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Ocotillo Elementary

Q: Is Ocotillo Elementary a good school?

Ocotillo Elementary ranks 164 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Ocotillo Elementary is a public elementary school in Carlsbad, New Mexico, serving 711 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Carlsbad school district, which is ranked 42 out of 82 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ocotillo Elementary has shown strong academic performance, ranking in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools in recent years with a 4-star rating. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are consistently higher than the state averages, particularly in the upper grades. For example, in 2024-2025, Ocotillo's 4th-grade ELA proficiency rate was 51.96%, compared to the state average of 47.55%. Additionally, Ocotillo's 5th-grade students have performed exceptionally well in ELA, with proficiency rates ranging from 49.26% to 62.6% in recent years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. However, the school's performance for its Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) student subgroups has been relatively weaker, with rankings in the bottom 25-40% of New Mexico elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Ocotillo Elementary's academic performance is generally stronger, particularly in ELA proficiency rates. Desert Willow Elementary, the closest school to Ocotillo, has outperformed Ocotillo in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, ranking higher in the state. On the other hand, Sunset Elementary, another nearby school, has shown weaker performance compared to Ocotillo, especially in Mathematics proficiency. The fluctuations in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Ocotillo Elementary may indicate changes in the socioeconomic composition of the school's student population over time, which could be an important factor to consider when analyzing the school's academic performance and the potential challenges faced by students from low-income backgrounds.

621

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,453

Per pupil spending ?

20.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2106 Captain Williams Ln
Carlsbad, NM 88220

(575) 628-4498

District: Carlsbad

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 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the New Mexico median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 34 percentile points since 2019

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

!Near the bottom of Carlsbad's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

164^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 34 pts since 2019

From top 14% (2019) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Carlsbad

42^nd of 82Carlsbad 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	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
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
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
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
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
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

Female (2024)76th percentile~ school

Male (2024)65th percentile-11 vs school

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)45th percentile-31 vs school

White (2025)38th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2025)35th percentile-18 vs school

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

Homeless (2022)25th percentile-59 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts44%~ state avg

Science32%~ state avg

Mathematics29%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Ocotillo 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
Ocotillo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2106 Captain Williams Ln	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	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%)	45.7	164^th of 345 public elementary schools	52.5%		70.2	97^th of 413 public elementary schools	76.5%	67	31.5	48.3	52.0	30.4	44.2	32.8	30.4	22.8	29.0	$8,453
Monterrey Elementary	Public	K-5	1600 Johnson St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	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%)	55.5	115^th of 345 public elementary schools	66.7%		67.2	108^th of 413 public elementary schools	73.8%	7	35.9	38.1	49.2	56.6	47.5	34.9	18.5	60.4	36.5	$9,032
Sunset Elementary	Public	K-5	923 North Walter St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	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%)	40.8	184^th of 345 public elementary schools	46.7%		58.2	138^th of 413 public elementary schools	66.6%	46	37.5	42.7	43.0	46.1	43.9	26.8	22.6	20.2	23.1	$8,498
Edison Elementary	Public	1-5	406 N. Alameda Street	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	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	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	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%)	52.4	128^th of 345 public elementary schools	62.9%		45.2	198^th of 413 public elementary schools	52.1%	70	26.9	35.7	57.5	43.5	45.9	27.8	50.7	35.9	38.5
Desert Willow Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Primrose St	Carlsbad	88220	Eddy County	Carlsbad	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%)	61.3	93^rd of 345 public elementary schools	73.0%		47.7	182^nd of 413 public elementary schools	55.9%	89	30.8	66.3	60.0	51.4	58.8	33.7	35.8	30.8	33.6	$8,800
Loving Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 South Sixth	Loving	88256	Eddy County	Loving	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%)	35.3	204^th of 345 public elementary schools	40.9%		72.7	86^th of 413 public elementary schools	79.2%	118	25.0	27.7	56.5	45.5	43.1	14.3	21.3	34.1	22.9	$14,857

Frequently Asked Questions about Ocotillo Elementary

How many students attend Ocotillo Elementary?

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

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

What district is Ocotillo Elementary in?

Carlsbad

What is the racial makeup of Ocotillo Elementary?

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

Is Ocotillo Elementary a good school?

Ocotillo Elementary ranks 164^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Ocotillo Elementary!

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Schools in Carlsbad, 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.