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Central Elementary

Q: Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks 145 th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 182 students attended Central Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 81% Hispanic, 15% White, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Zia Middle High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School High : Las Cruces High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

145^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary is a PK–5 neighborhood school at 150 North Alameda Blvd in the core of Las Cruces, serving 182 students in Las Cruces Public Schools, within about two miles of six other district elementary schools and several charter schools. It is the smallest LCPS elementary in its comparison group, has one of the lowest student–teacher ratios (10.9:1), and reports 100% free/reduced lunch enrollment. After a decade sitting around the 45th–53rd percentile statewide, Central Elementary hit the 65th percentile in 2024–25 and 58th in 2025–26 — its two strongest years in the ten-year window, and 14 points above its own district's standing.

Reading is the standout. At 56.44% English language arts proficiency, Central leads all seven LCPS elementary peers, roughly six points ahead of second-place Conlee Elementary and about 26 points above the lowest peer, while also beating the district and the state. The advantage holds at every tested grade level. Math is the soft spot: 25.74% proficiency is essentially even with the state overall, but on the NM-MSSA exam specifically it trails both the district and the state. That 30.7-point reading-to-math gap is wider than any other school in the comparison set, the district, or the state. Fifth-grade science (30.77%) tracks the same average-but-below-district pattern.

The improvement has been broad, which is a good sign: boys moved from the 15th to the 63rd percentile, low-income students from 48th to 72nd, and every reported student group gained, with female students now at the 80th percentile. Two gaps are worth watching. Third-grade math is suppressed by the state, so it is simply unknown — not a zero. And English-learner and special-education results have no data since 2021–22, when they were low (26th and 11th percentiles), making that a monitoring gap rather than a current verdict. Conlee Elementary — the only district peer ranked above Central, with math about 13 points above state — is the most useful local benchmark for what's possible with a similar student population.

182

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,022

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 North Alameda Blvd
Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 527-9496

District: Las Cruces Public Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Zia Middle
High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Las Cruces High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.8%

White:

15.4%

Asian:

1.1%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2015 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the New Mexico median (58th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg37%

New Mexico avg36%

145^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 23Elementary Schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools

49^th of 87Las Cruces Public 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	51.1	145 of 346	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.3	122 of 345	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	195 of 413	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	232 of 435	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	209 of 420	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.2	219 of 396	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.1	181 of 383	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	40.2	206 of 374	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.0	200 of 410	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	39.3	231 of 421	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	38.7	278 of 442	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.9	284 of 412	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.7	190 of 398	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	35.1	279 of 402	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	28.6	323 of 419	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.7	246 of 411	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	33.1	289 of 405	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	30.2	298 of 398	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	45.6	217 of 390	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.9	247 of 389	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	30.9	150 of 203	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	69.8	50 of 252	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	57.5	126 of 398	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.6	140 of 390	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.7	91 of 395	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	52.1	139 of 343	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.4	140 of 339	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	95 of 273	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	176 of 384	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.1	246 of 395	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.6	160 of 389	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.8	207 of 320	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.4	169 of 329	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	60.0	71 of 256	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	56.0	107 of 325	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	184 of 356	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.2	202 of 426	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.8	155 of 410	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.3	152 of 361	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.0	122 of 356	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	94 of 251	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.7	165 of 397	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	19.7	352 of 414	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.6	244 of 392	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	143 of 337	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.8	144 of 333	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	25.6	117 of 132	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	58.6	96 of 304	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.3	136 of 304	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.0	175 of 339	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	246 of 413	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.3	184 of 325	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)80th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+14 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)63rd percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)26th percentile-24 vs school

Special Education (2022)11th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts56%+12 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

Mathematics26%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Central 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 8th 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 7th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 8th 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 7th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 North Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9496	182	17	10.9	100.0%	28 (15.4%)	1 (0.5%)	147 (80.8%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	51.1	145^th of 346 public elementary schools	58.1%		53.3	122^nd of 345 public elementary schools	64.6%	23	30.8			52.0	62.2	53.9				56.4		21.6	33.3				25.7	$12,022
J Paul Taylor Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	500 N Reymond St	Las Cruces	88005	Doña Ana County	J Paul Taylor Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 652-4006	200	16	12.6	25.5%	55 (27.5%)	0 (0.0%)	138 (69.0%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	75.3	56^th of 346 public elementary schools	83.8%		74.3	58^th of 345 public elementary schools	83.2%	2	43.5	71.4	56.8	54.2	66.7	60.9	50.0	63.6	71.4	60.9	50.0	52.4	52.2	36.4	50.0	47.6	48.1	$7,963
Mac Arthur Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	655 N 4th St	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9556	335	29	11.5	100.0%	20 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	313 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16.7	310^th of 346 public elementary schools	10.4%		8.8	341^st of 345 public elementary schools	1.2%	31	16.7			31.3	36.4	27.7				32.0	< 20%	< 20%	25.5				12.7	$10,671
Alameda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1325 N. Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88005	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9486	331	27	12.4	100.0%	19 (5.7%)	4 (1.2%)	302 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	23.7	275^th of 346 public elementary schools	20.5%		22.6	276^th of 345 public elementary schools	20.0%	1	19.6			44.4	37.2	32.1				37.5	< 20%	< 20%	23.2				14.6	$9,652
Booker T. Washington	Public	PK, KG-5	755 East Chestnut Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9595	361	33	11.1	100.0%	24 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	335 (92.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)				31.8	43.2					31.0		< 20%					16.1	$13,990
Valley View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	915 E California Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9586	343	34	10.0	99.7%	33 (9.6%)	12 (3.5%)	284 (82.8%)	8 (2.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	14.5	317^th of 346 public elementary schools	8.4%		24.1	266^th of 345 public elementary schools	22.9%	51	< 20%		< 20%	24.4	35.3	31.6				30.8	< 20%	< 20%	18.4				10.8	$12,275
Hermosa Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1655 East Amador Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9530	408	36	11.3	100.2%	34 (8.3%)	5 (1.2%)	363 (89.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	22.5	283^rd of 346 public elementary schools	18.2%		22.2	278^th of 345 public elementary schools	19.4%	5	25.0			27.3	42.9	28.9				33.6	< 20%	23.2	< 20%				15.8	$11,668
Loma Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 East Madrid	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9546	450	38	11.8	100.0%	39 (8.7%)	10 (2.2%)	398 (88.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17.2	307^th of 346 public elementary schools	11.3%		19.3	301^st of 345 public elementary schools	12.8%	6	19.5			34.4	39.0	31.6				34.7	15.6	11.9	22.4				17.1	$10,870
Conlee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 Boston Dr	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9656	417	35	12.0	99.8%	45 (10.8%)	18 (4.3%)	350 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	52.4	136^th of 346 public elementary schools	60.7%		46.7	159^th of 345 public elementary schools	53.9%	23	31.4			35.3	67.3	45.1				49.7	23.5	32.7	58.8				38.2	$11,071
Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Public, Charter	K-5	2211 North Valley Drive	Las Cruces	88007	Doña Ana County	Raices Del Saber Xinachtli Community	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 571-2177	122	12	9.9	100.0%	5 (4.1%)	3 (2.5%)	112 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				44.4	58.3					45.5							< 20%

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