The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Los Ranchos Elementary
Los Ranchos Elementary sits on Fourth Street in Albuquerque's North Valley, part of the Albuquerque Public Schools district. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and its enrollment is small for an elementary school in a district of this size. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller numbers of white, Native American, Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Virtually every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which points to a community with concentrated economic need. The school does not report individualized education program counts or English learner figures, so a parent wanting to understand special education or language support services would need to ask the school directly.
On the most recent New Mexico state assessments, Los Ranchos posted results that sit below what most families would hope to see. In math, only a small fraction of tested students reached proficiency. ELA results were somewhat stronger but still modest, with roughly a quarter of tested students meeting the proficiency bar. Science proficiency was higher in relative terms, though the number of students tested in science was quite small, which makes that result less stable as a general indicator. Only one year of data is available, so there is no trend to speak of; a parent looking at these numbers should treat them as a single-year snapshot rather than a pattern. Average scale scores and participation rates were not reported, which limits what the public data can say about how fully the school's students were represented in these results.
Because Los Ranchos serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit data, and no career pathway information to assess. Those gaps reflect the grade band, not a reporting failure. The data set also does not include discipline, attendance, staffing, or course access information, so questions about teacher experience, class size, or student climate would need to go to the school or district directly. Title I status was not reported in the data provided, though the near-universal free and reduced lunch population would typically align with Title I eligibility.
The surrounding community context is shaped by Albuquerque's broader character. The city is New Mexico's largest, sprawling across four quadrants with a car-oriented layout and pockets of walkable street life in Old Town, downtown along Central Avenue, and the Nob Hill area near the University of New Mexico. Major employers include Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, UNM, and Presbyterian Healthcare Services, with a growing film and media sector anchored partly by a Netflix production hub. The Rio Grande bosque runs through the city center, and the Sandia Mountains define the eastern skyline. Publicly reported sources describe the city's population as roughly flat to slightly declining in recent years, with metro growth continuing on the periphery.
The North Valley, where Los Ranchos Elementary is located, has a distinct identity within Albuquerque, historically more rural and residential than the sprawling Northeast Heights or the West Side. Housing in the school's zip code sits below the national benchmark and slightly above the state benchmark, making it relatively accessible by Albuquerque standards. Rents are modest, and the estimated monthly rent is lower than the estimated mortgage payment on a typical home, which means renting may be the more affordable path for many families in this area. Mortgage rates nationally have been hovering in the mid-six range, and unemployment has been stable.
We looked for recent district-level changes at Albuquerque Public Schools, such as policy shifts, curriculum updates, or budget measures, and found little in the search results. Rather than guess, we note that gap. A parent considering Los Ranchos would want to ask the school directly about instructional approach, intervention supports for reading and math, and how the school uses its evident community-eligible lunch population to direct resources. The proficiency figures are a flag worth a conversation, not a verdict. The school's small size could mean closer attention from adults, or it could mean fewer program options than a larger elementary can offer. Both are possibilities the data alone cannot settle.
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