Jal Elementary

Jal Elementary is a PK–5 school serving 290 students in Jal, New Mexico, a small community in the southeastern corner of the state where there are no other schools within 20 miles — so the most useful comparisons for families are Jal Public Schools district averages and New Mexico state averages rather than neighboring schools.

On SchoolDigger's most recent ranking, Jal Elementary placed 267th of 346 New Mexico schools in 2025–2026, putting it in the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating — a step back from 2024–2025, when it ranked 219th of 345 (37th percentile, 2 stars) and after several years in the 33rd–45th percentile range. The district overall ranks 78th of 87 in the state. In 2025–2026, proficiency trailed state averages in English language arts (36.72% vs. 44.66%), math (21.88% vs. 27.85%), and fifth-grade science (27.66% vs. 32.24%). Math is a relative bright spot against the district — 22.90% vs. 17.73% on the combined math measure — but ELA falls below the district as well.

Grade-level results vary. Fourth-grade ELA reached 46.15%, close to the state's 50.89%, while third-grade ELA was the widest gap at 28.57% vs. 44.72%, and fourth-grade math was the largest math gap at 17.95% vs. 27.23%. School effectiveness rankings for student groups show relatively stronger results for female students (35th percentile), low-income students (39th percentile, 2024–2025), and English language learners (48th percentile, 2023–2024). Families should also note context: the reported free/reduced-lunch rate rose to 99.66% in 2024–2025, and the student-teacher ratio is 16.5, the highest of the past three years.