The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on A. Montoya Elementary
A. Montoya Elementary sits in the village of Tijeras, a small rural mountain community at the junction of Tijeras Canyon and Cedro Canyon, roughly a short drive east of Albuquerque along I-40 and Historic Route 66. The village publicly describes itself as preserving its rural mountain character while encouraging measured development. There is no traditional downtown street grid; the built environment runs along highway corridors, with scattered shops and services rather than a dense commercial core. Civic anchors include the East Mountain Library, the Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site with its weekend museum and self-guided trail, the Cibola National Forest headquarters just south of the village, and the historic Santo Nino Church. The village sits at the southern gateway to the Turquoise Trail, with NM-14 leading north toward Cedar Crest and Sandia Crest. No public transit is mentioned in available sources.
The school is a regular public elementary serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, part of the Albuquerque Public Schools district. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary of this grade band. The student body is majority Hispanic, with a substantial White population and small percentages of American Indian or Alaska Native students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here. Title I status was also not reported.
On the most recent New Mexico state assessments, A. Montoya's results present a mixed picture. English language arts proficiency runs above math and science, with roughly half of tested students meeting or exceeding proficiency in ELA. Math proficiency is lower, with about a third of tested students proficient. Science, tested in a narrower grade band, shows proficiency below a third of tested students. These results are drawn from a single year of data, so no trend is available. A parent considering this school may want to ask about how the school supports math and science instruction specifically, and what interventions or enrichment are in place for students performing below proficiency. Participation rate data was not reported, and average scale scores were not available.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No discipline data, course access information, staffing figures, or attendance data were provided, so those aspects of the school environment cannot be described here. Program offerings were not included in the available data.
Housing in the school's zip code sits above both the state and national benchmarks for typical home values, reflecting the mountain-community setting and proximity to Albuquerque. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home, assuming a conventional down payment and current rates, is meaningfully higher than what rental costs would suggest in the same area, which points to a market where owning carries a premium over renting. Rent-to-income ratios appear more moderate than the price-to-income ratio for buyers, so families weighing a move here may find renting relatively more accessible than purchasing. The broader economic backdrop shows steady unemployment figures and gradually rising median household income nationally, with shelter costs trending upward over the past year.
Tijeras itself is a quiet place oriented around its canyon geography and highway crossroads. Families drawn to a rural mountain lifestyle with access to hiking trails, national forest land, and the Turquoise Trail communities may find the setting appealing, while those looking for walkable neighborhoods or dense commercial amenities will find that here in limited form. The village's population has fluctuated over recent census periods, and no major new housing developments or large-scale commercial projects are mentioned in publicly available sources, so the community is not in a rapid-growth phase.
We looked for recent parent-relevant changes or policy shifts in Albuquerque Public Schools and found little in available sources, so we left that out rather than guess. Families may want to check directly with the district or the school for current initiatives, enrollment procedures, and any program offerings not captured here. What the data does show is a small-community elementary school with a diverse student body, solid ELA outcomes relative to its math and science results, and a mountain-village setting that shapes the daily experience of attending there.
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