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Barranca Mesa Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6

17^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 346 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 95% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Barranca Mesa Elementary is a PK–6 school at 57 Loma Del Escolar in Los Alamos, NM, serving 429 students as the second-largest of the five Los Alamos Public Schools elementaries. It belongs to one of the strongest districts in the state (4th of 87, 5 stars), and in ten reporting years the school has never earned fewer than 5 stars or finished outside the top 25 of roughly 350–435 New Mexico elementaries.

In 2025-26, Barranca ranked 17th of 346 elementary schools statewide — the 95th percentile — yet only third of five locally, behind Mountain Elementary (#2) and Chamisa Elementary (#16), and just ahead of Pinon Elementary (#21). Proficiency is 70.8% in language arts, 63.27% in math, and 72.13% in 5th-grade science, all far above state rates (43.34%, 25.54%, 31.97%). Math is a relative strength, running slightly above the district average, and the school's roughly 9-point spread across the three subjects is the most balanced in the district. Softer spots are 6th-grade math (64.15% vs. a 70.8% district average) and 4th-grade ELA (68.33% vs. 74.9%). Nearby, James Rodriguez Elementary and Pojoaque Intermediate illustrate the region's sharp divide, with ELA around 26–45% and math around 14–15%.

Scores are on a three-year upswing: ELA moved 62% → 59% → 64.44% → 70.8%, and math 57% → 54% → 59.11% → 63.27%, the largest single-year gain in the series. The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 11.4, and the free/reduced-lunch rate has fallen for three straight years to 13.05% — a demographic shift that may partly explain the gains, so it is worth not attributing improvement purely to instruction. The main thing to monitor is the low-socioeconomic subgroup, which fell to the 14th percentile (1 star) in 2023-24, far below everything else the school produces; special education swung from the 85th to the 37th percentile. Both groups are small, so single-year results can move sharply.

429

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,021

Per pupil spending ?

13.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

57 Loma Del Escolar
Los Alamos, NM 87544

(505) 663-2730

District: Los Alamos Public Schools

Students who attend Barranca Mesa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Los Alamos Middle
High:	Los Alamos High

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.9%

Hispanic:

33.1%

Asian:

7.7%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Barranca Mesa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2015 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Mexico average (68% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of New Mexico elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school68%

District avg69%

New Mexico avg36%

17^th of 346

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 5%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 2% (2016) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Los Alamos Public Schools

4^th of 87Los Alamos 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	94.6	17 of 346	95.1%	★★★★★
2025	90.2	24 of 345	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	90.5	31 of 413	92.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.8	32 of 435	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	90.8	25 of 420	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	87.0	29 of 396	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	91.4	12 of 383	96.9%	★★★★★
2017	97.0	10 of 374	97.3%	★★★★★
2016	97.5	7 of 410	98.3%	★★★★★
2015	99.2	4 of 421	99.0%	★★★★★
2014	96.1	8 of 442	98.2%	★★★★★
2013	96.3	8 of 412	98.1%	★★★★★
2012	96.6	10 of 398	97.5%	★★★★★
2011	97.8	5 of 402	98.8%	★★★★★
2010	94.4	9 of 419	97.9%	★★★★★
2009	94.8	10 of 411	97.6%	★★★★★
2008	94.4	8 of 405	98.0%	★★★★★
2007	95.0	8 of 398	98.0%	★★★★★
2006	93.5	18 of 390	95.4%	★★★★★
2005	96.8	8 of 389	97.9%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2018	91.7	3 of 35	91.4%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	76.9	43 of 223	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	54 of 191	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	48 of 203	76.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	90.1	17 of 252	93.3%	★★★★★
2024	88.5	34 of 398	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.3	26 of 390	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	91.6	21 of 395	94.7%	★★★★★
2019	90.0	16 of 343	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	91.9	12 of 339	96.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	36 of 273	86.8%	★★★★☆
2025	59.1	84 of 255	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	143 of 384	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	164 of 395	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.4	137 of 389	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.4	69 of 320	78.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	54 of 329	83.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	19.5	305 of 356	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.5	230 of 426	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.7	169 of 356	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	91.3	16 of 251	93.6%	★★★★★
2024	83.4	46 of 397	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	93.8	35 of 414	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	83.4	33 of 392	91.6%	★★★★★
2019	73.2	59 of 337	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	27 of 333	91.9%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	58.8	27 of 91	70.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	30.5	100 of 158	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	84.1	25 of 165	84.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2026	92.3	17 of 304	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	84.8	32 of 304	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	86.7	31 of 339	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	92.8	38 of 413	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	92.0	7 of 325	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	77.1	26 of 199	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	84.0	12 of 187	93.6%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)94th percentile~ school

Male (2026)94th percentile~ school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2018)91st percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)87th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)81st percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)70th percentile-24 vs school

Special Education (2024)37th percentile-56 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)14th percentile-78 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+40 vs state

English Language Arts71%+26 vs state

Mathematics63%+35 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

This school is not what it once was, and it is far from the best school in Los Alamos. If your child is a student here: 1) expect unresponsive teachers who manage your child thru their online grade books as opposed to personal contact with parents 2) expect teachers NOT to contact you if your child is struggling 3 ) expect teachers who just deliver the core standards without truly educating children and, 4) expect teachers who hide behind newsletters and webpages. It has been my experience that a concerned parent is treated as an intrusive bother. Bottom line: mediocre instruction that requires continuous parental vigilance and frequent engagement. Even then, do not expect results or acceptance of responsibility for subpar performance by staff. Close Quote

Schools Near Barranca Mesa 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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-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 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 All Grades	Total
Barranca Mesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	57 Loma Del Escolar	Los Alamos	87544	Los Alamos County	Los Alamos Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 663-2730	429	38	11.4	13.1%	244 (56.9%)	3 (0.7%)	142 (33.1%)	33 (7.7%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	94.6	17^th of 346 public elementary schools	95.1%		90.2	24^th of 345 public elementary schools	93.0%	7	72.1	75.0	68.3	68.9	71.7	70.8	65.4	61.7	62.3	64.2	63.3	$11,021
Aspen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2182 33rd St	Los Alamos	87544	Los Alamos County	Los Alamos Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 663-2275	428	37	11.5	17.1%	208 (48.6%)	10 (2.3%)	164 (38.3%)	29 (6.8%)	11 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	87	37^th of 346 public elementary schools	89.3%		89	28^th of 345 public elementary schools	91.9%	9	62.7	54.2	72.3	61.0	69.4	63.6	49.2	48.9	54.2	67.4	54.7	$11,702
Mountain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2280 North Rd	Los Alamos	87544	Los Alamos County	Los Alamos Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 663-2325	435	36	12.2	9.7%	240 (55.2%)	9 (2.1%)	126 (29.0%)	44 (10.1%)	14 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	98.7	2^nd of 346 public elementary schools	99.4%		99.1	2^nd of 345 public elementary schools	99.4%		82.8	80.4	83.1	81.0	82.3	81.7	76.0	67.8	72.4	75.8	72.9	$11,220
Pinon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	90 Grand Canyon Dr	White Rock	87547	Los Alamos County	Los Alamos Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 663-2680	350	25	14.1	6.0%	219 (62.6%)	2 (0.6%)	91 (26.0%)	31 (8.9%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	91.6	21^st of 346 public elementary schools	93.9%		95.3	12^th of 345 public elementary schools	96.5%	9	45.2	90.5	81.8	54.8	80.0	76.5	81.0	78.8	57.1	88.9	76.5	$5,631
Chamisa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Meadow Ln	White Rock	87547	Los Alamos County	Los Alamos Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 663-2470	301	27	11.3	13.3%	126 (41.9%)	2 (0.7%)	147 (48.8%)	12 (4.0%)	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	94.9	16^th of 346 public elementary schools	95.4%		94.5	13^th of 345 public elementary schools	96.2%	3	74.0	72.5	73.7	80.0	71.1	74.7	50.0	57.9	70.0	60.5	60.2	$13,063
San Ildefonso Day School	Public	K-6	36 Tunyo Po	San Ildefonso Pueblo	87506	Santa Fe County	San Ildefonso Day School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(505) 455-2366	36	6	6.5	91.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Kha'p'o Community School	Public	K-6	625 Kee Street	Espanola	87532	Rio Arriba County	Kha'p'o Community School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(505) 753-4406	98	1	98.0	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Pojoaque Intermediate	Public	4-5	1574 State Road 502	Santa Fe	87506	Santa Fe County	Pojoaque Valley Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 455-2282	224	15	15.2	100.0%	8 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	172 (76.8%)	1 (0.4%)	40 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	30.3	240^th of 346 public elementary schools	30.6%		23.4	270^th of 345 public elementary schools	21.7%	30	28.7		59.1	35.4		46.5		15.9	15.3		15.6	$8,390
Pablo Roybal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	1574 State Rd 502	Santa Fe	87506	Santa Fe County	Pojoaque Valley Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 455-2282	384	27	14.0	100.0%	16 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	290 (75.5%)	4 (1.0%)	71 (18.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)								(n/a)		45.5					18.2					$9,857
Los Ninos Elementary	Public	PK-K	323 North Coronado Ave	Espanola	87532	Rio Arriba County	Espanola Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 753-6819	71	7	9.5	100.0%	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)												$18,699

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