Tohatchi Middle

Tohatchi Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Tohatchi, New Mexico, serving 297 students as part of Gallup-McKinley City Schools, a district ranked 60th of 87 in the state. In 2025-26, the school ranked 116th of 191 middle schools in New Mexico, placing it in the 39th percentile with 2 stars. That is the strongest overall result in its recent history, up from the 21st percentile in 2024-25 and the 11th percentile in 2023-24, so the trend line is clearly moving in a positive direction even though the school still sits below the state average overall.

On 2025-26 proficiency tests, language arts came in at 32.79%, below both the district (36.49%) and the state (43.34%). Math reached 24.59%, slightly above the district (23.81%) and close to the state (25.54%), and 8th grade science was 33.33%, above the district (29.61%) and just below the state (34.19%). The pattern is mixed but useful for parents: math and 8th grade science are relative strengths, while language arts is the clearest area for growth and the most likely focus for improvement efforts.

The nearest comparison school is Navajo Middle School, about 16 miles away, which enrolls 224 students in the same grades and district. The two schools have complementary profiles: Navajo Middle School is stronger in language arts (48.05% overall versus Tohatchi Middle's 32.79%), while Tohatchi Middle is stronger in math (24.59% versus 17.11%) and 8th grade science (33.33% versus 26.47%). Tohatchi's 8th grade math score of 26.32% is also above district and state averages, and Navajo's 8th grade math is reported as under 20%. The school has also improved how well it serves Native American students (67th percentile, 4 stars) and low-income students (62nd percentile, 3 stars). Bottom line: Tohatchi Middle is improving, with math and science momentum to protect and language arts as the priority.