Carlsbad, NM - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Carlsbad

The Carlsbad Municipal School District covers a substantial stretch of southeastern New Mexico, centered on the city of Carlsbad in Eddy County and reaching into the nearby Artesia zip area. The district is large for its region, serving a pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade span across roughly fourteen campuses. Its school list runs from early childhood and preschool centers through several elementary schools, a sixth-grade academy, an intermediate school, and a main high school, plus an early college high school and a Montessori campus. That range of options gives families distinct pathways within a single public system.

The student body is majority Hispanic, with a White minority and small representation across other racial and ethnic groups. This is a district that reflects the demographic character of its community, and families considering it will find a peer environment shaped by that mix. The data we received does not include free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, English learner rates, or special education enrollment figures, so a parent wanting to understand the economic and linguistic profile of the student population would want to ask the district directly.

On state assessments for the most recent reported year, Carlsbad's results paint a mixed academic picture. English language arts proficiency sits at a moderate level, with nearly half of tested students in grades three through eight reaching proficiency. Math is the weaker area, with under a third of tested students proficient. Science falls in between, closer to a third. These are not standout numbers, and math in particular is an area where a family might want to look into the district's current improvement efforts and school-level supports. We looked for multi-year trend data to see whether results are moving in a clear direction, but none was available, so we cannot say whether these figures represent improvement, decline, or stability.

The district's school configurations are worth noting for how they shape a child's path. The separate sixth-grade academy and intermediate school create defined transition points. The early college high school offers an accelerated academic option for students seeking college credit before graduation. Jefferson Montessori gives families an alternative pedagogical approach within the public system. And the enrichment center suggests additional support programming, though the data does not detail what that entails. One change families should know about: Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School was closed in 2021, publicly reported as a consolidation that affected neighborhood assignments for elementary families. That closure may still influence how families think about proximity and school choice at the elementary level.

Housing in the district's footprint runs below both the New Mexico state benchmark and the national benchmark, which means homeownership is comparatively attainable for the region. Most of the housing weight sits in the Carlsbad zip code, with a smaller slice in Artesia. Rents are also modest relative to many markets. The price-to-income ratio suggests that for working households in the area, buying a home is within reach for many, and the gap between estimated monthly mortgage costs and rent is wide enough that either path is viable depending on a family's circumstances.

We looked for a locale brief describing the community context of Carlsbad and the surrounding area, but none was provided, so we cannot speak to the texture of daily life, local amenities, or economic drivers beyond the housing and income data. Similarly, we searched for neighbor comparison data that would position Carlsbad against other Eddy County districts, but that fact-set was not available, so we cannot say how the district stacks up against nearby systems. Graduation rate data was also not included, which is a gap a parent of an older student would want to fill directly with the district.

What the available evidence shows is a full-service district with a broad campus footprint, a demographically representative student body, moderate reading results, weaker math results, and housing costs that are manageable by regional standards. Families drawn to southeastern New Mexico for work or community ties will find a system with enough internal variety to match different learning preferences, and enough open questions on academic outcomes to warrant a direct conversation with school leadership before enrolling.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

7,343

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 65%

Black 1%

White 31%

Asian 1%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

39%

46%

Gr 4

48%

57%

Gr 5

37%

49%

Gr 6

23%

48%

Gr 7

24%

47%

Gr 8

36%

47%

Gr 38

35%

49%

Math

Gr 3

22%

32%

Gr 4

24%

38%

Gr 5

20%

37%

Gr 6

14%

37%

Gr 7

13%

29%

Gr 8

17%

24%

Gr 38

18%

33%

Science

Gr 5

22%

36%

Gr 8

24%

38%

Gr 38

23%

37%

Schools in this District

14 schools are officially reported under this district.

CARLSBAD SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY - ALTA VISTA CAMPUS

CARLSBAD HIGH

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER

CARLSBAD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL - PR LEYVA CAMPUS

MONTERREY ELEMENTARY

SUNSET ELEMENTARY

JEFFERSON MONTESSORI

CARLSBAD EARLY COLLEGE HIGH

DESERT WILLOW ELEMENTARY

OCOTILLO ELEMENTARY

HILLCREST PRESCHOOL

EDISON ELEMENTARY

COTTONWOOD ELEMENTARY

CARLSBAD ENRICHMENT CENTER

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

28%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

44%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

33%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$243,369

Year-over-year change+0.3%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$238K to $244K

vs. state typical0.77x

vs. national typical0.66x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
88220	Carlsbad	$244K	+0.4%	73.4%
88210	Artesia	$238K	-1.1%	5.9%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,648/mo

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,556 to $2,800/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
88220	Carlsbad	$1,556	—	73.4%
88210	Artesia	$2,800	—	5.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,228/mo

Home price / national median income2.9x

Annual rent / national median income23.6%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$420/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$317,474 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.