Harrison Schmitt Elementary

Harrison Schmitt Elementary is a grades 1–6 school in Silver City, NM, serving 337 students as part of Silver Consolidated Schools, making it one of the larger elementary schools in the immediate area. In 2025–2026 it ranked 157th of 346 New Mexico schools, placing it in the 55th percentile with 3 stars — a recovery from a low of 38th percentile and 2 stars in 2022–2023, and back to roughly its historical mid-pack position. It serves a high-poverty population, with reported free/reduced lunch at 100% in 2024–2025, and a student–teacher ratio of 13.4.

Reading is a solid area: all-grades ELA proficiency of 48.9% is above the state's 44.66% but below the district's 52.13%. Results vary by grade — 4th grade (61.02%) and 5th grade (50%) are above both district and state, while 3rd grade (42%) and 6th grade (36.59%) fall below. Fifth-grade science is a relative strength at 43.24%, more than 10 points above the state's 32.24%. Math is the clear weakness: 22.53% proficiency trails the district (31.18%) and the state (27.85%), and it is the subject where the school most differs from its neighbors.

Compared with nearby schools, Jose Barrios Elementary (57.35% ELA, 37.5% math) and G.W.Stout Elementary (50.53% ELA, 39.47% math) generally score higher, while Hurley Elementary is an unusual standout in Cobre Consolidated Schools, at the 95th percentile with 5 stars. Bayard Elementary reports much lower math (12.12%), and Central Elementary has lower ELA than Harrison Schmitt. Subgroup rankings, which measure how effectively a school serves specific student groups, are at or above the 50th percentile for male students and for students from low-income families, while female students rank lower, at the 42nd percentile. The takeaway: a mid-pack school improving through reading and science, with math — especially in 3rd and 6th grades — the biggest opportunity.