The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Spartan Learning Academy
Spartan Learning Academy is a two-year middle school serving seventh and eighth graders in Bernalillo, New Mexico, part of the Bernalillo Public Schools district. It sits on Camino Don Tomas in a town that has served as the county seat of Sandoval County since the 1800s, positioned on the east bank of the Rio Grande at the northwest slope of the Sandia Mountains within the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band, with roughly equal numbers across the two grades it serves.
The student body reflects the community around it. A large majority of students identify as Hispanic, and a substantial portion identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, consistent with the seven pueblos connected to the Bernalillo area. Small numbers of white students and students of two or more races round out the population, with only a handful of Asian or Black students. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic profile of the families the school serves. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so those dimensions of student support cannot be characterized here.
On the most recent state assessments, Spartan Learning Academy's results paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, roughly four in ten students reached proficiency, a moderate result that suggests a meaningful share of students are reading and writing at grade level. Math proficiency was markedly lower, with only a small fraction of tested students meeting the bar. Science results fell in between, with about one in five students demonstrating proficiency. Because only a single year of data is available, there is no trend to report; a parent may want to ask the school how it is responding to these results, particularly in math, and what supports are in place for students working below grade level. Average scale scores and participation rates were not reported in the data we received.
Because Spartan Learning Academy serves only seventh and eighth grades, there is no graduation rate to report. That gap reflects the grade band, not a missing outcome. Similarly, the school does not appear in any high school program or Advanced Placement context. No course access, staffing, discipline, or attendance data was available, and no civil-rights data was provided, so those areas go unnamed here rather than guessed. We also looked for information on specialized programs or extracurricular offerings and found none reported.
The town of Bernalillo carries a distinct identity. Its main street, Camino del Pueblo, overlaps with three historic routes, including U.S. Route 66 and El Camino Real, and functions as the primary commercial corridor. Sandoval County government is a major employer, and several Indian casinos and pueblo resort properties operate in the surrounding area. Annual cultural events shape community life, including Las Fiestas de San Lorenzo in August and the New Mexico Wine Festival over Labor Day weekend, both of which draw visitors and give the town a seasonal rhythm. The town has seen steady population growth over recent census counts, and its housing market reflects a desirable location within commuting distance of Albuquerque. Home values in the school's zip code sit above the state benchmark and slightly below the national one, with a price-to-income ratio that suggests buying a home here requires a solid household income. Rent data was not available. Parents considering the area should know that the housing market is not inexpensive, though it remains below national levels.
We searched for recent parent-relevant changes in the Bernalillo Public Schools district, including budget decisions, construction projects, or curriculum shifts, and found little beyond basic directory and demographic information. Nothing in the available data pointed to major shifts a family should be aware of right now.
Spartan Learning Academy is a small middle school serving a predominantly Hispanic and Native American student body in a historic, culturally rooted town. Its ELA results are reasonable for a school with this demographic and economic profile. Its math results are a clear area of concern. A family evaluating this school would want to understand what instruction and intervention look like in the classroom, how the school connects with its pueblo communities, and what the transition into high school in the Bernalillo district involves. The data available here gives a starting picture, but the school itself would need to fill in the rest.
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