The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Taos Academy
Taos Academy is a tuition-free public charter school operating as its own district in Taos, New Mexico, serving students from fifth grade through twelfth. The school recently had its charter renewed by the New Mexico Public Education Commission, covering a multi-year period that runs through at least the close of the current decade. That renewal gives families some assurance about the school's continued operation as a public education option in the community. Publicly reported records identify it as an independent charter district with open status for the current school year.
The school is small for its grade band, with a single campus and a total enrollment that keeps class sizes intimate. Students in the upper grades make up a larger portion of the population than the lower grades, and the grade distribution runs from a modest fifth-grade cohort up through twelfth grade. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial White minority and very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Several demographic details that parents often rely on were not available in the data we reviewed. Free or reduced-price lunch counts were not reported, nor were rates for students with individualized education programs or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these figures, since they help describe the support environment and peer composition.
On state assessments for the most recent reported year, Taos Academy's results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, a majority of tested students reached proficiency or above, which stands as a clear strength relative to typical state outcomes. Science proficiency was also solid, with nearly half of tested students meeting the proficiency bar. Math was the weaker area, with a smaller share of students demonstrating proficiency. A parent considering this school may want to look into math support and intervention further with the administration, particularly if their child needs extra help in that subject. Testing data covers grades three through eight as reported by the state, and the tested cohort is modest in size, which means results can shift noticeably year to year with small changes in the student group.
Several categories of information that help parents form a fuller picture were missing from what we received. We found no graduation rate data, which may reflect how the district reports or how the state structures accountability for charter entities of this size and type. We also found no course access information, staffing data, attendance figures, discipline data, or program offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career pathways. Without these, it is hard to characterize the upper-grade academic pathway in detail. The school serves grades nine through twelve, so those offerings matter for families thinking about college and career readiness, and a direct conversation with the school would be the way to learn what is available.
No locale brief or community and economic context was provided, so we cannot describe the surrounding housing market, commute patterns, or neighborhood character from the data on hand. Housing values, rent levels, and other community specifics were absent. We also did not receive a neighbor comparison fact-set, so we cannot position Taos Academy against nearby districts or charter schools in its county.
What the data does show is a small, tuition-free charter school with a stable near-term future, a predominantly Hispanic student body, reasonably strong reading and science results, and a softer showing in math. For a family in the Taos area looking for a smaller school environment spanning middle and high school grades, the renewed charter and the ELA performance are encouraging starting points. The gaps in math, the missing program and staffing details, and the absent demographic indicators like FRPL and IEP rates are the questions worth bringing directly to the school before deciding.
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