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#334 of 864 schools in NM

Top 39% in state

Desert Star Elementary

Elementary School · Alamogordo · Alamogordo, NM

An Alamogordo elementary school where students score 11 points below what's typical for similar communities.

400 S WASHINGTON AVE, Alamogordo, NM 88310

  • Math 21% proficient (2022)
  • Reading 29% proficient (2022)
  • 16.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.5Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change-0.89 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2022
TrendStable
Academics5.6Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency21% (2022 EdFacts)
Reading/ELA Proficiency29% (2022 EdFacts)
Overall Proficiency25% (2022 EdFacts, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)36% (model expectation from 2022 EdFacts)
vs. Expected-11.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile39th
Resources & Environment3.5Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.5:1
District spending per student$13,655
Chronic Absenteeism48.6%

Students at Desert Star Elementary score 25% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 36%).

How we calculate scores →

2022 EdFacts proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NM average.

Math Proficiency21%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)
ELA Proficiency29%(2022 EdFacts)
School
State
Not reported(2022 EdFacts)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 17 points across the 14-year record (2009–2022) and has held near 25% recently.

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
37%
ELA
47%
2010
Math
37%
ELA
37%
2011
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2012
Math
27%
ELA
37%
2013
Math
32%
ELA
42%
2014
Math
8%
ELA
17%
2015
Math
22%
ELA
18%
2016
Math
21%
ELA
23%
2017
Math
24%
2018
Math
34%
ELA
36%
2019
Math
34%
ELA
36%
2022
Math
21%
ELA
29%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 27% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2022)

Based on 23 test records from NM state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

51.8%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Desert Star Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 28Car-Dependent
  • Bike 31Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,197/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Alamogordo), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$53,833

Median home value

$164,300

Median rent

$877/mo

College educated

24.9%

Homeownership

63.8%

Poverty rate

16.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 88310; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Yucca ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.7PK–50.5 mi219Compare →
Canyon Christian AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–70.7 mi12Compare →
St Frances Cabrini Catholic SchoolPrivate · tuition6.2privatePK–80.8 mi77Compare →
Sunset Hills ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.7K–51.1 mi448Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Alamogordo

Schools in district
15
Rank in district
#4 of 13
District spending per student
$13,655NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
23.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Desert Star Elementary is listed in ALAMOGORDO; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Desert Star Elementary

Desert Star Elementary is a public elementary school in Alamogordo, NM, part of Alamogordo, serving approximately 463 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 16.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.6 out of 10 and ranks #334 of 864 schools in NM. State assessment records show 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Desert Star Elementary

What grades does Desert Star Elementary serve?

Desert Star Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Desert Star Elementary?

Desert Star Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 463 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Star Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Star Elementary is 16.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Star Elementary rank in NM?

Desert Star Elementary ranks #334 of 864 schools in NM.

What is Desert Star Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Star Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Star Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Star Elementary has 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Desert Star Elementary a charter school?

No, Desert Star Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Star Elementary a Title I school?

No, Desert Star Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Desert Star Elementary?

51.8% of students at Desert Star Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
463
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
regular
Setting
Remote Town
County
Otero County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
48.6%
Area population (ZIP 88310)
36,737
Area average commute
19.5 min
Area median age
38.6
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 88310; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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