Sidney Gutierrez Middle

Sidney Gutierrez Middle is a K–8 campus of about 196 students in the Roswell Independent Schools district, located at 69 E. Gail Harris in Roswell, NM 88201. It is the only school in its local comparison group that teaches middle grades — every nearby campus is a PK–5 elementary — and it is a striking bright spot: ranked 15th of 346 New Mexico schools (96th percentile) with a 5-star rating, while the district as a whole sits at the 45th percentile with 2 stars. Families who judge a school by its district rating alone would badly misjudge this campus.

Academically, the school is far ahead of both the district and the state. In 2025-26, 79.23% of students were proficient in language arts, 68.46% in math, and 66.67% in science, compared with statewide rates of 43.34%, 25.54%, and 33.40%. Math is the signature strength — nearly triple the state rate and more than triple the district's 21.75%. Every tested grade level beats both the district and the state, and 8th grade is the peak, with ELA reported as at least 90% and science at 80.95%. This is not a one-year spike: the school has stayed at or above the 94th percentile for five straight years, with five stars each year.

Against its ten nearby elementary schools, the school's advantage is roughly 35 points in ELA and 43 in math over the local peer average. Even Nancy Lopez Elementary, the only 4-star neighbor, trails by 34 points in ELA and 31 in math. Sunset Elementary, just 1.26 miles away, posts 9.90% math proficiency versus 68.46% here. Two caveats for parents: the school's 8th-grade results have no local peer to compare against, and with 196 students across nine grades, grade-level percentages rest on small cohorts. Math and science proficiency have also eased slightly over four years, though from a very high level. Notably, 100% of students are economically disadvantaged, and classes here are larger (16.3 students per teacher) than at any reporting neighbor.