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Tombaugh Elementary

Q: Is Tombaugh Elementary a good school?

Tombaugh Elementary ranks 90 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Tombaugh Elementary is a public elementary school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, serving 584 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Las Cruces school district, which is ranked 45 out of 82 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Tombaugh Elementary consistently ranks among the top 30% of elementary schools in New Mexico, with strong academic performance in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics that exceeds the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, Tombaugh's ELA proficiency rate for all grades was 50.95%, compared to 46.12% for Las Cruces and 44.19% for New Mexico. The school also performs well in 5th-grade science, with a proficiency rate of 37.5% in 2024-2025, higher than the district (35.35%) and state (29.3%) averages. However, Tombaugh struggles with its English Language Learner (ELL) and Special Education student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25-50% of state elementary schools.

Despite the high percentage of students (98.63-100%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-poverty student population, Tombaugh Elementary's overall academic performance and ranking among low-socioeconomic status (SES) students is relatively strong, placing in the top 25% of New Mexico elementary schools in this subgroup. Compared to nearby schools like Hillrise Elementary and Mesilla Park Elementary, which also demonstrate strong academic performance, Tombaugh generally outperforms its peers in the Las Cruces district.

565

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,882

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

226 Carver Rd
Las Cruces, NM 88005

(575) 527-9575

District: Las Cruces

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 — 62nd percentile in 2014 → 74th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (44% vs 35% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2014

✓Above the New Mexico median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg36%

New Mexico avg35%

90^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th 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	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
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
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
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
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
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 (2025)77th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)66th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)61st percentile-13 vs school

Male (2024)55th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2024)50th percentile-9 vs school

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

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

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts51%+7 vs state

Mathematics39%+12 vs state

Science38%+8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tombaugh 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-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 All Grades	Total
Tombaugh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	226 Carver Rd	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9575	565	47	12.1	99.6%	56 (9.9%)	2 (0.4%)	491 (86.9%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	63.6	90^th of 345 public elementary schools	73.9%		50.9	170^th of 413 public elementary schools	58.8%	80	37.5			48.2	54.6	49.4				51.0	31.8	44.3	40.7			39.2	$9,882
Mesilla Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	955 West Union Ave	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9615	311	32	9.5	100.0%	26 (8.4%)	4 (1.3%)	273 (87.8%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	69.9	72^nd of 345 public elementary schools	79.1%		55.7	148^th of 413 public elementary schools	64.2%	76	47.4			49.0	56.7	50.9				51.5	32.7	43.3	47.4			41.2	$10,652
Mesilla Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2363 Calle Del Sur	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a Ana County	Las Cruces	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 527-9566	324	29	11.3	100.0%	56 (17.3%)	3 (0.9%)	257 (79.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	67.9	78^th of 345 public elementary schools	77.4%		41.5	207^th of 413 public elementary schools	49.9%	129	39.2			46.3	54.0	60.0				53.9	39.0	48.0	36.0			41.1	$10,894
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
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
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
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
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
J Paul Taylor Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	402 W. Court Ave Bldg 2	Las Cruces	88005	Do�a 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%)	74.3	58^th of 345 public elementary schools	83.2%		83.6	54^th of 413 public elementary schools	86.9%	4	52.2	68.4	59.5	61.9	56.5	52.2	52.2	61.9	68.4	58.5	42.9	43.5	47.8	43.5	47.6	43.1	$7,963

Frequently Asked Questions about Tombaugh Elementary

How many students attend Tombaugh Elementary?

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

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

Is Tombaugh Elementary a good school?

Tombaugh Elementary ranks 90^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Tombaugh Elementary?

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

What district is Tombaugh Elementary in?

Las Cruces

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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.