The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mccurdy Charter School
McCurdy Charter School is a single-site charter school serving grades kindergarten through twelve in Española, a small city in the Española Valley of northern New Mexico. The school sits in a community where the population is predominantly Hispanic, and the student body reflects that: an overwhelming majority of students identify as Hispanic or Latino, with small numbers of Native American and white students and a handful from other backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is modest for a school covering the full K-12 span, with fairly even distribution across grade levels.
The most recent state assessment results for grades three through eight present a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, proficiency sits at a moderate level, with roughly half of tested students meeting or exceeding proficiency. This is the school's relative strength and suggests that literacy instruction is producing measurable results for a meaningful portion of students. Math proficiency is considerably lower, with fewer than one in five tested students reaching proficiency. Science results fall in a similar lower range. A parent weighing these results may want to look into how the school is addressing math and science outcomes and what supports or interventions are in place for students performing below grade level.
We looked for trend data to see whether proficiency has been improving or declining over time, but only a single year of results was available, so no direction could be established. Participation rates were also missing from the reported data, so it is unclear what share of eligible students were tested.
The school serves as its own district under New Mexico's charter framework. The charter contract was renewed for a five-year term running through 2027, but the renewal came with conditions attached, meaning the school must meet specified benchmarks to maintain its authorization through the full term. This is a governance detail families may want to understand when considering long-term enrollment stability, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about what those conditions require and how the school is progressing against them.
Data on graduation rate, advanced course access, dual-credit or career pathways, discipline, staffing ratios, and attendance was not provided. For a school that serves high school grades, the absence of a graduation rate and course-access information leaves a real gap in the picture. A family with a high-school-aged student would want to ask the school directly about graduation outcomes, college and career programming, and what courses are available at the upper grades. Individualized education program rates and English learner rates were also missing from the data.
Española itself is a regional hub for northern New Mexico, straddling Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties. The city sits at the confluence of three rivers, the Rio Grande, Rio Chama, and Rio Santa Cruz, between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges. The local economy is shaped heavily by commuting to Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is the largest employer of Española residents; education and retail are also meaningful sectors. Northern New Mexico College, located in the city, has been expanding its campus with a new library and a new School of Education, which could be relevant for families thinking about a local postsecondary pathway. The city's population has been declining slightly in recent years. Housing values in the school's zip code run above the state benchmark but below the national one, and mortgage rates remain elevated, so affordability is a factor for families considering a move into the area.
McCurdy fits a family looking for a small, community-rooted K-12 charter option with a predominantly Hispanic student body in northern New Mexico, where ELA instruction is producing measurable results but where math and science proficiency remain areas of concern. The conditional charter renewal and the absence of upper-grade outcome data mean a parent should ask direct questions before committing, particularly if they are enrolling a middle or high school student.
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