Dulce Middle

Dulce Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the rural town of Dulce, New Mexico, with a total enrollment of 119 students. The school is part of the Dulce District, which is ranked 118 out of 119 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Dulce Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of New Mexico middle schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 228 out of 235 middle schools in the state for the 2023-2024 school year.

Dulce Middle School's academic performance is significantly below the state average. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 17% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 39%. In Mathematics, only 4% of students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 25%. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, with the school ranking 213 out of 217 New Mexico middle schools for female students, 206 out of 219 for male students, and 57 out of 59 for Native American students. Additionally, the school ranks 102 out of 107 middle schools for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the past three school years.

The consistent underperformance and significant gaps in student subgroup performance at Dulce Middle School indicate a pressing need for targeted interventions and support to improve the educational outcomes for all students. The school's location in a rural, high-poverty area and the Dulce District's low ranking may contribute to the challenges faced by the school, and the relatively low student-teacher ratio suggests that factors beyond just staffing levels may be impacting the school's academic outcomes.