Is La Merced Elementary a good school?

La Merced Elementary ranks 218 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend La Merced Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 433 students attended La Merced Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of La Merced Elementary?

Students at La Merced Elementary are 78% Hispanic, 20% White, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of La Merced Elementary attend?

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belen Middle High : Belen High

La Merced Elementary

Summary:

La Merced Elementary is a public elementary school in Belen, New Mexico, serving 437 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Belen school district.

While La Merced's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts (35%), Mathematics (24%), and Science (33%), is generally below the state and Belen district averages, the school outperforms some lower-performing schools in the area, such as La Promesa Elementary. However, La Merced lags behind higher-performing schools like Dennis Chavez Elementary and Gil Sanchez Elementary within the Belen district.

The school's high percentage of students from low-income families, with 100% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, likely contributes to its academic challenges. Additionally, La Merced's performance on standardized tests is generally lower for subgroups like White students and English Language Learners compared to the state and district averages. While the school's ranking and rating have fluctuated over the years, indicating potential for improvement, the consistent underperformance suggests that La Merced may face unique challenges in effectively educating its student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

301 Alame Loop
Belen, NM 87002

(505) 966-2100

District: Belen

SchoolDigger Rank:
218^th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,239

Students who attend La Merced Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belen Middle
High:	Belen High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 433

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.6%

White:

19.9%

American Indian:

1.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.8%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare La Merced Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Merced Elementary ranks worse than 50.3% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Belen School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.41. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details La Merced Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Belen School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (77.6%), White (19.9%), American Indian (1.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Merced Elementary is 15.4. 4 elementary schools in the Belen School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare La Merced Elementary employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Merced Elementary is $9,239. 3 elementary schools in the Belen School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Merced Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks La Merced Elementary 218^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See La Merced Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Belen:

SchoolDigger ranks Belen 61^st of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for La Merced Elementary?

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Rank History for La Merced Elementary

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Rank History for all students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2005	39.25	252^nd	389	35.2%
2006	46.15	208^th	390	46.7%
2007	49.20	200^th	398	49.7%
2008	43.23	231^st	405	43.0%
2009	40.17	255^th	411	38.0%
2010	47.49	221^st	419	47.3%
2011	45.03	218^th	402	45.8%
2012	40.85	240^th	398	39.7%
2013	47.02	205^th	412	50.2%
2014	35.51	295^th	442	33.3%
2015	36.89	250^th	421	40.6%
2016	36.31	260^th	410	36.6%
2017	38.28	221^st	374	40.9%
2018	33.46	255^th	383	33.4%
2019	50.95	172^nd	396	56.6%
2022	35.43	242^nd	420	42.4%
2023	50.27	201^st	435	53.8%
2024	44.41	218^th	433	49.7%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	38.31	130^th	203	36.0%
2023	65.11	70^th	191	63.4%
2024	47.76	90^th	166	45.8%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.19	62^nd	165	62.4%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	41.65	205^th	356	42.4%
2019	63.16	100^th	361	72.3%
2022	42.58	183^rd	410	55.4%
2023	59.64	164^th	426	61.5%
2024	49.11	113^th	237	52.3%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	29.50	242^nd	339	28.6%
2019	43.37	179^th	343	47.8%
2022	42.08	188^th	395	52.4%
2023	44.99	220^th	390	43.6%
2024	42.58	206^th	393	47.6%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	34.25	227^th	333	31.8%
2019	50.28	150^th	337	55.5%
2022	23.13	274^th	392	30.1%
2023	49.27	195^th	414	52.9%
2024	41.97	216^th	410	47.3%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	33.40	220^th	329	33.1%
2019	42.51	184^th	320	42.5%
2022	36.27	211^th	389	45.8%
2023	49.99	184^th	395	53.4%
2024	47.59	190^th	390	51.3%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at La Merced Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	23.99	164^th	187	12.3%
2019	43.12	121^st	199	39.2%
2022	22.57	283^rd	325	12.9%
2023	45.04	223^rd	413	46.0%
2024	32.63	195^th	293	33.4%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for La Merced Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1994	251	9	1	304	4	n/a	n/a	569
1995	252	17	8	305	6	n/a	n/a	588
1996	252	17	8	305	6	n/a	n/a	588
1997	242	19	6	314	3	n/a	n/a	584
1998	249	10	5	299	4	n/a	n/a	567
1999	230	8	0	351	2	n/a	n/a	591
2000	203	10	7	310	2	n/a	n/a	532
2001	189	8	3	309	15	n/a	n/a	524
2002	207	4	3	321	6	n/a	n/a	541
2003	207	4	3	321	6	n/a	n/a	541
2004	187	15	5	345	6	n/a	n/a	558
2005	173	15	6	358	5	n/a	n/a	557
2006	179	13	9	372	11	n/a	n/a	584
2007	180	14	10	352	6	n/a	n/a	562
2008	153	19	7	405	3	n/a	n/a	587
2009	162	14	4	373	8	n/a	n/a	561
2010	174	16	3	365	6	0	0	564
2011	196	25	4	373	11	0	2	611
2012	182	12	2	369	11	0	1	577
2013	163	9	1	330	8	0	4	515
2014	157	12	0	334	8	0	1	512
2015	164	13	0	335	11	0	1	524
2016	156	8	0	300	10	0	1	475
2017	151	10	0	323	7	0	2	493
2018	136	14	0	316	5	0	2	473
2019	124	9	0	325	6	0	1	465
2020	110	7	0	297	10	0	1	425
2021	96	9	0	283	7	0	2	397
2022	101	6	0	284	6	0	0	397
2023	101	5	0	326	5	0	0	437
2024	86	4	0	336	7	0	0	433

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Merced Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	569	24.2	23.5	n/a
1995	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1996	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1997	584	26.9	21.7	n/a
1998	567	31.8	17.8	n/a
1999	591	32.3	18.3	65
2000	532	34.6	15.4	61.8
2001	524	35.4	14.8	63.9
2002	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2003	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2004	558	36.3	15.4	73.1
2005	557	33.8	16.5	73.4
2006	584	37.1	15.7	66.8
2007	562	40.0	14.1	73.3
2008	587	41.0	14.3	41.1
2009	561	42.0	13.4	70.2
2010	564	40.0	14.1	75.9
2011	611	42.5	14.3	99.2
2012	577	39.5	14.6	99.5
2013	515	37.6	13.6	74
2014	512	33.5	15.2	65.2
2015	524	33.0	15.8	64.3
2016	475	32.0	14.8	54.9
2017	493	32.0	15.4	100
2018	473	31.1	15.2	100
2019	465	30.1	15.4	100
2020	425	31.1	13.6	100
2021	397	29.1	13.6	100
2022	397	27.1	14.6	100
2023	437	30.5	14.3	100
2024	433	28.0	15.4	68.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio La Merced Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	569	24.2	23.5	n/a
1995	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1996	588	29.2	20.1	n/a
1997	584	26.9	21.7	n/a
1998	567	31.8	17.8	n/a
1999	591	32.3	18.3	65
2000	532	34.6	15.4	61.8
2001	524	35.4	14.8	63.9
2002	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2003	541	29.9	18.1	68.2
2004	558	36.3	15.4	73.1
2005	557	33.8	16.5	73.4
2006	584	37.1	15.7	66.8
2007	562	40.0	14.1	73.3
2008	587	41.0	14.3	41.1
2009	561	42.0	13.4	70.2
2010	564	40.0	14.1	75.9
2011	611	42.5	14.3	99.2
2012	577	39.5	14.6	99.5
2013	515	37.6	13.6	74
2014	512	33.5	15.2	65.2
2015	524	33.0	15.8	64.3
2016	475	32.0	14.8	54.9
2017	493	32.0	15.4	100
2018	473	31.1	15.2	100
2019	465	30.1	15.4	100
2020	425	31.1	13.6	100
2021	397	29.1	13.6	100
2022	397	27.1	14.6	100
2023	437	30.5	14.3	100
2024	433	28.0	15.4	68.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Merced Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,239

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Merced Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 172^nd of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 201^st of 435 Elementary schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	33	29.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Belen)	33	32.3	0.7%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	41	22.4	18.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Belen)	38	24.5	13.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	23	34.9	11.9%
4th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	28	35.2	7.2%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	28	14	14%
4th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	32	30	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	44	32.3	11.7%
5th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	32	33.2	1.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	32	21.5	10.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	26	33.9	7.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (La Merced Elementary)	28	27.9	0.1%
6th Grade Language Arts (Belen)	35	37.7	2.7%
6th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	31	32.9	1.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (La Merced Elementary)	17	34.4	17.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Belen)	19	48.8	29.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	19	32.5	13.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	465	437	6%
African American	9	5	44.4%
American Indian	6	5	16.7%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	325	326	0.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	124	101	18.5%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near La Merced Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
La Merced Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Alame Loop	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2100	433	28	15.4	68.8%	86 (19.9%)	4 (0.9%)	336 (77.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.4	218^th of 433 public elementary schools	49.7%		50.3	201^st of 435 public elementary schools	53.8%	17	33.0	35.0	24.0	$9,239
Belen Family School	Public	1-8	4 Eastside School Road	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 966-2270	139	5	26.2	42.4%	41 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (66.9%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	85	59^th of 433 public elementary schools	86.4%		86.2	61^st of 435 public elementary schools	86.0%	2	46.0	55.0	43.0	$8,877
Rio Grande Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	15 Eastside School Rd	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2200	359	27	13.2	100.0%	49 (13.6%)	4 (1.1%)	299 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	70.1	112^th of 433 public elementary schools	74.1%		59.2	166^th of 435 public elementary schools	61.8%	54		43.0	37.0	$10,150
Gil Sanchez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	376 Jarales Rd	Belen	87023	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1900	304	22	13.8	49.3%	45 (14.8%)	1 (0.3%)	254 (83.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73.9	99^th of 433 public elementary schools	77.1%		86.3	60^th of 435 public elementary schools	86.2%	39	46.0	41.0	46.0	$9,486
Dennis Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	19670 Hwy 314	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-1800	281	21	13.3	61.2%	43 (15.3%)	1 (0.4%)	222 (79.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	72.4	103^rd of 433 public elementary schools	76.2%		70.8	121^st of 435 public elementary schools	72.2%	18	32.0	48.0	37.0	$9,163
Tome Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	46 Chacon Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	347	23	15.3	83.3%	32 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	309 (89.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	17.8	375^th of 433 public elementary schools	13.4%		28.2	317^th of 435 public elementary schools	27.1%	58	13.0	24.0	12.0	$9,366
Desert View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	49 Camino La Canada	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	383	31	12.5	86.2%	39 (10.2%)	7 (1.8%)	326 (85.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	20	358^th of 433 public elementary schools	17.3%		31.4	300^th of 435 public elementary schools	31.0%	58	15.0	23.0	15.0	$9,849
La Promesa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	898 Hwy 304	Belen	87002	Valencia County	Belen	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 966-2400	205	16	12.8	60.5%	53 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	144 (70.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	29.2	307^th of 433 public elementary schools	29.1%		49.8	202^nd of 435 public elementary schools	53.6%	105	12.0	30.0	19.0	$9,643
Ann Parish Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	112 Meadow Lake	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	385	25	15.3	84.9%	43 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	327 (84.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	37.6	255^th of 433 public elementary schools	41.1%		45.2	222^nd of 435 public elementary schools	49.0%	33	18.0	35.0	21.0	$9,704
Los Lunas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	800 Coronado Rd	Los Lunas	87031	Valencia County	Los Lunas	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 866-8231	446	31	14.3	78.3%	54 (12.1%)	2 (0.4%)	376 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	32.5	284^th of 433 public elementary schools	34.4%		45	223^rd of 435 public elementary schools	48.7%	61	13.0	29.0	22.0	$9,475

La Merced Elementary

La Merced Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Belen:

What do you think?

Rank History for La Merced Elementary

Rank History for all students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Female students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Male students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Merced Elementary

Rank History for White students at La Merced Elementary

Enrollment information for La Merced Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Merced Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio La Merced Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Merced Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on La Merced Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near La Merced Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about La Merced Elementary

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