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Highland Elementary

Q: Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks 114 th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Highland Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 704 students attended Highland Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Highland Elementary?

Students at Highland Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 18% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.

Q: What schools do graduates of Highland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Arrowhead Park Early College High School High : Organ Mountain High School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

114^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Highland Elementary is a PK–5 school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 704 students as part of Las Cruces Public Schools, a district ranked 49th of 87 in the state at the 44th percentile with 2 stars. Highland itself ranks 114th of 346 New Mexico schools, at the 67th percentile with 3 stars, so it performs above its district's overall standing. Its scores beat both district and state averages: 54.47% in language arts versus 44.73% district and 43.34% state, and 33.07% in math versus 24.50% and 25.54%. One caution: the school's relative standing has drifted downward, from the 74th percentile in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 to 72nd, 69th, and 67th, and from 4 stars to 3 stars.

Among nearby PK–5 schools in Las Cruces Public Schools, Highland places third of nine in language arts and fourth of nine in math, behind Desert Hills Elementary (95th percentile) and Sonoma Elementary (78th), and essentially tied with Dona Ana Elementary. It clearly outpaces Monte Vista Elementary, which has nearly identical enrollment. Fifth grade is Highland's standout: 64.95% in ELA, 46.39% in math, and 44.33% in science, all well above district and state. The clearest weak spot is early-grade math, with 4th-grade math at 25.00% below both district (27.15%) and state (27.24%), and 3rd-grade math below state.

Highland's low-income students are a genuine strength, ranking at the 70th percentile with 4 stars — above the school's overall percentile — even though 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Female students, however, fell to the 36th percentile with 2 stars after sitting at the 73rd percentile in 2022–2024, and special education results are low in the years available, including the 27th percentile with 1 star in 2022–2023. The student-teacher ratio is 14.3, the highest among the nearby schools listed, though it has improved from 16.5 and 15.7 in prior years.

704

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,078

Per pupil spending ?

42.8%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

All students in New Mexico receive free school meals.

4201 Emerald St
Las Cruces, NM 88012

(575) 527-9636

District: Las Cruces Public Schools

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually attend:

High:	Arrowhead Park Early College High School
	Organ Mountain High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.1%

White:

18.0%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Highland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 80th percentile in 2017 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (44% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Above the New Mexico median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 80th-percentile peak (2017) to 67th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg37%

New Mexico avg36%

114^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^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	57.5	114 of 346	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.4	108 of 345	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.2	115 of 413	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	112 of 435	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	64.0	110 of 420	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	59.1	134 of 396	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	97 of 383	74.7%	★★★★☆
2017	72.1	76 of 374	79.7%	★★★★☆
2016	66.5	102 of 410	75.1%	★★★★☆
2015	50.0	172 of 421	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	72.4	94 of 442	78.7%	★★★★☆
2013	76.2	83 of 412	79.9%	★★★★☆
2012	75.1	77 of 398	80.7%	★★★★☆
2011	56.5	152 of 402	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.8	98 of 419	76.6%	★★★★☆
2009	72.6	89 of 411	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	68.4	99 of 405	75.6%	★★★★☆
2007	75.9	67 of 398	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	77.7	67 of 390	82.8%	★★★★☆
2005	73.9	80 of 389	79.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	51.6	101 of 223	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.4	51 of 191	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	50.9	87 of 203	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	37.0	162 of 252	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.4	109 of 398	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.9	107 of 390	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	49.7	136 of 395	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	126 of 343	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	82 of 339	75.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	49.4	128 of 273	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	100 of 255	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	106 of 384	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	101 of 395	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.9	92 of 389	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	52.2	135 of 320	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	87 of 329	73.6%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	57.8	13 of 36	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	77 of 256	69.9%	★★★★☆
2025	61.0	90 of 325	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	105 of 356	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	65 of 426	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.7	42 of 410	89.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.3	169 of 361	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.0	139 of 356	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	84 of 251	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	143 of 397	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	125 of 414	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	78 of 392	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	51.8	142 of 337	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	104 of 333	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	37.2	121 of 165	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	47 of 47	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	53.6	117 of 304	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.6	117 of 304	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	115 of 339	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	109 of 413	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.9	116 of 325	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.6	101 of 199	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.2	76 of 187	59.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile~ school

Homeless (2022)64th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)62nd percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)55th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2026)36th percentile-31 vs school

Special Education (2023)27th percentile-48 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%+10 vs state

Science44%+12 vs state

Mathematics33%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Highland 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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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
Highland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Emerald St	Las Cruces	88012	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9636	704	49	14.3	42.8%	127 (18.0%)	11 (1.6%)	522 (74.1%)	14 (2.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.6%)	57.5	114^th of 346 public elementary schools	67.1%		58.4	108^th of 345 public elementary schools	68.7%	6	44.3			44.0	55.2	65.0				54.9	25.3	25.4	46.4				33.3	$8,078
Sonoma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 Northrise Dr	Las Cruces	88011	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 541-7320	660	55	12.0	32.0%	115 (17.4%)	10 (1.5%)	503 (76.2%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.0%)	68.6	76^th of 346 public elementary schools	78.0%		75.8	54^th of 345 public elementary schools	84.3%	22	52.5			49.5	65.7	59.4				58.3	33.3	33.3	46.5				37.8	$8,200
Monte Vista Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4675 Peachtree Hills	Las Cruces	88012	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9490	706	56	12.6	36.4%	105 (14.9%)	15 (2.1%)	555 (78.6%)	10 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.7%)	52.5	135^th of 346 public elementary schools	61.0%		48.3	151^st of 345 public elementary schools	56.2%	16	30.4			55.6	60.9	44.6				53.9	23.2	31.8	42.6				32.6	$9,083
Jornada Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9536	429	38	11.4	48.0%	45 (10.5%)	3 (0.7%)	368 (85.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	43.5	180^th of 346 public elementary schools	48.0%		48.9	142^nd of 345 public elementary schools	58.8%	38	42.9			36.5	56.3	45.7				46.8	21.2	21.9	34.3				26.3	$8,912
Columbia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 Elks Dr	Las Cruces	88005	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-1561	182	26	7.0	55.5%	12 (6.6%)	6 (3.3%)	163 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34.1	221^st of 346 public elementary schools	36.1%		26.1	250^th of 345 public elementary schools	27.5%	29	17.6			63.2	55.7	25.0				48.7	29.0	14.8	15.3				19.5	$10,474
Explore Academy Las Cruces	Public, Charter	K-8	850 N Telshor Blvd	Las Cruces	88011	Doña Ana County	Explore Academy Las Cruces	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 888-4476	599	52	11.5	41.1%	60 (10.0%)	3 (0.5%)	489 (81.6%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.7%)	38.2	206^th of 346 public elementary schools	40.5%		44.8	167^th of 345 public elementary schools	51.6%	39	46.3	39.7	42.1	43.8	43.6	48.8	33.3	37.7	27.4	37.4	< 20%	20.5	26.8	25.5	22.6	17.8	20.4
Desert Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	280 North Roadrunner Pkwy	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9619	502	42	12.0	33.1%	103 (20.5%)	13 (2.6%)	340 (67.7%)	26 (5.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	92.3	19^th of 346 public elementary schools	94.5%		85.6	35^th of 345 public elementary schools	89.9%	16	76.5			65.2	78.4	81.0				75.6	43.9	52.6	60.8				52.9	$8,467
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	60.9%	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
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	62.0%	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
Dona Ana Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5551 Camino De Flores	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9506	372	31	12.1	53.0%	28 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	342 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57	116^th of 346 public elementary schools	66.5%		46.1	162^nd of 345 public elementary schools	53.0%	46	41.9			62.5	46.9	55.8				54.0	34.4	24.5	44.2				33.9	$11,823

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