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Desert Trail Elementary

Q: Is Desert Trail Elementary a good school?

Desert Trail Elementary ranks 133 rd of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Desert Trail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 479 students attended Desert Trail Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Desert Trail Elementary?

Students at Desert Trail Elementary are 95% Hispanic, 3% White.

Q: What schools do graduates of Desert Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend Desert Trail Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Chaparral Middle High : Chaparral High

Public Grades PK, KG-6

133^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Desert Trail Elementary is a PK–6 school in Chaparral, New Mexico, serving 479 students as part of Gadsden Independent Schools. It is one of the larger elementary schools in the area. In 2025–26 it ranked 133rd of 346 New Mexico schools — the 62nd percentile with 3 stars — well above its district's overall standing of 38th percentile with 2 stars (54th of 87).

Math is the school's standout strength. In 2025–26, all-grades math proficiency was 51.02% on the NM Combined exam and 51.23% on NM-MSSA, roughly double the district (28.89% and 32.47%) and state (25.54% and 27.85%) rates. Among nearby schools, Desert Trail leads: La Union Elementary 48.54%, Loma Linda Elementary 46.67%, Gadsden Elementary 38.73%, Chaparral Elementary 32.44%, Santa Teresa Elementary 31.85%, Yucca Heights Elementary 30.80%, Sunrise Elementary 27.87%, Vado Elementary 21.50%, and Berino Elementary 20.48%. Grade 6 math is exceptional at 79.71%. Subgroup results are strong too: 77th percentile with 4 stars for low-SES students, and 61st–66th percentile for English language learners and male and female students. Special education, at 37th percentile with 2 stars in 2023–24, is the one lower result.

ELA is closer to average: 42.04% on NM Combined and 42.21% on NM-MSSA, above the district but slightly below the state. Science is a relative weakness — fifth-grade science was 16.98%, versus 28.28% district and 31.97% state — and fifth grade is the weakest year overall in ELA (28.85%) and math (42.31%). Even so, the trend is clearly upward: 43rd percentile in 2022–23, then 54th, 57th, and 62nd, with math rising from 28% to 51%. Desert Trail outranks its closest neighbors — Chaparral Elementary (0.19 miles, 45th percentile), Yucca Heights Elementary (4.96 miles, 41st percentile), and Sunrise Elementary (2.04 miles, 20th percentile) — though farther schools La Union Elementary and Loma Linda Elementary rank higher overall on stronger ELA. Class sizes are larger than at most nearby schools (student-teacher ratio of 14.4 in 2024–25, improved from 16.4), and with 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility, these results stand out.

479

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,800

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

290 East Lisa
Chaparral, NM 88021

(575) 882-6203

District: Gadsden Independent Schools

Students who attend Desert Trail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Chaparral Middle
High:	Chaparral High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.0%

White:

3.3%

American Indian:

0.8%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Desert Trail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (44% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 30 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the New Mexico median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 15 pts below the New Mexico average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg37%

New Mexico avg36%

133^rd of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Gadsden Independent Schools

54^th of 87Gadsden Independent 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	52.8	133 of 346	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	148 of 345	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.0	189 of 413	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.2	247 of 435	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	219 of 420	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.5	174 of 396	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.9	191 of 383	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.3	174 of 374	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	33.2	276 of 410	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.8	286 of 421	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.0	178 of 442	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.1	199 of 412	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	31.7	283 of 398	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	43.7	225 of 402	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.2	260 of 419	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.9	229 of 411	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	39.8	249 of 405	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	31.0	292 of 398	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.8	279 of 390	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	28.3	304 of 389	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	12 of 31	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.3	11 of 21	47.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	96 of 223	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	145 of 191	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.7	149 of 203	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.3	27 of 98	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	56.5	25 of 83	69.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	86 of 252	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.9	193 of 398	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.0	296 of 390	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.8	218 of 395	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	146 of 343	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.1	187 of 339	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	98 of 273	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.8	112 of 255	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	167 of 384	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.2	229 of 395	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	189 of 389	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.1	125 of 320	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.0	164 of 329	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	61.6	60 of 256	76.6%	★★★★☆
2025	50.2	137 of 325	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	86 of 356	75.8%	★★★★☆
2023	48.0	221 of 426	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	171 of 410	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.6	117 of 361	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	140 of 356	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	92 of 251	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	147 of 397	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.9	188 of 414	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	171 of 392	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.1	167 of 337	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.3	204 of 333	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	30.5	100 of 158	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	48.6	135 of 304	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	158 of 304	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	264 of 413	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)77th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)63rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)61st percentile~ school

White (2026)56th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2024)37th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics51%+23 vs state

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Science17%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Desert Trail 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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-ASR Science All Grades	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 6th 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 6th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Desert Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	290 East Lisa	Chaparral	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	479	33	14.4	100.0%	16 (3.3%)	3 (0.6%)	455 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	52.8	133^rd of 346 public elementary schools	61.6%		48.5	148^th of 345 public elementary schools	57.1%	15	17.0		47.4	50.0	28.9	40.6	42.2	49.1	30.3	42.3	79.7	51.2	$8,800
Chaparral Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Lisa Dr	Chaparral	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	437	34	12.8	100.0%	22 (5.0%)	8 (1.8%)	406 (92.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.7	189^th of 346 public elementary schools	45.4%		26.1	249^th of 345 public elementary schools	27.8%	60	25.5		33.3	52.0	31.4	51.8	41.8	20.6	32.0	35.3	46.4	33.2	$9,456
Sunrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 County Line Dr	Anthony	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	406	33	12.3	100.0%	5 (1.2%)	4 (1.0%)	396 (97.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.3	278^th of 346 public elementary schools	19.7%		21.8	285^th of 345 public elementary schools	17.4%	7	25.8		17.7	38.9	21.2	26.9	26.1	21.6	18.5	34.9	35.8	28.6	$9,400
Yucca Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	580 Angelina Blvd	Chaparral	88081	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 824-8210	439	29	15.1	100.0%	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	430 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	38.7	203^rd of 346 public elementary schools	41.3%		37.9	196^th of 345 public elementary schools	43.2%	7	20.4		36.1	59.7	37.0	33.3	42.6	22.2	35.1	27.8	38.3	30.8	$8,310
Loma Linda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1451 Donaldson Ave	Anthony	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	398	30	13.2	100.0%	10 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	386 (97.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59.8	102^nd of 346 public elementary schools	70.5%		53	125^th of 345 public elementary schools	63.8%	23	36.5		53.6	46.3	47.3		48.6	39.3	31.3	68.9		46.7	$10,935
Anthony Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	609 Church St	Anthony	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	163	16	10.1	100.0%	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	158 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						51.4					62.2		$10,061
Berino Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	455 Shrode Rd	Anthony	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	300	28	10.6	100.0%	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	294 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.8	266^th of 346 public elementary schools	23.1%		19.2	302^nd of 345 public elementary schools	12.5%	36	< 20%	< 20%	33.3	45.2	30.3	31.0	35.2	17.8	< 20%	< 20%	28.6	19.1	$10,604
Gadsden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1440 Hwy 478	Sunland Park	88063	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-3050	379	27	14.0	100.0%	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	372 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	49.6	150^th of 346 public elementary schools	56.6%		37.5	198^th of 345 public elementary schools	42.6%	48	29.8		41.3	42.0	48.9	46.6	44.8	21.7	38.0	36.2	55.2	38.8	$9,279
Vado Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	330 Holguin Rd	Vado	88072	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	415	33	12.5	100.0%	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	411 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.7	276^th of 346 public elementary schools	20.2%		16.7	316^th of 345 public elementary schools	8.4%	40	13.5		37.8	29.8	< 20%	33.3	27.7	< 20%	31.9	13.5	31.4	21.5	$10,558
La Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	875 Mercantile	Anthony	88021	Doña Ana County	Gadsden Independent Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 882-6203	340	24	14.0	100.0%	26 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	313 (92.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76.5	55^th of 346 public elementary schools	84.1%		68.3	77^th of 345 public elementary schools	77.7%	22	50.0		58.8	61.9	51.9	58.2	57.4	35.3	38.1	64.8	54.6	49.0	$10,430

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