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Tombaugh Elementary

Q: Is Tombaugh Elementary a good school?

Tombaugh Elementary ranks 86 th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Tombaugh Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 565 students attended Tombaugh Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Tombaugh Elementary?

Students at Tombaugh Elementary are 87% Hispanic, 10% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Tombaugh Elementary attend?

Students who attend Tombaugh 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

86^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Tombaugh Elementary is a PK–5 school at 226 Carver Rd in Las Cruces, NM, serving 565 students — the largest enrollment among nearby same-district elementaries — with an almost entirely low-income population (99.65% free/reduced lunch in 2024-25). It ranks 86th of 346 New Mexico elementary schools (75th percentile, 4 stars), well above its district, Las Cruces Public Schools, which sits at the 44th percentile with 2 stars.

Against the nine same-district elementary schools within about four miles, Tombaugh is the top-ranked. Its closest peer in rank, Mesilla Park Elementary (60th percentile), trails by 15 percentile points, while University Hills Elementary, Hermosa Heights Elementary, Mac Arthur Elementary and Valley View Elementary sit in the bottom third of the state. Tombaugh's math proficiency (41.67%) runs about 16–17 points above the same-district peer average and its ELA (53.97%) about 10 points above; it also posts the group's highest 5th-grade science score (45.36). The nearby charter J Paul Taylor Academy scores higher (84th percentile), but its free/reduced lunch rate is 25.5% versus Tombaugh's 99.65%, and Tombaugh's low-income students alone still rank in the 78th percentile statewide.

Two things stand out inside the building. Grade-level results split sharply: 3rd grade is Tombaugh's only grade below both district and state in ELA (40.0) and math (17.33, roughly 9 points under the state), while 4th-grade math (50.0) is nearly double the district and state rates, and 5th-grade ELA (56.7) and math (52.58) also run well ahead. English Language Learner students remain a persistent weak spot — 18th percentile, 1 star in 2023-24, the most recent ELL ranking available — even as the school's overall rank climbed from the 59th percentile in 2023-24 to the 74th and then 75th. Note that some nearby schools' 3rd- and 4th-grade math is reported only as "under 20%," and Central Elementary's 3rd-grade math is suppressed by the state, so those are bounds rather than exact scores.

565

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,882

Per pupil spending ?

49.6%

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.

226 Carver Rd
Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 527-9575

District: Las Cruces Public Schools

Students who attend Tombaugh Elementary usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.9%

White:

9.9%

Asian:

1.2%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Tombaugh Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2015 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (47% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg37%

New Mexico avg36%

86^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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	65.3	86 of 346	75.1%	★★★★☆
2025	63.6	90 of 345	73.9%	★★★★☆
2024	50.9	170 of 413	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	131 of 435	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	61.7	120 of 420	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	70.0	99 of 396	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	45.3	185 of 383	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	52.2	146 of 374	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.0	163 of 410	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.3	190 of 421	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.1	167 of 442	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.3	173 of 412	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.7	176 of 398	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	48.3	203 of 402	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.3	167 of 419	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.5	140 of 411	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	46.5	211 of 405	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	58.8	152 of 398	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	59.0	143 of 390	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.6	113 of 389	71.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	22.5	183 of 223	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.1	102 of 191	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.3	184 of 203	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	49.1	45 of 98	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	39 of 83	53.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	84 of 252	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	199 of 398	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.2	155 of 390	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	140 of 395	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.9	95 of 343	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	47.8	156 of 339	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	57.5	91 of 273	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.5	99 of 255	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.6	199 of 384	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.0	132 of 395	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	110 of 389	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	61.6	95 of 320	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	38.3	201 of 329	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	64.2	57 of 256	77.7%	★★★★☆
2025	66.6	74 of 325	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	51.7	153 of 356	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.3	79 of 426	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.0	55 of 410	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	81.7	32 of 361	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	56.0	130 of 356	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	63.9	63 of 251	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	46.3	177 of 397	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.7	97 of 414	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	89 of 392	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	67.2	75 of 337	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	36.0	218 of 333	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2023	26.5	146 of 165	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	81.8	6 of 47	87.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	60.6	93 of 304	69.4%	★★★★☆
2025	57.7	102 of 304	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	163 of 339	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	140 of 413	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.1	80 of 325	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	68.9	48 of 199	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	46.9	98 of 187	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)78th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)75th percentile~ school

White (2026)69th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)18th percentile-41 vs school

Special Education (2023)12th percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts54%+9 vs state

Science45%+13 vs state

Mathematics42%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tombaugh 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
Tombaugh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	226 Carver Rd	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9575	565	47	12.1	49.6%	56 (9.9%)	2 (0.4%)	491 (86.9%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	65.3	86^th of 346 public elementary schools	75.1%		63.6	90^th of 345 public elementary schools	73.9%	4	45.4			40.0	63.0	57.3				54.0	17.3	50.6	53.1				41.7	$9,882
Mesilla Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	955 West Union Ave	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9615	311	32	9.5	60.8%	26 (8.4%)	4 (1.3%)	273 (87.8%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	52.2	138^th of 346 public elementary schools	60.1%		69.9	72^nd of 345 public elementary schools	79.1%	66	33.3			44.2	41.3	58.3				47.2	25.6	41.3	50.0				38.4	$10,652
Mesilla Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2363 Calle Del Sur	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9566	324	29	11.3	42.9%	56 (17.3%)	3 (0.9%)	257 (79.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	48.6	154^th of 346 public elementary schools	55.5%		67.9	78^th of 345 public elementary schools	77.4%	76	17.5			46.0	70.3	40.0				51.8	31.6	48.7	25.0				34.8	$10,894
University Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2005 South Locust St	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9649	363	32	11.3	62.0%	54 (14.9%)	21 (5.8%)	270 (74.4%)	13 (3.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	30.9	236^th of 346 public elementary schools	31.8%		44	172^nd of 345 public elementary schools	50.1%	64	23.9			50.0	48.8	34.1				44.2	25.6	19.5	18.2				21.1	$11,880
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	68.6%	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
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	71.4%	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
Hillrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 South Curnutt St	Las Cruces	88001	Doña Ana County	Las Cruces Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9666	421	33	12.7	48.2%	102 (24.2%)	12 (2.9%)	288 (68.4%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	49.9	149^th of 346 public elementary schools	56.9%		59.6	102^nd of 345 public elementary schools	70.4%	47	44.2			51.8	52.1	49.0				51.1	26.8	19.2	43.1				28.3	$9,028
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	70.6%	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
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	61.0%	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	16.5%	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

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