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Capitan Elementary

Q: Is Capitan Elementary a good school?

Capitan Elementary ranks 79 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

79^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Capitan Elementary is a public elementary school located in Capitan, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 202 students. The school is part of the Capitan District, which is ranked 29 out of 82 districts in New Mexico and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Capitan Elementary consistently ranks among the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in most years. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are significantly higher than the state averages, with 57.14% and 35.71% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025, respectively, compared to the state averages of 44.19% and 26.81%. Capitan Elementary's 5th-grade students also outperform the state in ELA (64.29% vs. 41.83%) and Science (46.43% vs. 29.3%) proficiency.

Despite the high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (93.56% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), Capitan Elementary has been able to provide an excellent education, as evidenced by the strong performance of its Hispanic and female student subgroups. Compared to the nearby Carrizozo Elementary, White Mountain Elementary, and Sierra Vista Primary, Capitan Elementary stands out with its higher academic performance, particularly in ELA and Science, as well as its lower student-teacher ratio, which may contribute to its ability to provide more personalized attention and support to its students.

207

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,595

Per pupil spending ?

33.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 South Forest Ave
Capitan, NM 88316

(575) 354-2239

District: Capitan

Students who attend Capitan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Capitan Middle
High:	Capitan High

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

Hispanic:

36.2%

Two or more races:

2.9%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2014 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (46% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2014

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg43%

New Mexico avg35%

79^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^th of 82Capitan 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	67.8	79 of 345	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	74 of 413	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.5	107 of 435	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	111 of 420	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.8	70 of 396	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	82.5	43 of 383	88.8%	★★★★☆
2017	77.2	58 of 374	84.5%	★★★★☆
2016	72.5	83 of 410	79.8%	★★★★☆
2015	59.1	135 of 421	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	76.8	71 of 442	83.9%	★★★★☆
2013	78.9	70 of 412	83.0%	★★★★☆
2012	65.5	124 of 398	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	71.7	92 of 402	77.1%	★★★★☆
2010	88.0	27 of 419	93.6%	★★★★★
2009	88.3	28 of 411	93.2%	★★★★★
2008	87.3	34 of 405	91.6%	★★★★★
2007	83.3	48 of 398	87.9%	★★★★☆
2006	87.9	29 of 390	92.6%	★★★★★
2005	81.6	50 of 389	87.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	86.4	37 of 398	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	65.5	121 of 390	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.9	88 of 395	77.7%	★★★★☆
2019	85.2	24 of 343	93.0%	★★★★★
2018	79.4	47 of 339	86.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	95.2	21 of 384	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	52.2	173 of 395	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.5	62 of 389	84.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	98.2	9 of 356	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	74.7	101 of 426	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	47.6	161 of 410	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	94.4	3 of 361	99.2%	★★★★★
2018	86.5	23 of 356	93.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	79.9	58 of 397	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	71.1	102 of 414	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	64.7	83 of 392	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	71.5	65 of 337	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.7	58 of 333	82.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	37.1	87 of 132	34.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	64.5	83 of 304	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	54.6	127 of 339	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.9	106 of 413	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	36.6	222 of 325	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.3	98 of 199	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	55 of 187	70.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2024)97th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2024)95th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2024)91st percentile+9 vs school

Male (2024)85th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)73rd percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2022)34th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts57%+13 vs state

Science46%+17 vs state

Mathematics36%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Capitan 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-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 All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 4th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 5th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Capitan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 South Forest Ave	Capitan	88316	Lincoln County	Capitan	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 354-2239	207	18	11.6	33.3%	123 (59.4%)	2 (1.0%)	75 (36.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	67.8	79^th of 345 public elementary schools	77.1%		76.5	74^th of 413 public elementary schools	82.1%	5	46.4	47.8	57.6	64.3	57.1	43.5	39.4	25.0	35.7	$11,595
White Mountain Elementary	Public	3-5	203 White Mountain Dr	Ruidoso	88345	Lincoln County	Ruidoso	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 258-4220	374	27	13.9	100.0%	93 (24.9%)	1 (0.3%)	210 (56.1%)	5 (1.3%)	54 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	44.3	169^th of 345 public elementary schools	51.0%		43	202^nd of 413 public elementary schools	51.1%	33	20.2	31.8	43.1	46.8	40.9	25.5	41.4	41.9	36.6	$8,607
Sierra Vista Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	199 White Mountain Dr	Ruidoso	88345	Lincoln County	Ruidoso	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 258-4943	514	41	12.5	96.3%	129 (25.1%)	5 (1.0%)	282 (54.9%)	7 (1.4%)	75 (14.6%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.9%)								(n/a)										$9,641
Carrizozo Elementary	Public	K-5	800 D Ave	Carrizozo	88301	Lincoln County	Carrizozo	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 648-2348	72	6	11.6	100.0%	33 (45.8%)	2 (2.8%)	35 (48.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.8%)								(n/a)			72.7		54.6				42.4	$20,738

Frequently Asked Questions about Capitan Elementary

What schools do graduates of Capitan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Capitan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Capitan Middle
High : Capitan High

How many students attend Capitan Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 207 students attended Capitan Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Capitan Elementary?

Students at Capitan Elementary are 59% White, 36% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Capitan Elementary in?

Capitan

Is Capitan Elementary a good school?

Capitan Elementary ranks 79^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Capitan Elementary!

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NMNew Mexico Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Capitan, NM

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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.