Desert Hills Elementary

Public PK, KG-5

 280 North Roadrunner Pkwy
       Las Cruces, NM  88011


(575) 527-9619

District: Las Cruces Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
39th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,467 Help


Students who attend Desert Hills Elementary usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio:  14.0 Help
Number of students:  559

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.4%
White:
27.9%
Asian:
4.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

 Compare Desert Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Hills Elementary ranks better than 91% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 2nd among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.25. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (61.4%), White (27.9%), Asian (4.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Las Cruces Public Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Hills Elementary is 14. 13 elementary schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Desert Hills Elementary employs 39.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Hills Elementary is $8,467. 22 elementary schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Hills Elementary 39th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Desert Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Las Cruces Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Las Cruces Public Schools 58th of 117 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Desert Hills Elementary?

Rank History for Desert Hills Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 88.07 30th 389 92.3%
2006 87.64 32nd 390 91.8%
2007 90.05 25th 398 93.7%
2008 87.01 35th 405 91.4%
2009 83.52 43rd 411 89.5%
2010 77.99 70th 419 83.3%
2011 86.89 41st 402 89.8%
2012 84.89 42nd 398 89.4%
2013 90.05 25th 412 93.9%
2014 81.77 54th 442 87.8%
2015 78.54 63rd 421 85.0%
2016 84.36 42nd 410 89.8%
2017 89.01 23rd 374 93.9%
2018 87.71 27th 383 93.0%
2019 89.11 20th 396 94.9%
2022 77.90 64th 420 84.8%
2023 93.25 39th 433 91.0%
See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 94.49 1st 91 98.9%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.67 17th 83 79.5%
2019 78.03 12th 98 87.8%
2022 71.01 29th 203 85.7%
2023 51.81 97th 191 49.2%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 32.30 102nd 132 22.7%
2023 74.77 40th 165 75.8%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.61 52nd 356 85.4%
2019 80.83 37th 361 89.8%
2022 84.96 27th 410 93.4%
2023 97.97 15th 424 96.5%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.02 23rd 339 93.2%
2019 83.52 29th 343 91.5%
2022 68.70 73rd 395 81.5%
2023 92.33 35th 388 91.0%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.13 29th 333 91.3%
2019 85.75 19th 337 94.4%
2022 76.95 51st 392 87.0%
2023 91.83 40th 412 90.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.04 3rd 3 0.0%
2023 88.51 4th 24 83.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.69 32nd 329 90.3%
2019 77.63 41st 320 87.2%
2022 73.76 46th 389 88.2%
2023 95.17 25th 393 93.6%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Hills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NM State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.64 16th 187 91.4%
2019 87.04 13th 199 93.5%
2022 57.14 120th 325 63.1%
2023 90.74 44th 411 89.3%
See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Desert Hills Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, January 9, 2012

Open Quote 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



Enrollment information for Desert Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 237 14 6 266 9 n/a n/a 0 532
1996 237 14 6 266 9 n/a n/a 0 532
1997 226 10 4 289 7 n/a n/a 0 536
1998 240 23 7 304 9 n/a n/a 0 583
1999 252 16 5 343 18 n/a n/a 0 634
2000 229 12 16 211 4 n/a n/a 0 472
2001 277 16 13 178 3 n/a n/a 0 487
2002 289 23 11 205 4 n/a n/a 0 532
2003 289 23 11 205 4 n/a n/a 0 532
2004 322 18 15 233 2 n/a n/a 0 590
2005 348 26 21 243 4 n/a n/a 0 642
2006 369 29 23 317 4 n/a n/a 0 742
2007 322 21 29 235 2 n/a n/a 0 609
2008 329 25 32 249 4 n/a n/a 0 639
2009 324 30 37 280 2 n/a n/a 0 673
2010 327 33 33 314 8 0 0 0 715
2011 205 25 28 286 3 4 6 0 557
2012 169 32 25 311 2 15 7 0 561
2013 158 28 18 302 3 19 6 0 534
2014 176 27 13 321 2 27 7 0 573
2015 191 25 11 346 5 21 8 0 607
2016 201 27 11 390 10 23 12 0 674
2017 223 31 16 371 10 19 0 0 670
2018 212 18 15 374 9 23 13 0 664
2019 218 13 15 395 3 16 16 0 676
2020 236 10 19 424 7 6 13 0 715
2021 192 11 16 377 7 4 9 0 616
2022 169 6 21 362 7 3 13 0 581
2023 156 10 25 343 6 3 16 0 559

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 532 26.6 20.0 n/a
1996 532 26.6 20.0 n/a
1997 536 33.5 16.0 n/a
1998 583 33.0 17.7 n/a
1999 634 34.6 18.3 44.3
2000 472 31.1 15.2 46.4
2001 487 29.2 16.7 33.1
2002 532 32.0 16.6 34.2
2003 532 32.0 16.6 34.2
2004 590 37.3 15.8 28.6
2005 642 38.5 16.7 29
2006 742 42.9 17.3 31.4
2007 609 38.2 15.9 23
2008 639 39.0 16.4 24.4
2009 673 40.0 16.8 25.4
2010 715 40.0 17.8 26.4
2011 557 36.0 15.4 29.6
2012 561 35.5 15.7 36.2
2013 534 35.5 15.0 40.6
2014 573 35.5 16.1 37.9
2015 607 40.0 15.1 36.4
2016 674 41.0 16.4 41.2
2017 670 41.3 16.2 36.3
2018 664 38.8 17.0 45.8
2019 676 39.7 16.9 43
2020 715 40.1 17.8 32.2
2021 616 41.5 14.8 100
2022 581 40.0 14.5 100
2023 559 39.7 14.0 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Hills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 532 26.6 20.0 n/a
1996 532 26.6 20.0 n/a
1997 536 33.5 16.0 n/a
1998 583 33.0 17.7 n/a
1999 634 34.6 18.3 44.3
2000 472 31.1 15.2 46.4
2001 487 29.2 16.7 33.1
2002 532 32.0 16.6 34.2
2003 532 32.0 16.6 34.2
2004 590 37.3 15.8 28.6
2005 642 38.5 16.7 29
2006 742 42.9 17.3 31.4
2007 609 38.2 15.9 23
2008 639 39.0 16.4 24.4
2009 673 40.0 16.8 25.4
2010 715 40.0 17.8 26.4
2011 557 36.0 15.4 29.6
2012 561 35.5 15.7 36.2
2013 534 35.5 15.0 40.6
2014 573 35.5 16.1 37.9
2015 607 40.0 15.1 36.4
2016 674 41.0 16.4 41.2
2017 670 41.3 16.2 36.3
2018 664 38.8 17.0 45.8
2019 676 39.7 16.9 43
2020 715 40.1 17.8 32.2
2021 616 41.5 14.8 100
2022 581 40.0 14.5 100
2023 559 39.7 14.0 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Hills Elementary

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $8,467

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Hills Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 20th of 396 Elementary schoolsRanks 39th of 433 Elementary schools
 4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Desert Hills Elementary)5252.3
 0.3%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces Public Schools)2931.3
 2.3%
   3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3031.8
 1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Desert Hills Elementary)4826.4
 21.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces Public Schools)2821.3
 6.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)3222.5
 9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Desert Hills Elementary)4852.8
 4.8%
   4th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces Public Schools)2837
 9%
   4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3035.2
 5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Desert Hills Elementary)4342.6
 0.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces Public Schools)2724.6
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2724.5
 2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Desert Hills Elementary)6064.8
 4.8%
   5th Grade Language Arts (Las Cruces Public Schools)3339.4
 6.4%
   5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)3335.7
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Desert Hills Elementary)4832.7
 15.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Las Cruces Public Schools)2431.7
 7.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)2430.7
 6.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students676559
 17.3%
African American1310
 23.1%
American Indian36
 100%
Asian1525
 66.7%
Hispanic395343
 13.2%
Pacific Islander163
 81.3%
White218156
 28.4%
Two or More Races1616
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients43%100%
 57%


Schools Near Desert Hills Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Hills Elementary

In the 2022-23 school year, 559 students attended Desert Hills Elementary.

Yes. Desert Hills Elementary ranks in the top 9.0% of New Mexico elementary schools.

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

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

Students at Desert Hills Elementary are 61% Hispanic, 28% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% American Indian.


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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. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data 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.





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