Dexter Middle

Dexter Middle in Dexter, NM, is a small rural school serving grades 6–8 with 178 students, located in southeastern New Mexico and part of Dexter Consolidated Schools. Nearly all students—100% in each of the last three reported years—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and class sizes are modest at 12.9 students per teacher. Its closest comparison schools include Hagerman Middle 6.2 miles away, Mountain View Middle 12.8 miles away, Lake Arthur Middle 14 miles away, and Mesa Middle and Sierra Middle in Roswell Independent Schools about 15–17 miles away.

The school currently ranks 112th of 191 New Mexico middle schools—41st percentile, 2 stars—well above its own district, which ranks 75th of 87 districts (14th percentile, 1 star). Reading is Dexter’s clear strength: 42.3% of all students were proficient in ELA, essentially level with the state (43.3%) and above the three Roswell middle schools, including Sierra Middle at 37.4%, Mesa Middle at 35.6%, and Mountain View Middle at 35.5%. Math is the standout weakness: 12.8% proficiency is less than half the state rate of 25.5%, below the district’s 15.5%, and the lowest among these nearby schools. Eighth-grade science is also low at 22.8%, compared with 34.2% statewide.

Over four reported years, reading has improved from 35% to 42.3% while math has fallen from 21% to 12.8%. Seventh-grade ELA is 53.1%, the school’s strongest result; 6th-grade ELA is 32.6% and 8th-grade ELA is 40.4%. Math is consistently low—6th and 7th grade are both under 20% proficient, and 8th grade is 15.8%. Hagerman Middle is the most useful local benchmark, with 52.6% ELA and 25.6% math; Lake Arthur Middle posts higher reading and math but serves only 26 students. Low-income students ranked 52nd percentile (3 stars), above the school overall, and female students ranked 58th percentile versus male students at 35th. The key takeaway: Dexter Middle reads near the state average but does math at roughly half the state rate, and math is the metric separating it from its closest neighbor.