)62nd percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)52nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)39th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)25th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)22nd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts41%-4 vs state

Mathematics22%-6 vs state

Science14%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near La Merced 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 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	100.0%	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
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	100.0%	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	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)				44.6							30.4							$10,150
Gil Sanchez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	376 Jarales Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	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%)	56	119^th of 346 public elementary schools	65.6%		60.6	96^th of 345 public elementary schools	72.2%	23	29.7			50.0	59.1	40.5	55.3			51.8	17.5	27.3	54.1	53.2			38.1	$9,486
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	100.0%	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	100.0%	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
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	100.0%	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
La Promesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	898 Hwy 304	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen Consolidated Schools	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%)	42	186^th of 346 public elementary schools	46.2%		25.5	256^th of 345 public elementary schools	25.8%	70					51.7	50.0	32.4			37.7			50.0	21.6			22.8	$9,643
Ann Parish Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	112 Meadow Lake	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	402	25	16.0	100.0%	38 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	343 (85.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.2%)	36	212^th of 346 public elementary schools	38.7%		42.8	179^th of 345 public elementary schools	48.1%	33	17.8			42.3	56.5	31.1	44.1			44.5	21.2	21.0	40.0	26.5			26.4	$9,704
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	100.0%	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

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