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Desert Hills Elementary

Q: Is Desert Hills Elementary a good school?

Desert Hills Elementary ranks 35 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 5 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

35^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Desert Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 539 students in grades PK-5. This school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, delivering exceptional academic outcomes for its students.

Desert Hills Elementary's performance on state assessments is significantly higher than the Las Cruces district and state averages. In 2024-2025, 63.83% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46.12% in the district and 44.19% statewide. In mathematics, 52.34% of Desert Hills students were proficient or better, compared to 25.43% in the district and 26.81% statewide. The school's performance on science assessments is also impressive, with 67.9% of 5th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 35.35% in the district and 29.3% statewide.

In addition to its strong overall academic performance, Desert Hills Elementary consistently ranks among the top schools in the state for various student subgroups, including female students, male students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14 to 14.5 students per teacher, is also noteworthy compared to nearby schools. These factors contribute to Desert Hills Elementary's reputation as a standout educational institution in the Las Cruces area.

502

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,467

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

280 North Roadrunner Pkwy
Las Cruces, NM 88011

(575) 527-9619

District: Las Cruces

Students who attend Desert Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Camino Real Middle
High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Centennial High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

67.7%

White:

20.5%

Asian:

5.2%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Desert Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 88th percentile in 2014 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (60% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Las Cruces

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

35^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 5 pts since 2015

From top 15% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 24Elementary Schools in the Las Cruces

45^th of 82Las Cruces 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
2025	85.6	35 of 345	89.9%	★★★★★
2024	85.6	44 of 413	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	93.2	39 of 435	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	77.9	64 of 420	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	89.1	20 of 396	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	87.7	27 of 383	93.0%	★★★★★
2017	89.0	23 of 374	93.9%	★★★★★
2016	84.4	42 of 410	89.8%	★★★★☆
2015	78.5	63 of 421	85.0%	★★★★☆
2014	81.8	54 of 442	87.8%	★★★★☆
2013	90.1	25 of 412	93.9%	★★★★★
2012	84.9	42 of 398	89.4%	★★★★☆
2011	86.9	41 of 402	89.8%	★★★★★
2010	78.0	70 of 419	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	83.5	43 of 411	89.5%	★★★★☆
2008	87.0	35 of 405	91.4%	★★★★★
2007	90.1	25 of 398	93.7%	★★★★★
2006	87.6	32 of 390	91.8%	★★★★★
2005	88.1	30 of 389	92.3%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	88.5	4 of 24	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	33.0	3 of 3	0.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	80.8	37 of 223	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	51.8	97 of 191	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.0	29 of 203	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	78.0	12 of 98	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.7	17 of 83	79.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	73.4	71 of 398	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	92.3	35 of 390	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	68.7	73 of 395	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	29 of 343	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	87.0	23 of 339	93.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	79.2	36 of 255	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	84.3	47 of 384	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	95.2	25 of 395	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	73.8	46 of 389	88.2%	★★★★☆
2019	77.6	41 of 320	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	32 of 329	90.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	87.7	26 of 325	92.0%	★★★★★
2024	85.7	43 of 356	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	98.0	15 of 426	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	85.0	27 of 410	93.4%	★★★★★
2019	80.8	37 of 361	89.8%	★★★★★
2018	72.6	52 of 356	85.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	85.7	39 of 397	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	91.8	40 of 414	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	77.0	51 of 392	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	85.8	19 of 337	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	82.1	29 of 333	91.3%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	94.5	1 of 91	98.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	74.8	40 of 165	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	32.3	102 of 132	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	78.9	45 of 304	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	59 of 339	82.6%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	44 of 413	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	57.1	120 of 325	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	87.0	13 of 199	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	82.6	16 of 187	91.4%	★★★★★

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)

Multi-racial (2022)99th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2024)90th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)86th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)85th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)83rd percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2023)83rd percentile-8 vs school

Female (2024)82nd percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2023)76th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

Science68%+39 vs state

English Language Arts64%+20 vs state

Mathematics52%+26 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, January 9, 2012

We have had MANY bullying issues with this school and their best way to handle it is to either tell the children to stay away from the bully and play somewhere else or to punish everyone involved. Not okay. The main office is never friendly to parents coming in. Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Hills Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NM-ASR Science (2025)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2025)				NM-MSSA Mathematics (2025)				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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	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 All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 4th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 5th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Desert Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	280 North Roadrunner Pkwy	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9619	502	42	12.0	100.0%	103 (20.5%)	13 (2.6%)	340 (67.7%)	26 (5.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	85.6	35^th of 345 public elementary schools	89.9%		85.6	44^th of 413 public elementary schools	89.3%	9	67.9	45.1	68.1	79.0	63.8	41.5	47.2	67.9	52.3	$8,467
Hillrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 South Curnutt St	Las Cruces	88011	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9666	421	33	12.7	100.0%	102 (24.2%)	12 (2.9%)	288 (68.4%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	59.6	102^nd of 345 public elementary schools	70.4%		70.3	96^th of 413 public elementary schools	76.8%	6	53.7	42.5	50.9	60.0	50.8	15.1	36.4	44.6	31.1	$9,028
Hermosa Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1655 East Amador Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	22.2	278^th of 345 public elementary schools	19.4%		18.5	343^rd of 413 public elementary schools	16.9%	65	20.0	30.9	41.4	38.2	36.9	16.4	12.1	20.0	16.1	$11,668
Loma Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 East Madrid	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	19.3	301^st of 345 public elementary schools	12.8%		25	307^th of 413 public elementary schools	25.7%	6	19.0	23.3	38.8	36.2	33.3	11.7	16.3	22.4	16.7	$10,870
Conlee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 Boston Dr	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	46.7	159^th of 345 public elementary schools	53.9%		54.3	152^nd of 413 public elementary schools	63.2%	7	36.2	32.2	54.7	37.3	40.9	20.3	34.0	46.6	33.5	$11,071
Booker T. Washington	Public	PK, KG-5	755 East Chestnut Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	22.3	277^th of 345 public elementary schools	19.7%		13.2	371^st of 413 public elementary schools	10.2%	94	17.8	40.0		28.9	31.8			17.8	13.6	$13,990
Valley View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	915 E California Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	24.1	266^th of 345 public elementary schools	22.9%		15.8	359^th of 413 public elementary schools	13.1%	93	19.5	19.2	41.5	41.5	32.8		19.5		11.9	$12,275
University Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2005 South Locust St	Las Cruces	88001	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9649	363	32	11.3	100.0%	54 (14.9%)	21 (5.8%)	270 (74.4%)	13 (3.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	44	172^nd of 345 public elementary schools	50.1%		51.5	167^th of 413 public elementary schools	59.6%	5	37.8	36.7	45.7	60.0	47.1		15.2	26.7	17.1	$11,880
Jornada Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9536	429	38	11.4	100.0%	45 (10.5%)	3 (0.7%)	368 (85.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	48.9	142^nd of 345 public elementary schools	58.8%		51.2	168^th of 413 public elementary schools	59.3%	26	42.6	34.7	57.7	46.3	46.4	16.0	29.5	44.4	28.5	$8,912
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 North Alameda Blvd	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	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%)	53.3	122^nd of 345 public elementary schools	64.6%		45.5	195^th of 413 public elementary schools	52.8%	73	30.8	48.4	53.3	38.5	47.1				19.5	$12,022

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Hills Elementary

What district is Desert Hills Elementary in?

Las Cruces

Is Desert Hills Elementary a good school?

Desert Hills Elementary ranks 35^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 5 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Hills Elementary?

Students at Desert Hills Elementary are 68% Hispanic, 21% White, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Desert Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Desert Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Camino Real Middle
High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School
High : Centennial High School

How many students attend Desert Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Desert Hills Elementary.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.