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La Merced Elementary

Q: Is La Merced Elementary a good school?

La Merced Elementary ranks 215 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

215^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

La Merced Elementary is a public elementary school in Belen, New Mexico, serving 433 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Belen school district. While the district is ranked 48 out of 82 in the state, La Merced Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New Mexico elementary schools over the past 10 years, with student performance on state assessments generally below the district and state averages.

La Merced Elementary's academic performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with female students outperforming male students and Hispanic and White students performing below their peers statewide. The school also has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This high rate of poverty is likely a contributing factor to the school's overall academic performance, as research has shown a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and student achievement.

Interestingly, the nearby Dennis Chavez Elementary and Gil Sanchez Elementary schools in the Belen district significantly outperform La Merced Elementary on state assessments, suggesting that there may be opportunities for La Merced to explore strategies and best practices from these higher-performing schools to enhance its educational program and support student learning.

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

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: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2014 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Mexico average (28% vs 35% meeting standards)

!Near the bottom of Belen's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

215^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Belen

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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Female (2024)53rd percentile+7 vs school

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

Male (2024)43rd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)42nd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile~ school

White (2025)27th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-8 vs state

Mathematics19%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near La Merced 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
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
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
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
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
Ann Parish Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	112 Meadow Lake	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	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%)	42.8	179^th of 345 public elementary schools	48.1%		34.5	245^th of 413 public elementary schools	40.7%	66	23.0			47.5	50.0	49.2	41.2			46.9	18.0		37.7	27.5			25.6	$9,704
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 La Merced Elementary

How many students attend La Merced Elementary?

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

Is La Merced Elementary a good school?

La Merced Elementary ranks 215^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of La Merced Elementary?

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

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

What district is La Merced Elementary in?

Belen

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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.