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Ocotillo Elementary

Q: Is Ocotillo Elementary a good school?

Ocotillo Elementary ranks 156 th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Ocotillo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 621 students attended Ocotillo Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ocotillo Elementary?

Students at Ocotillo Elementary are 62% Hispanic, 31% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Ocotillo Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ocotillo Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Carlsbad Intermediate School - Pr Leyva Campus High : Carlsbad High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

156^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 55% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Ocotillo Elementary is a PK–5 school in Carlsbad Municipal Schools in Carlsbad, NM, with 621 students, rated 3 stars and ranked 156th of 346 elementary schools statewide in 2025-26 (55th percentile). The school is above its district’s overall 2-star rating, but it sits mid-pack among nearby schools. Its rank history shows a slide from earlier highs—86th percentile in 2018-19 and 84th in 2021-22—to 52nd in 2024-25 and 55th in 2025-26, a slight rebound from the prior year. Even so, 2025-26 proficiency is above district and state: Language Arts 48.46 vs. district 40.25 and state 43.34, and Mathematics 31.40 vs. district 24.63 and state 25.54.

Compared with nearby schools, the school’s Language Arts is above Desert Willow Elementary and Sunset Elementary, but below Cottonwood Elementary, Monterrey Elementary, and Loving Elementary. In math, the school beats Sunset Elementary and Loving Elementary but trails Desert Willow Elementary, Cottonwood Elementary, and Monterrey Elementary. Science is a relative bright spot: 5th-grade science is 35.11, above Cottonwood Elementary, Desert Willow Elementary, and Sunset Elementary, though below Monterrey Elementary and Loving Elementary. Grade by grade, 4th-grade Language Arts (57.94) is a clear strength, and 3rd-grade Language Arts (51.09) is also strong. The biggest academic red flag is 5th-grade Language Arts (35.11), which is below district and state and below every nearby K–5 school except Sunset Elementary. Early math is another weak spot: 3rd-grade math (28.26) is the lowest among nearby K–5 schools, though still above the state average.

The school’s standout subgroup result is English learners, with rankings of 97th percentile in 2022-23, 84th in 2023-24, and 83rd in 2021-22. Special education (5th–25th percentile) and low-SES students (29th–45th percentile recently) are much weaker. Context: 2024-25 free/reduced lunch was 20.13%, lower than several nearby schools, and the student-teacher ratio was 16.4, similar to some nearby campuses and higher than others. So the school is solidly above district and state, with strong 4th-grade ELA and excellent English-learner effectiveness, but it has slipped from earlier highs, trails several nearby schools in math and 5th-grade ELA, and has uneven subgroup results.

621

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,453

Per pupil spending ?

20.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in New Mexico receive free school meals.

2106 Captain Williams Ln
Carlsbad, NM 88220

(575) 628-4498

District: Carlsbad Municipal Schools

Students who attend Ocotillo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carlsbad Intermediate School - Pr Leyva Campus
High:	Carlsbad High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

62.5%

White:

30.9%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Ocotillo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 86th percentile in 2019 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the New Mexico median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2019

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

!Near the bottom of Carlsbad Municipal Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg35%

New Mexico avg36%

156^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 31 pts since 2019

From top 14% (2019) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Carlsbad Municipal Schools

53^rd of 87Carlsbad Municipal 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	48.4	156 of 346	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	164 of 345	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.2	97 of 413	76.5%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	128 of 435	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.0	67 of 420	84.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.5	55 of 396	86.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	81.7	35 of 223	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	98.9	6 of 191	96.9%	★★★★★
2022	68.7	34 of 203	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	83.1	6 of 98	93.9%	★★★★★
2018	74.0	12 of 83	85.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	168 of 252	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.1	95 of 398	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.7	101 of 390	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	62 of 395	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	51 of 343	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.3	50 of 339	85.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	189 of 273	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.5	167 of 255	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.5	125 of 384	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.2	125 of 395	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.3	76 of 389	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	82 of 320	74.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.6	88 of 329	73.3%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	26.7	27 of 36	25.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	181 of 256	29.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.5	195 of 356	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.6	261 of 426	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	148 of 410	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.9	96 of 361	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	67.5	78 of 356	78.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	39.6	142 of 251	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.4	138 of 397	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	140 of 414	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.2	65 of 392	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	62 of 337	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.5	63 of 333	81.1%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	55.8	38 of 99	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	26.1	118 of 158	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	157 of 165	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	155 of 304	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.2	190 of 304	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.3	119 of 339	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.4	134 of 413	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	98 of 325	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.9	56 of 199	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.3	52 of 187	72.2%	★★★★☆

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)84th percentile+8 vs school

Native American (2022)62nd percentile-22 vs school

White (2026)49th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile-22 vs school

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile-24 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2024)25th percentile-51 vs school

Homeless (2022)25th percentile-59 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts49%+4 vs state

Science35%+3 vs state

Mathematics32%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ocotillo 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/reduced lunch (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-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
Ocotillo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2106 Captain Williams Ln	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 628-4498	621	38	16.4	20.1%	192 (30.9%)	5 (0.8%)	388 (62.5%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.5%)	48.4	156^th of 346 public elementary schools	54.9%		45.7	164^th of 345 public elementary schools	52.5%	8	35.1	52.8	57.9	35.1	49.0	29.2	29.0	37.2	31.7	$8,453
Monterrey Elementary	Public	K-5	1600 Johnson St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 234-3309	366	22	16.6	28.1%	113 (30.9%)	1 (0.3%)	244 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	59.3	105^th of 346 public elementary schools	69.7%		55.5	115^th of 345 public elementary schools	66.7%	10	42.1	47.5	51.8	58.9	52.6	33.9	19.6	60.7	38.0	$9,032
Sunset Elementary	Public	K-5	923 North Walter St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 234-3300	438	26	16.9	28.3%	108 (24.7%)	5 (1.1%)	316 (72.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	20.2	299^th of 346 public elementary schools	13.6%		40.8	184^th of 345 public elementary schools	46.7%	115	22.2	38.6	46.8	17.8	33.0	29.8	14.3	11.1	17.0	$8,498
Edison Elementary	Public	1-5	406 N. Alameda Street	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 628-4498	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Early Childhood Education Center	Public	PK-K	1801 West Lea St.	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3300	207	11	18.0	9.7%	41 (19.8%)	2 (1.0%)	159 (76.8%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)								(n/a)										$10,395
Cottonwood Elementary	Public	K-5	1609 W Lea Street	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3304	684	44	15.4	28.1%	99 (14.5%)	7 (1.0%)	558 (81.6%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	8 (1.2%)	60.4	99^th of 346 public elementary schools	71.4%		52.4	128^th of 345 public elementary schools	62.9%	29	34.6	47.4	61.1	48.9	52.7	32.2	44.3	42.9	40.1
Desert Willow Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Primrose St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 234-3310	667	45	14.9	22.0%	149 (22.3%)	6 (0.9%)	495 (74.2%)	4 (0.6%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	52.9	132^nd of 346 public elementary schools	61.8%		61.3	93^rd of 345 public elementary schools	73.0%	39	33.0	49.2	53.5	42.6	48.3	35.9	32.3	41.7	36.8	$8,800
Loving Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 South Sixth	Loving	88256	Eddy County	Loving Municipal Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 745-2071	355	28	12.7	95.2%	104 (29.3%)	3 (0.8%)	243 (68.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	55.7	120^th of 346 public elementary schools	65.3%		35.3	204^th of 345 public elementary schools	40.9%	84	41.2	61.1	41.7	52.9	52.3	35.2	< 20%	29.4	25.8	$14,857

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