Summary:
ZIP code 88005 in Las Cruces, New Mexico has three elementary schools enrolling about 713 students: Alameda Elementary (PK–5, 331 students) and Columbia Elementary (PK–5, 182 students), both in Las Cruces Public Schools, and J Paul Taylor Academy (K–8, 200 students), which operates as its own district. Since J Paul Taylor Academy includes middle school grades, its all-grade scores are not a perfect match for the PK–5 schools; grades 3–5 offer the fairest comparison.
J Paul Taylor Academy is the clear standout: a 4-star school ranked 56th of 346 elementary schools (84th percentile), with proficiency of 60.9% in ELA, 48.12% in math, and 56.82% in science — all above state averages. Its district ranks 13th of 87 in New Mexico. Its free/reduced lunch rate is 25.5%, compared with 100% at both Alameda Elementary and Columbia Elementary — a major contextual difference when comparing raw scores.
Columbia Elementary is improving: its ELA rose above 14 points to 48.73%, topping both its district and the state, and its rank moved from the 28th to the 36th percentile (2 stars). But math is 19.49% and 5th grade science 17.57%, and 5th grade ELA falls to 25%. Alameda Elementary remains lowest, with 1 star and a 21st percentile rank; ELA is 37.5%, math 14.58%, and 3rd and 4th grade math under 20%. For both LCPS schools, math and science are the most urgent priorities.
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