Rio Grande Elementary

Rio Grande Elementary, at 940 East Herrera in Hatch, New Mexico, is the grades 3–5 campus for Hatch Valley Public Schools, serving 240 students — the largest enrollment of any school compared here — in a high-need community where 89.17% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's biggest story is a sharp recovery. Its state ranking fell to the 4th percentile in 2023–24, then climbed to 18th and now 38th percentile, with 2 stars. That 38th percentile is right where the school sat before the pandemic (34–44), so this reads as a return to its historical norm rather than a new high. Test scores rose with it: English language arts went from 14% to 39.5% proficient over two years, and math from 9% to 32.37%. Math is now a genuine strength — about 4 to 6 points above the state — while reading runs roughly 4 to 5 points below it, and grade-5 science, at 17.5%, is about half the state rate.

Results vary by grade. Grade 4 reading (51.16%) is the only reading result above the state, while grade 5 is the pressure point at 27.16% in reading, alongside the low science figure — though grade 5 math (36.14%) is the school's best. Encouragingly, low-income students (55th percentile) and English learners (48th) score above the school's overall standing. Compared with neighbors, Rio Grande beats Arrey Elementary by roughly 14 points in reading and 12 in math, and outranks its own district (13th percentile). Hatch Valley Elementary (PK–2) and Garfield Elementary (PK–2) report higher reading numbers, but they serve untested grades, so those are not direct comparisons.